There are many people who consider selling and marketing as essentially dishonest and manipulative. If that’s how you think, the chances are you will resist change. This resistance is expressed in sentiments such as:
• I just don’t do selling and marketing - that’s someone else’s job.
• I feel uncomfortable talking about myself and blowing my own trumpet.
• I sound phoney when I talk about the benefits I offer.
• I'm just not the marketing type.
• I can't sell.
It's no wonder many professionals and technicians struggle with marketing and feel uncomfortable when talking to prospective clients about their services. Business development becomes a "necessary evil." The best way to get past these quite understandable feelings is to look at business development and the marketing of your services from a new perspective.
One of the most important facets of business development is networking. Naturally, the more people you meet and the more relationships you build, the more likely you are to attract more business. But do not think of networking as a means to subtly manipulate the people you meet, coaxing them into buying your services through shameless boasting about the quality of your company.
