People are attracted to truth. If you want people to follow you, stand for something. Stand for something you believe is true and good, and make your business reflect that.
Write a credo, a manifesto. Why are you in business? What matters to you?
And then demonstrate it.
For example, let’s say you do massage.
You credo might sound like this:
I believe massage should be empowering. People should feel completely at ease to speak up and ask for what they want during their massage. It’s THEIR time, and it’s most beneficial when they give feedback, know what they want, and ask for it.
Your stand could be anything, but it has to be you. It has to be something you truly believe.
The best credos make you cry. Or expand inside. They feel vulnerable and real.
You don’t have to share the credo itself with anyone. It’s for you. It’s what gives your business heart.
When you have it, then you can demonstra
te it through your website content and processes. For example:
I believe massage should be empowering. Before our first massage together, I’ll have a short form for you to fill out that asks you your preferences—do you like feedback about your muscles as I work, or do you prefer a quiet no-talking space? Do you prefer light pressure or deep? Which body parts would you like me to focus on?
Feeling unsure about disrobing, tipping, etc? I created this FAQ specifically around the questions people are often too shy to bring up.
You can also share your credo with your designer. Make all the parts of your business reflect it. Build y
our brand around what you truly believe.
Be a bigger presence by being different—and expanding on that difference.
Write articles about your stand. Make
your business about more than just getting customers and getting paid. Make it about saying something. Make it about changing the world in some small way that you care about.
For our massage example, start with the question:
“How can I help my customers feel empowered during their massage with me?”
Then expand the question:
“How can I help everyone on the planet feel empowered during massage?”
“What information might help people feel empowered during massage? How can I provide it?”
“What articles might I write that would help transform people’s relationship with massage?”
When you take a stand, you become part of something larger—the larger truth you are standing for.
Your presence becomes larger and more attractive, because you are not just you—you are part of that truth. You are part of an inspiring, cool thing. That makes you and your business attractive.
Bonus: you get more inspired about your marketing. You’re not just selling yourself anymore. You’re being a stand for healing the world in a way that matters to you. There’s a lot of energy in that.
I’m a massage therapist, and I do believe massage should be empowering, so this is all directly applicable! I didn’t realize that was a controversial or note-worthy stand, though – I thought it was called customer service. I think there may be more to my own core credo than that.
Thanks for providing lots of food for thought with your example and general premise!
@Sonia It’s in how much you demonstrate it. Many masseuses would agree with the general premise of “massage should be empowering”–but not necessarily think through how they could create a truly empowering experience for someone, or what might get in the way of people being empowered around massage.
But yes, it’s kind of a light example. You’d want to find the words that speak to you. Maybe I will see if I can dig up some good examples of manifestos that are out on the web.
I am a state certified massage therapist/bodyworker. I empower my clients by letting them know during our intakes sessions that the session is about their needs. I do my best to make them feel confident telling me that they would like more or less pressure; or that they would prefer that the music would be louder.
However, I found this example so helpful that I immediately wrote my credo as a healer/massage therapist/bodyworker as I was reading your post.
In addition, I have written my personal manifesto (I will publish it when I have completed the edit).
Thanks for the cool article, and the timely example.