Why People Don't Take You Seriously

Business is hard because being taken seriously takes time and effort.

I want to share 5 reasons why people may not be taking you and your business seriously and what to do about it.

But first, some context...

There is a?big gap?between the skill of conducting business and the skill your business uses. For example, you may be good at coaching, but not at getting clients. Or you may be good at getting clients, but not at coaching.

Needless to say,?this is a problem.

Over the past two and a half years, we’ve seen?businesses forced online and a rise in online entrepreneurship. Working from home made people realize they can work from anywhere and even start their own business online.

But the difficulty lies in the fact that now,

almost anyone can start a business on the internet with very low barriers to entry.

While that’s a great thing because it allows people who historically wouldn’t have been able to start businesses…

Well, you see a lot of charlatans?scamming?people and peddling?false promises.

So, in this landscape, you not only have to prove you are good at what you do, but you also have to show you are serious about business.

You may not have noticed it, but if you’re not getting as many clients as you should, it may be because people don’t take you seriously enough.

You can’t notice that because people don’t tell you that.?In fact, people don’t even realize themselves they don’t take you seriously. Oftentimes, it’s an unconscious process. They see your business online, or they hear of you, and they don’t consider you as a serious option.

How do you know if people are taking you seriously?

1. They reach out to you.
2. They talk about you.
3. They send you referrals without having worked with you.

If your market already does all these things, you may not need to read the rest of this piece (though I'm sure you can still learn something from it). If your market doesn't already do this, the rest of this piece is going to be important.??

The big problem is, you can have a great business and be the best and still not be taken seriously. The prerequisites to having a business are a problem to solve and an effective solution to that problem. As long as you have those, you can make some sales…

But your business won’t reach its full potential.

To propel your business forward, you not only need to have but also demonstrate the following:

1. Authority?— who you are and why you’re qualified
2. Credibility?— what you’ve done and the results it brought
3. Competence?— how you’ve done it and why it’s effective

So here are 5 basic reasons people don’t take your business seriously.

By addressing those, you will make sure you broadcast your authority, credibility, and competence.

1. You don’t post content.

That’s the classic business mistake in the 21st century.

In the age of the internet, business is a content game. People spend most of their time online in one way or another, so you need quality, engaging content to stay top of mind—or else people don’t know you exist.

Tips:

• Post 3 to 5 times a week, even if the content is short
• Use writing and marketing frameworks to get inspiration
• Look at how businesses in other industries publish content

2. You post?random?content.

You can't post?any?type of content.

I see this all the time on LinkedIn. People seem under the impression they should write anything that will get them views. But if the content doesn’t speak to your audience or provides real value, it’s pointless.

Tips:

• Write stories that demonstrate your expertise
• Make arguments about the state of your industry
• Explain how your business/service works
• Describe the problems your audience is facing and share solutions

3. You post content on social media?only.

There is an entire school of thought that argues websites are dead and all you need is a social media profile and a sales page.

The truth is, this tends to work for offers that promise people quick financial returns and use a lot of manipulative tactics. These offers burn the market quickly and don’t last very long.

Tips:

• Build an authoritative website
• Publish blog articles
• Host a podcast
• Publish a weekly newsletter

(You don't need to do?all?of them.)

4. Your content is poorly presented.

The online content marketplace is competitive. Every minute, readers have a dozen content choices. Present your content in a way that attracts and retains attention?and?is pleasant to the reader.

Tips:

• Break out your paragraphs after no more than 3 lines
• Know how each platform presents content to optimize
• Be moderate with your use of bold, italic, and emojis

5. You have no strategic alliances and partnerships.

Publishing content for your audience is great, but growth can be slow. The fastest way to grow is to partner with like-minded businesses and organizations who can promote you through mutually beneficial arrangements.

Tips:

• Ask yourself which organizations or businesses can use your expertise
• Figure out how you can give them value without sacrificing too much time or money
• Reach out to these organizations, ask if they are open to partnerships, and request an introductory meeting

These are five reasons people don’t take businesses seriously.

Which one do you need to work on?

Let me know in the comments.