Ask Your Friends This Question!

I’ve been reading a book called 80/20 Sales and Marketing by Perry Marshall. I like reading business books and believe that anyone in business needs to make a point of learning everything they can about sales and marketing. I can honestly say that this book does have some value in it, especially when you consider how much time business owners spend doing low value tasks. In his book, Marshall talks about how we should be spending 80% of our time doing things we are good at and paying people to do things we are not so good at, in order to get the most value for our effort. That made good sense to me, so as per the book’s instruction, I asked people who know me well what they thought was the one thing I was good at. For some of those people I had to specify that this was work related. I knew that if I didn’t clarify the purpose of the exercise that I would only illicit a bunch of lewd answers. Yes, I’ve got friends in low places! I asked six different people, although the book suggests asking five. I was actually surprised by the answers I received. Here are the things I learned about myself.

Good at coming up with unique solutions to problems. I translate that into being resourceful and solutions oriented.

Extremely driven. That one really caught me off guard, but then I realized that I do like to get shit done and I hate when people get in my way. I guess that makes me driven, doesn't it? 

A good listener with strong intuition and problem-solving skills. People do tend to come to me for advice a lot (and there’s that solution thing again).

Strong written and verbal communication skills. That one, I knew about.

Disciplined and organized. Definitely organized and yes, when I put my mind to something I am disciplined and even driven, as mentioned above.

Understand how to create benefits and appeal to customers. You can tell this one came from a former co-worker. Perhaps that’s another way of saying that I am persuasive. I would agree with that. 

So how does all of this relate to maximizing my marketing efforts? It looks to me like my strongest talents are really around planning and project management. Copy writing would perhaps be my third talent. At first, almost none of these traits resonated with me, but once I thought about them, they actually did. What’s more, when I think about the things I really like to do versus the things I hate doing, well, let’s just say it all makes sense now.

There is nothing more painful for me than having to do the same thing over and over again. I get no kick out of cold calling, looking for needles in haystacks or managing social media accounts, although I must say, I do a lot of the latter. I do get a kick out of creating content, especially if it involves research and having to simplify a difficult concept. I actually really like to be doing a lot of different things. I need variety, but making things happen is what really lights my fire. I also like working in innovative industries and being at the front end of a project. 

What work do you get the most satisfaction from? Try this exercise with your friends and see what answers you get. Knowing more about your talents as others see them allows you to direct your day, your career and your life in a way that will bring you greater satisfaction and the results you really want. It's also cool to know that your friends think you are good for something other than... well, you know. 

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About me:

I am a certified coach practitioner and the founder of Belly Busters, a group coaching program that teaches people how to embrace a lifelong commitment to health and wellness. I am also a public relations professional, former adult educator and published author. My life experiences have been rich and have led me to the work I am doing to bring success and fulfillment to people all over the world. 

I believe that nothing works well in life if we are not in harmony with our inner being. Self-destructive behaviours, self-sabotaging behaviours, anger, and control issues indicate that there is a disconnect between the outer self and the divine inner self. Once you heal that relationship, you will discover your career, your business, external relationships, your health, and overall wellness will improve dramatically. Please visit my website www.reneecormier.com for information about what I do and to reach me for support with your goals.