Marketing Your Creative Business With Heart

Adopting these Four Rules of Relationship can help you to be your authentic, creative self while marketing your business.

Written Mar 17, 2011, read 2135 times since then.

As a Creative Entrepreneur Coach, I often encounter Creatives who shy away from the notion of marketing themselves and their Creative Businesses. I’ve been there, too.

When I started my coaching practice, I felt as though marketing was a bad word – something I wanted to stay away from. As a Creative person, I believed I shouldn’t have to market myself. My work would speak for itself. My clients would come to me “word of mouth” right? My reputation would build and I would never have to take out an ad or join a networking group. I cringed at the notion of getting up in front of a group of other entrepreneurs to try to describe what I do.

Needless to say, my business grew at a snail’s pace. Eventually, through trial and error, I began to see how important marketing my business is. I’ve even begun to like it!

So how do we market our Creative Businesses in a way that is true to our Creative Selves? My biggest concern for a long time was that I would be in the position of offering something that didn’t feel like me. I’d struggled with a feeling of rebellion against doing what all the business and marketing books/videos/blogs/teleseminars told me to do, just because they “said so.”
I was filled with questions and worry. How do I market my business from my authentic self? How do I stay true to my message without sounding “sales-y”? How do I balance doing it “my way” with doing it “the right way”?

Many years ago, a therapist friend of mine told me about the Four Rules of Relationship as I was struggling with a romantic relationship. These are:

Show Up. Be Present. Speak Your Truth. Let Go of Outcome.

More recently, I’ve been thinking about how these powerful rules might apply to building relationships through marketing my Creative Business. When I adopt the Rules of Relationship outlined below, marketing my Creative Business becomes easier.

Show Up. To me, this means to show up fully as myself. Don’t hide or diminish what you do in any way. Remember and celebrate all of your accomplishments and how they have positively influenced others. Be willing to be vulnerable. Share who you truly are and your potential clients and customers will come to know you and potentially see themselves reflected.

Be Present. This one can be a challenge. Being present, to me, means being focused on what I am doing, what I am saying, how I am being in this moment. Marketing my business from this state of being present allows me to approach tasks from a calm and centered place, rather than a state of worry or anxiety, which is not the best way to attract others!

Speak Your Truth. Here’s where you get to express your true Creative Self. What is your Truth as it relates to your Creative Business? What is the message you wish to express to the world? Is it about beauty? Courage? Passion? Speak it – in your Marketing message, in your newsletter, on your business cards, website, promotional brochures, etc. Your Truth is a reflection of who you are and what you bring to the world.

Let Go Of Outcome. This is by far the toughest part. But it can also be the most rewarding. When we put our message out there to the world, when we share who we truly are, when we are vulnerable, passionate, caring and Creative, we connect and build relationships with the people who need us, our services and works, the most. By letting go, we free ourselves to be ourselves in our business and our lives. When we cling to outcome, worry about what others might think or how we’re going to pay the bills, we limit our capacity to build relationship. When we can let go, we open the door to others and keep it open, inviting them to come again and again, to view our work, to visit our seminars, to read our newsletters and blogs. When they are ready, the will choose us because we have kept that door open long enough and consistently enough for them to know, like and trust us. In this way, the clients and customers we desire the most will also be the ones who desire us and our work the most.

When I choose to market my business with these four basic rules of relationship in mind, my marketing “efforts” become “effortless.” I attract the clients I truly want to work with and who truly want to work with me. Marketing in this way is an opportunity for me to share all of who I am and my Truth with the world. Even for those who do not choose my services, I am providing a message which may inspire them. When I choose to be in this state of non-attachment, I can see that Marketing is truly just about expressing myself, who I am and what I hope to bring to the world, building relationships along the way.

That feels so much better than worrying about “getting it right”!

How will you choose to market your business with Heart?

Learn more about the author, Victoria Dzenis.

Posted by Victoria Dzenis, Seattle, Washington | Mar 17, 2011

Hi all,

Although I followed the suggestions about how to copy & paste from Word, there still seems to be some leftover Word formatting at the bottom. I apologize for any confusion this may cause!

Enjoy the article! ~Victoria
Posted by Deby Rourke, Bothell, Washington | Mar 18, 2011

Great article Victoria, thank you for sharing!
Posted by Nancy Hellstrom, Bellevue, Washington | Mar 18, 2011

Thank you for sharing this article, Victoria.

I had the same thoughts about marketing. The reality of marketing a small business is actually fun. I especially like your Rules of Relationship! SO simple and so true! I will practice these principles for sure.

~ Nancy Hellstrom, Interior Color Consultant www.InteriorShift.com
Posted by Victoria Dzenis, Seattle, Washington | Mar 18, 2011

Thanks for your comments, Deby & Nancy!

Marketing our business really can be fun when we can let go of attaching to the outcome. The more fun we have and the more relaxed we feel when connecting with prospective clients, the more attractive our services can be!

~Victoria
Posted by Randal DeHart, PMP, QPA, Lynnwood, Washington | Mar 18, 2011

Victoria,

Marketing is one of my favorite subjects and your writing style is very enjoyable.

Your insights about marketing and relationships is very true. Great article, rated it "10" Keep up the good work!

Warm Regards,

Randal

Contractors Accounting And Bookkeeping Services
Posted by Alexandra Immel, Seattle, Washington | Mar 18, 2011

I love your authentic response to the issue. If marketing really is about becoming more visible, we have to examine what part of us are we making visible and what we want people to see. When we become comfortable with what we are presenting to our potential audience, we can do it with more authenticity. But we have to keep putting one foot in front of the other to get to the outcome, whatever it may be. Alexandra, Residential Designer.
Posted by Diane Kern, Seattle, Washington | Mar 19, 2011

Four very straight forward ideas to marketing authentically. They do take and effort but as you practice them I'm sure it becomes more second nature.

I recently realized that I am not clear enough in presenting myself and my qualifications. I will show up more from now on.
Posted by Victoria Dzenis, Seattle, Washington | Mar 19, 2011

Randall,

Thanks! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

Alexandra,

Great point about showing up & being visible, staying conscious about what we're choosing to reveal!

Diane,

Yes! The Rules of Relationship are a practice, one which can apply to so many areas of our lives.

Thanks all for your ratings & comments!

~Victoria
Posted by Susan Lee-Pullen, Seattle, Washington | Mar 23, 2011

Victoria, Great article. I especially resonate with your comments about letting go and non-attachment. Thank you! Susan
Posted by Barbara Breckenfeld, Mountlake Terrace, Washington | Mar 24, 2011

Victoria - I'm thrilled to read that you are getting to like marketing! Since all business is at its heart about relationships, your rules of relationship make perfect sense.

I also want to acknowledge that you have engaged with the question of 'What is Marketing?' and found the ways in which you can make it your own. Good for you!

Since most of us go into business for ourselves because we are passionate about what we do, we are less than thrilled about having to go out looking for clients. Many of us were able to do very well without proactively looking for clients -- until this recession. Now everybody - even talented creatives - has to make it simple and easy for prospective clients to find and identify them as someone who they'd like to work with.

I've also found that with so many of us who would rather do what we love than that thing called Marketing, if we call it something else, something we don't mind doing, it also becomes easier to engage with it. For example, you are great at networking and building relationships with people. That happens to be part of marketing, so breaking it down and avoiding marketing jargon is another good tactic to stay engaged with that, um, M-word.

Good article!
Posted by Sue Manning, St Paul, Minnesota | Mar 24, 2011

Victoria, your article really resonated with me. As a freelance graphic designer I struggle with 1 or 2 of these. I do pretty well with the first three, but that inner voice that keeps creeping in...I will be keeping your paragraph "Let Go of Outcome" close at hand for those days when I need to re-focus and re-ground. Thanks!
Posted by Victoria Dzenis, Seattle, Washington | Mar 24, 2011

Barbara,

Thank YOU for helping me to learn to love marketing! I agree, the business community as a whole is shifting to a new way of doing business-- now is the time to bring our authenticity to the fore!

Sue,

I'm so glad this resonated with you! I hear you -- those negative voices can get quite loud sometimes! I hope this article can help you access your true vision for your business!

~Victoria
Posted by Brian Francis, London, London United Kingdom | Mar 24, 2011

Wow, amazing truths , almost like you read a page from my diary, especially where you start to explain how you felt about marketing. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by Mary Apffel, Federal Way, Washington | Mar 25, 2011

Nice, Victoria! Some real basic truths to remember and although simple they cover the important things about not only marketing but living. Posting those four right now.

Thanks for posting your article.
Posted by Carole King, Victoria, British Columbia Canada | Mar 25, 2011

Hi Victoria I loved your article. It is simple, but so true. Clients come to those they trust and feel a connection to. It is all about being authentic and vulnerable at the same time.

It also seems Letting go and allowing is difficult for many of us who feel we need to control the outcome of our efforts.
Posted by Sheila Gazlay, Bellingham, Washington | Mar 25, 2011

Great article Victoria. I have my main business and actually two that are more creative also and I always feel that it's easier, at least on the internet, to discuss those and think of ways to promote those with videos, blogs, etc. It's like they got my engine going but you are right, it feels like the creating and the advertising are direct opposites.

Trick is, you have to realized that advertising can be whatever you want it to be. If you shun away from it initially because it seems intrusive and tacky compared to what you want to express, make it your style.

You have an interesting intuition about the application of the four rules. Thanks for the article.

Sheila
Posted by Victoria Dzenis, Seattle, Washington | Mar 25, 2011

Brian, Mary, Carole and Sheila,

Thank you all so much for your comments!

It's not surprising that many of us in business for ourselves feel shy about marketing our services, works -- and our selves! It is true that when we are most in touch with our inner wisdom and our vision about our business, it becomes easier to share that vision with others.

Sharing our vision while also being able to let go of attachment to outcome is quite frankly a lifelong practice!

Best wishes for your continued success in all your endeavors! Feel free to contact me directly should you wish to discuss your Creative business vision further!

~Victoria
Posted by Tami Smith, Kirkland, Washington | Mar 29, 2011

Wow Victoria. I had never heard of the Four Rules of Relationship; yet I've build a marketing methodology for an authentic, online presence around these principles.

Thank you for sharing so beautifully and simply. You would be a perfect coach for me!
Posted by Victoria Dzenis, Seattle, Washington | Mar 29, 2011

Tami,

Thank you for your comment!

I suspect that anyone who becomes intimately familiar with marketing their business comes to understand these 4 principles, even if they've never heard them articulated this way before.

So glad to see this type of authenticity being communicated online, too!

~Victoria
Posted by Victoria Dzenis, Seattle, Washington | Mar 29, 2011

Thanks to all of you for your comments!