You need to woman up and stand out... but how?

When I launched my business, I thought I had a one-of-a-kind idea. I started working with a marketing company and they were very interested by my niche which only added to my belief that I was unique. Part of that program was for me to research potential groups to join in the various social media platforms, namely Facebook and LinkedIn. I was pleased to find that there were a lot of groups that fit my niche but I was also surprised to find that there were hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs all offering some version of the same thing. I was only mildly consoled when I was able to find only a few other entrepreneurs that were offering something similar to me.

It got me thinking, though, if so many people are offering the same thing, then how does anyone stand out?

This is where I started my research into the pain points of my ideal customers. What is it that kept them awake at night? Where were the struggles and hardships of their business? It was an enlightening and disheartening thing. There were so many women out there with amazing offers but they were stacked against each other in a tower that was so tall that I worried it might collapse. I immediately felt the struggles of these women, the women who were offering something truly amazing but were struggling to be seen.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized what a unique opportunity I was offering. I was specializing in helping women entrepreneurs create something so unique that it would automatically set them above the crowd. In a world where webinars and lives are so overdone, I was looking for something to offer that truly was one of a kind. This is where the book comes in.

Writing a book is three things, 1. It’s immediate credibility, 2. It boosts your confidence like no other and 3. It connects with people on a whole new level.

Credibility is everything in this day and age. It is the defining point between someone deciding they want to work with you or move on to someone with more experience. A book can be the thing that sets you apart and turns a warm client into a hot one. When you think of some of the top coaches or service providers, how are they typically introduced? Well, if they wrote a book, it usually goes something like this, “I would like to introduce Jane, Author of XYZ.” There you have it, instant credibility with the crowd. That is the power of a book and with credibility comes sales. It’s a direct connection. The more credible you are, the more people want to work with you.

The next thing is confidence. Being lost in a sea of entrepreneurs can be a tough pill to swallow, one that leaves you feeling uneasy about your decisions and unsure about your future success. Writing a book is a tangible thing that you can hold and look at to showcase just what exactly it is that you have done. It gives you something to show for all your hard work, and it is a recognizable symbol of success. When I wrote my first book, people were astounded that I could do that. They had no idea what it was about or the process that went into it, but they knew enough to respect the outcome. That was exactly the kind of confidence boost I needed to step into this field.

Connection. The single word is a full sentence. It embodies all that we aim to have when we put ourselves out there and aim to make a difference. Without connection, we do not have an audience, we do not have clients, we do not have a business. Your book is something that will sit with readers for hours. It will show them into your world and open their eyes to the possibilities that working with you can achieve. A book embodies connection in the deepest form.?

Being an entrepreneur is many things; exciting, scary, thrilling, and daunting. But it doesn’t have to be something that washes you away and leaves up a creek without a paddle, so to speak. If you find the right support and the right methods, you can create something beautiful, powerful, and inspiring that will set you apart from the crowd.