Do you practise what your business preaches?

SEO business pitch emails always follow the same soul-crushing route.  They build you up, then cruelly knock you down.  Take this recent message from ‘Eliza’:

“I was looking through your website and found it really impressive!  Well done!”

Isn’t that nice?  If Eliza had stopped there, my day would have had a lovely little lift.   Instead, having buttered me up she went straight in for the kill.

“But I was looking for Keywords and found your website on page 3-4 of Google. If you were on page #1, you’d get so many prospects/new clients every day. Most of your targeted keywords on page #3-5. You’re so close! Do you mind if I sent a SEO Packages and Price list of your site to see why you’re not on page #1?”

Here’s my reply.

There’s a flaw in your message, dear Eliza, dear Eliza…

OK, Eliza probably isn’t real and her message was probably a scam.  But I’ve seen a lot of similar pitches.  Pitches from self-employed business people that rhapsodise about an Incredible Thing or an Amazing Skill they offer.  It’ll DEFINITELY boost my business and make me lots of money.

Then I look these people up, and I see they’re not using their Incredible Thing or Amazing Skill on themselves.  They aren’t practising what their business preaches. 

You know the sort of pitches I mean.  They’re from:

• The LinkedIn ‘guru’ whose profile is completely personality-free.
• The graphic designer with a bland, colourless website.
• The personal branding specialist who didn’t personalise their email.
• The digital marketer whose last social media update was months ago.
• The mindset coach with a rant-filled personal Facebook page.

Here’s a question.  Why would someone pay you for services you don’t use in your own business?

Let’s take my writing services as an example.  If I didn’t update my own blog regularly, I’d feel uncomfortable telling potential clients about the benefits of business blogging: if they’re so great, why aren’t I doing it myself?

(They are great, by the way.  This blog is part of the reason why my website ranks on Page One for my actual “targeted keywords”).

Practising what you preach isn’t just about “living your business values”.

It’s also about showcasing what you went into business for.  If you really are that fantastic at what you do (and if you’re self-employed and surviving then you probably are), turn your unique talents onto you.

It’s not self-indulgent or time-wasting.  It’s advertising.