Hiding Your Light Under a Bushel

What's the title mean? I first heard that phrase in Sunday School. It means don’t be bashful about your skills and talents, but display them to the world.

How does that apply to my message today?

Many professionals have more than one particular business skill or service they offer their customers, often several. But the main ones are the ones they emphasize and advertise the most. They are the ones their customers think of first. And after a while, the emphasis on those special skills overshadows other skills and services the business may offer, to the point they may be either hidden or forgotten. Perhaps the business sees certain skills as their strengths, or the ones most in demand, or their biggest money-makers. After all, a business’ Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is what sets them apart from their competition and they want to highlight those differences, to put themselves ahead of their competitors in their prospect’s minds.

After a while, a pattern of using or offering or spotlighting certain skills—to the exclusion of other skills—may emerge. It’s easy to forget those other skills, and after all, why mess with success?

I believe that from time to time, you should remind your customers and prospects of the other skills you can provide. You don’t have to hit them over the head with this, but casual conversation sometimes opens opportunities to mention other services. For example, my contacts know I specialize in design for direct mail, web sites, and newsletters. The other day at a networking meeting I mentioned I can also do the designs for catalogs, and within minutes I had a referral from a friend who had a side business with her family that could use my expertise. I had planted a seed, and she responded.

So, don’t hide your light under a bushel—let it out and let it be seen. It can lead you in new directions!