I've got an important question for you in a second. Here's the background…

I was sitting in a coffee shop a couple of weeks ago having done my weekly planning and I was kind of watching the world go by.

There was a business meeting going on at a table nearby. A couple of younger folks in shirts and ties were showing what looked like some sample brochures and design work to three older businesspeople.

After they'd reviewed the artwork they shifted to a more general business chat. It made interesting listening.

One of the younger guys seemed to be the more senior of the two and he took the lead in the conversation. But rather than asking his potential clients questions and finding more about them he spent the whole time talking about himself.

He talked about his business philosophy, how he only worked with people he could trust, how customer service was vital to him.

Me, me, me. Yada yada yada. 

I almost felt like shouting over “just shut the heck up for a minute and actually listen to your clients”.

It's not just him though. When under pressure we all seem to feel the need to try to justify ourselves. To tell people what nice guys we are, how great we are to work with, how high our standards are.

After observing hundreds of these conversations over the years I can promise you the people you tell this stuff to just aren't interested.

Not that they don't care whether you're nice guys and great to work with. They just don't believe what you're saying.

If you're great to work with, don't say it. Prove it. Make your marketing and your sales interactions with potential clients a real showcase for how great it would be to work with you. Make them fun. Make them a real pleasure.

If you're a real expert in your field, don't say it. Prove it. Share valuable content in your marketing that's helpful to your clients and marks you out as an authority.

So here's the question…

Take a look at your own marketing. What does it say on your website home page or your email signature or your brochures?

How often are you making claims about how great you are rather than actually proving it?

Marketing is the art of getting clients to believe they should be working with you. And belief comes from proof, not claims.