Last month we started our conversation on Organic Marketing. What I mean by "organic" is the ability to tell people about what we do without it feeling like a sales pitch. It means our passion and excitement come across in an authentic and non-threatening way.

Your assignment was to make a list of things that make your cringe when you think of the word "market" and also write down you most effective marketing tool to date. What did you notice when you worked through the exercise? I bet you noticed that you felt uncomfortable when it was a "pitch" and terrific when the conversation flowed with ease and grace.

This is a paragraph from last month's newsletter. Organic Marketing is putting yourself out there so your audience learns from you, but does not feel sold by you. Organic Marketing can do in 2 hours what hundreds of dollars in direct mail cannot. It instantly establishes you as credible and as an authority in your arena of business,because you are engaging your heart and authenticity.

Going the extra mile: One of the golden rules of entrepreneurship is this, no matter what business you are in, you are providing a service. The secret weapon for a service business of any kind is to build TRUST with your clients and customers. Why do you think so many businesses succeed...or FAIL by word of mouth. You know the saying. Every person who has a good experience will tell....every person who has a bad one will tell 100. In his best selling book, Success Principles, author Jack Canfield suggests that we "go the extra mile and exceed expectations." As you and I know customer service is rare these days and it will really stand out when we create an environment where simply letting our clients know we care about them and their business will build enormous amounts of trust.

This is a quote from Ode magazine in their July/August edition from an article by Jay Walljasper titled The Real Thing and used with permission. " Paul Ray an American social scientist became fascinated by the subject through his research on "cultural creatives" -a sizable segment of the population he has identified who share common values about the environment, social justice, creative expression and personal growth. After extensive interviews with numbers of them, Ray uncovered another trait cultural creative hold in common: a drive for authenticity. This means living in a way that "your inner self matches your outer self." Ode is a phenomenal magazine out of the Netherlands about people making a difference in our world. I highly recommend it for a positive focus in your month. I am gratefull to Ode for permission to use the quote Ode Magazine

Overcoming the Sales Gremlin: One of the most straight-forward ways I know to build trust and over come the "sales gremlin" at the same time is to give a presentation to a group or organization about the work you do in the world. This can be almost effortless ladies and your personality and authenticity has an opportunity to come shining through. I recently gave a workshop to other therapists at the University of Utah. I showed up in my purple cowgirl boots and stepped into my "real" self. The workshop was such a hit that within a week I had requests for a teleclass and an offer from a participant to come and give another workshop to her agency! Why? Because I was not there to "sell" myself, but to give to these therapists all I had to give to share with them everything I know about the work I do in the world. And you want to know another secret? It was really FUN! Not just for them, but for me too!

So there you have it. Your new mantra can be "just say yes to marketing"...Organic Marketing that is! Being ourselves is the first step to telling the world about who we are and what we do. After a while, you won't even worry about that "elevator speech," as you are going to be talking about all the things you LOVE about your business. Take a moment today and plan one way you will go the distance and beyond for two clients this month. Next plan a fun and dynamic presentation for a local organization. Don't worry about charging. If you do a good job, it will be a business "write off" and a better investment of your time than a flyer sent through the mail. Good luck and feel free to post on the Discussion Board!

Organic Marketing 101-Cliff Notes:

• Establish yourself as credible
• Build trust by going the extra mile
• This month pick two clients and exceed their expectations
• Create a presentation that you will give to a local group or organization
• Post your results on the Salon discussion board

Read about the Organic Marketing evaluation and solutions offer below.

This month's Feisty Females:Taking the leap podcast features web designer/coach/psychotherapist, Annette Vaillancourt. Listen in as she describes how she made the transition from full time psychotherapist to girl geek! You can visit her site at girlgeekwebdesigns.com

This will be your new link for upcoming classes and events, so you can take your first steps to becoming an empowered Feisty Female! Check here monthly to stay connected! Due to our move, we are not offering in-studio classes this summer. New classes to be added in October.