Growing a firm that aligns with your dreams is possible.
Others have done it before, and they’ll continue to do it long after you do.
But here’s the thing: a few thoughts and beliefs can really hinder your progress.
Now, before you go, I don’t want to read something else that tells me to have a positive mindset; this isn’t going to be that.
Hang with me.
(A positive mindset is important, but that’s not what this is about.)
This is about beliefs. And more so, beliefs that are absolutely myths.
Over the past eight years, I’ve seen and heard all of the marketing myths.
Whether working with a single partner firm or a top 100 one, I’ve seen myths that stop firms from attracting the right clients and reaching their goals.
And I’m going to share a handful of marketing myths that are stopping you from landing the clients you want to work with (the ones who are willing to pay premium prices for your services).
Around 70% of medium to large enterprises have virtual assistants.
But can they do your marketing?
Of course, a VA can assist with your marketing, but don’t expect them to have leading insights or ideas.
A VA is often a generalist. They shouldn’t be put in charge of your marketing strategy.
(If you’re a VA that specializes in marketing, ignore this. You’re not the average VA.)
VAs can learn how to perform tasks, such as designing a landing page or helping with social media, but you need to clarify things upfront.
Start by explaining the skill sets that you’re looking for and what your virtual assistant’s strengths are.
Think of them as the support, but they are not in charge of the strategy.
For example, would you ask your admin to do your bookkeeping?
Unless they were trained, you absolutely would not ask.
Be very clear about what you want your VA to help with.
If they’re not trained in marketing and don’t have an interest in learning about it, don’t expect them to be an expert already or want to become one.
Here’s a belief that holds so many firms back: I can just let someone create content for me.
Or just as bad, let ChatGPT do it.
In other words, “I don’t have an opinion.”
Let me be honest:
People follow you for your opinions and insights.
Think about who you follow. I bet you follow them because you value their insights, their style of teaching, or the way they entertain you.
They are different.
And you’re different too, but if you never show it, no one will know.
If you’re trying to blend in with the crowd, you’ll struggle to grow.
Don’t be afraid to ruffle some feathers. Often, you have to polarize some to attract others.
Before we move to the next point, I want to say, marketing team can absolutely help you create content, but it needs your thoughts and opinions included in it.
I know that branding is important. I just don’t want to be the face of it.
I get it. Many firm owners believe their firm should be the face of the brand. Some day they want to go on to sell it.
However, accounting is personal.
And truthfully, a firm is the sum of its people’s brand.
People work with your firm because they enjoy working with you or your team.
If you don’t want to be the face of your brand, that’s fine. But you should have someone serve in that role.
Because ultimately, people connect with other people, not brands.
Not sold on this point? Open up any of your social media profiles’ inboxes. Did you last interact with a person or a brand in your inbox? For most of us, that will absolutely be a person.
Many firm owners believe that they don’t need sales training.
Why?
When I ask, they often have a high close rate. That sounds good at face value, but this also tells me a few things:
In both of these scenarios, having sales training and a sales process can be really beneficial. Your process doesn’t have to be super complicated, and you can find tons of great courses and books on sales training.
The key is to get a system in place so that when people move through your pipeline, you can successfully get them the offering they need to create the impact you want to make.
If you want to succeed with marketing, you have to be everywhere.
I don’t know where this started, but so many people, marketing experts, business coaches and influencers are telling everyone that they should be everywhere online. If you believe them, you should be posting on every platform at all times of the day.
Sure, that would be great in a perfect world.
But if you’re trying to be everywhere, you’re most likely being nowhere. It’s better to be intentional and consistent.
How can you do that?
Master one platform first, and then you can look to expand to others.
Sure, you can repurpose your content and post it onto other platforms, but don’t get hung up on these other channels.
Don’t say, “Hey, today I’m going to jump on TikTok and try to grow my followers there, and then, I’m going to hop on LinkedIn.”
Really master one at a time.
This is the #1 harmful marketing myth that I’ve heard. So many firms believe they can grow through referrals alone.
If this sounds familiar, I get it. But there are still a few issues that can be solved with marketing.
You can even use effective marketing to attract top talent, which helps you continue growing your firm.
Here’s the reality: the market is shifting.
Clients have access to more information and more options than ever before. If you’re not putting yourself out there beyond referrals, you’re missing out on opportunities for growth.