Let’s talk about being you, f-bombs and the like.

Sticking your neck out and being you in business takes balls. You gotta own it, and be ok with the outcome.

Sometimes, you have to be prepared to be judged by others, deal with criticism on a massive scale and yet not take it personally. Especially when you’re doing business online.

Controversial.

Just look at Russell Brand. Everyone has an opinion on him. If you took a straw poll I bet you’d get a rainbow of comments – including ones that turn the air blue – but do you see him hiding under the covers because someone doesn’t like him? Nu-uh. Does it make him unsuccesful – ummm no.

So when you’re going about your business, being the expert in what-ever-it-is that you do – what do you think it is that attracts people to you?

• Is it your price?
• Is it your service?
• Is it purely on recommendation or reputation?
• The colour of your website?

Unlikely. They are sure to be factors to some degree. But chances are there are a billion* (*approximate number) other experts who offer what you do in the same price bracket with as good a (if not better) reputation.

Could you be “the one”?

What attracts people to you is YOU. Your unique combination of personality, values, energy, expertise, experience, chemistry.

The more you can get that across in your marketing – whether it’s through your website, blog posts, printed materials, consultations, even your business cards – the more people will get a sense of who you are.

And when you do that, they can decide more easily if you’re “the one” for them or not – and not is OK. Just like we don’t fall in love with everyone we meet, not everyone is your “take them on a mini-break and drink champagne in front of a log fire” ideal client.

And THOSE are the bad boys you want to attract. The ones that make work feel so easy that you feel bad for even calling it work.

Get into the zone, man.

What’s more, it’s easier for you to communicate.

When we lift the self-imposed restrictions of what we think is expected of us or how others will judge us. Or, that if we say/do/write *that* the outcome will be *this* (which is impossible to know so don’t even waste your time on it). E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g begins to flow.

Writing becomes more fluid, you stop second-guessing that Facebook update, sales copy becomes less sludgy, you jump at the chance to present to large audiences.

The more YOU you can be, the better.

Do you do it?

Let’s take swearing as an example (American friends, read: cussing)

A hotly discussed topic and pretty controversial.

In private conversations you either do it or you don’t. And, for those who do I’ve got this question: What about on the internet where you’re representing your business?

Hmmmm…tricky one.

I’m a cusser and I like it. My roots go back to when I was about 11 years old and successfully negotiated with my (very bohemian and liberal) parents to include “flipping heck” to my vocab.

I felt sooo grown up.

Droppin’ the F-bomb.

Back to today, I regularly use profanities. With friends, with clients, business buddies, and I occasionally let one slip with customer service reps (oops… sorry ’bout that). Because pretending I don’t cuss isn’t being me.

I sometimes drop an f-bomb in my copy too.

We hear these words every day – in the street, on TV, in cinemas, read them in books and magazines. So is it such a big deal if we use them to self express in business? It’s personal choice of course, but we’re all grown ups. Surely by now, we can handle it.

Ok, so what about if you’re in a professional industry? Granted, it’s not for everyone (if The Queen addressed her subjects with an F-bomb imagine the uproar!) but personally, I’d happily work with a straight-up lawyer who swore like a sailor.

Bland copy that hopes not to offend is so 1950s

And I mean pre Don Draper 50s, not the fun, whiskey drinking, marketing genius 50s.

So my challenge to you is to look through all of your marketing copy and see where you can add a little bit more YOU in there, stop hiding behind the expected, the been done, the blah blah bland. Let me see who the flipping heck (yessss, still feels good) YOU are.

Will it be uncomfortable? More than likely.
Will it be worth it? F&*k yeah.

I wanna hear from you!

It’s your turn. I want to know your opinion on this hot topic. Let me know in the comments what YOU think about cussing. Is it good for business? Let rip below!