Wondering how to get the word out about your business, and do it in a way that flows naturally with the conversation?
It’s not always easy to talk about your business, and if you’re the shy type you might feel uncomfortable, as though you’re bragging. Even so… the more you practice easing your business mention into an everyday chat, the better you’ll get at it, and that means more business for you.
Here are some ways to practice slipping in a mention of your business without sounding awkward or desperate.
When people ask about your work, don’t be afraid to get specific.
Think of how many times in your life that you have talked about work with family members and friends. “I was at work today,” “I just got home from work,” “I brought my kids into work today.” People talk about their work in this vague manner all the time.
In fact, you can go years without even really knowing what a person does at their job beyond the basic facts like what company they work for and what their position or title is. And for this reason, that’s why it’s so important to share at least a few key details about your business when talking, discussing work with family and friends.
See yourself as the solution when people bring up a specific problem they’re having. Suppose you run a yarn shop, and today your friend has started a conversation about how it’s supposed to be an exceptionally cold winter.
This is an opportunity to mention your yarn shop, and all of those hats, scarves and mittens that you and your colleagues and customers will be making in time for the chilly season ahead.
Work a gift into the situation. If you’re not so great at explaining what you do in your business, you can always help people understand by showing them, with an actual product example.
Think of all the opportunities that exist to get your offerings out there. Maybe you sell chocolate bars with custom printed wrappers, and there’s a school fundraiser coming up.
Or maybe you’re a writer, and a local business needs a press release. Offering a small gift that will take no more than an hour or two of your time is a great way to get your name associated with a specific type of offering, so you can attract more business down the road.
Find the teachable moment. Sometimes people have questions about how to do things. They’re looking to master a new skill. Is that skill a part of what you offer with your business?
At first, you might feel shy about this, like you’re tooting your own horn. But if you’re an expert at something, you’ve earned what they call bragging rights.
That means you get to share what you know with people who can benefit from learning about the information.
