BUSINESS EDU The Honest Truth: A Different Kind of Show-and-Tell for Business Success – by Cathryn Castle Garcia, Owner, ClearStoryCoach.com, The Azores Cathryn Castle Garcia is a writer, business strategist, & co-owner of C2G2Productions.com, a multimedia production company.
I recently had the pleasure of hear- ing marketing expert Marcus Sheri- dan give a talk about how to increase revenue by crafting marketing mes- sages that position a business as trustworthy. This is especially impor- tant in our industry because the sport
3. SELL in ways others don’t or won’t. Say what others won’t.
If we’re honest, learning to scuba dive isn’t all sunshine and baby rainbows. What if we tell potential customers that breathing and moving underwater on scuba has its challenges, and that it doesn’t always come easily at first? It’s the truth, right? But most dive centers promote learn- ing to scuba dive by flooding their Instagram feeds with smiling young influencers swirling around underwater like Ariel, all easy-peasy. What if, instead of insisting it’s “sim- ple and easy,” we say, “there’s a bit of a learning curve, and some skills are more challenging than others,” and “not every student ‘gets it’ right away, so we make sure you’ll have plenty of time to practice and we’ll go at a pace you feel comfortable with.”
of scuba diving is not without risk. Our customers rely on us to provide training, equipment, and travel opportunities that mitigate the inherent risks associated with scuba div- ing and being in or on the water. Sheridan knows what he’s talking about. And what he’s talking about is the truth. As in, telling the truth – in mar- keting messaging and in customer relations. His bestselling book, They Ask, You Answer, explains how his bold truth-
telling style saved his busi- ness after the financial collapse of 2008, and how it propelled him to success, not just as a business owner and serial entrepre- neur, but as an author and keynote speaker. His book outlines how businesses can achieve success by adopting a culture of transparency and authenticity with customers. Ain’t it the Truth?
Bestselling business au- thor Jon Acuff is credited with saying, “Be brave enough to be bad at some- thing new.” This is exactly the kind of truth we can use with new clients. Just think what it would be like to say what others won’t– that the gear is kinda heavy and looks intimidat-
ing, and breathing through a regulator feels weird at first. And clearing water from the mask might seem like sorcery, but your dive center’s instructors specialize in breaking the skills down into small, achievable goals. By inviting our customers to be brave, to try, and to rely on us to guide them, we don’t just close the sale. We open the relationship. We foster trust. Show what others don’t. In Sheridan’s newest book, The Visual Sale, he identifies video as the most effective way for businesses to explain complex ideas and build trust with customers. Think about it. Imagine posting a video of a new scuba student strug- gling with mask clearing. They add water to the mask, then exhale through their mouth. Nothing happens. Not know-
Listening to Sheridan speak reinforced my own personal belief that we’re not in the business of doing business. We’re in the business of building relationships. And what are the best, most rewarding, and lasting relationships built on? Honesty. Because if we’re honest, we earn trust. We become known and valued as trustworthy. And others’ trust is a badge of honor pinned on us and our business that reads, “Integrity.” So how do we focus on being in the relationship busi- ness? Here’s what Sheridan suggests: 1. SAY what others won’t. 2. SHOW what others don’t.
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