Don't Pretend. Be Professional Not Pretentious

I keep seeing ads which perplex me:  “We help you look bigger than you are”.  “Let us put a big face on your little company….”

What the?  Why would you want to do that?

I started as a solo professional and became a successful e-preneur – I am bigger than just me; but when I was just me, I didn’t try to make people believe there was more than just me.  That would be digitally dishonest.

In the on line world, all you have is what I call your digital credibility.  Your published words, voice and presence, the processes you have in place to perform whatever service or provide whatever product – they all have to work and ring true.

Why?  People don’t get the benefit of looking you in the eye, shaking your hand or any of the other visual clues that come from buying something from a real, live body.  Therefore, your digital credibility is that much more important – one doubt, one suspicion… and your website visitor or potential client is gone.  Off to the next website or person they think can help them.

If you are a one person shop – don’t hide that fact. Don’t try to dupe people into thinking you’re anything but the very successful single person you are and if you’re not yet successful – you won’t get there by trying to make people believe anything but the truth.

Once your digital credibility is gone, it’s gone.  Guard, protect and nurture it for true success.