It's All About the Hero

I was re-reading one of my favorite romance novels recently — for research purposes. I’ve got this whole idea about analyzing how this character…I’ll tell you later. You might think that I was just looking for an excuse to read romance novels but that couldn’t be further from the truth might include a little bit of excuse factor, but it was mostly a business read — although I did enjoy it more than most business books I read.

At any rate, I’ve got this idea on the back burner right now while I figure out how to go through with my plan without spoiling the read for anyone who doesn’t already know the story. It occurs to me that there’s a more general concept to be examined in romance — the woo factor.

In a good romance novel, the hero always woos and wins his heroine. No matter how handsome, well-built, good-hearted, rich, or rakish the hero might be, readers would be highly disappointed if he got the win without the woo.

Picture this story:

Chapter 1 — Look at the hero. See the angle of his jaw and his well-toned muscles. See his fine home, his wealth, and evidence of his largesse.

Chapter 2 — The heroine meets the hero. He says, “Marry me,” and she falls into a swoon — nearly hitting the floor at his feet before he gracefully catches her. The hero holds her close to his chest, fanning her with his white, silk handkerchief and asks in a fervent whisper, “Marry me?”

The heroine’s eyelids flutter gently and then open. He looks deep into her eyes and asks again, “Marry me?”

The heroine stares into his passion-filled orbs and fights the urge to swoon again. “Oh, yes!“, she murmurs breathily.

The rest of the book might be about the actual wedding, their life together, their children, or who knows what. I know that I wouldn’t be one of the ones who knows. If a few more pages turned didn’t yield up the real hero, the real heroine, some fateful accident or illness that deprived the heroine of her memory, or some other plot device that would cause the hero to fight for the heroine’s love, I wouldn’t finish the book.

If she’s that easy, or life in general just comes that easily to him — well, more power to them both. I don’t care. I want to read about the hero’s valiant efforts to win his lady’s heart. I want to know all of the roadblocks — real and imagined — that keep the lovers apart, and how the pair fight to overcome them.

Don’t get me wrong. I want the heroine to be smart, brave, able to fight and all that, but I’m in it for the hero. I’m in it for the woo. I want to know what he’ll do and how much he’ll endure to win our hearts. I want to be won over, little by little. I want to be swept off my feet, literally and figuratively. I want to be loved. I want to be cherished. I want to be wooed.

It doesn’t matter that I’m not the actual beneficiary of all the hero’s charm. Vicarious woo is still woo. Besides, if I’m not half in love with the hero, wishing I knew a man like the hero, or wondering where I might find a hero of my own by the time he’s halfway through his quest, he’s not worthy of the title hero.

I’ve already established that I want to be wooed. I also want to be informative. Here’s what all this talk of woo has to do with improving your business: clients need to be wooed, too.

Too many of us try to run our businesses like the lame book I described earlier:

Chapter 1 — We open our doors and show potential customers how wonderful we are.

Chapter 2 — The consumer comes in and sees all our glory. We say, “Be my client,” and the consumer falls all over himself trying to get a signature on the contract (or haul stuff to the cash register).

We forget about the woo and go straight for the win…and wonder why we don’t get the “happily ever after” ending we were counting on.

Just like the hero in a romance novel (or in real life for that matter), we will probably have to put in some time and effort (woo) to close a deal with a client (win). I’m not saying that there aren’t a lucky few heroes who don’t have to woo (using the term hero loosely here — picture the Fonz snapping his fingers and the girls coming at a run). Some people just seem to be lucky, or blessed, or in the right place at the right time, or in league with the devil.

If you fall into one of those categories, you don’t have to worry about woo. Unless the category is blessed — God expects those He blesses to share the wealth — which falls under woo in my book. Otherwise, evaluate your woo factor and then crank it up. Do something nice for your clients or potential clients. Do something for them with the hope that they will start to fall in love with you, but with no strings and no expectations attached. Think, “I gave you that huge, honkin’ emerald because it matches your eyes,” not “I spent a pretty penny on that rock; you’d better make me glad I did”.

Woo doesn’t have to be expensive: helpful information, birthday greetings, freebies, lunches and coffee are all good. You need to choose a method of woo that works well for your business and for you personally. Woo doesn’t really work well if the hero is uncomfortable wooing.

So, what’s your woo factor? On a scale of 0 to 5, with 0 being “I don’t woo my clients” and 5, “They’re swooning”. Where do you fall in?

Hello Friends,

It’s Self-promotion Month! I didn’t make that up, but I wish I had. I’m trying to control my urge to self-promote because I missed “Shameless” Promotion Month. There’s a fine line between self-promotion and shameless self-promotion; you’ll have to let me know how I do.

My external editors are unavailable right now, so I’m relying on my internal editor and going with my first draft. The lower case “I’s” are intentional, if you find glaring errors in grammar, content, or spelling, though, please let me know.

Posting without editing is not my usual process, but I’m considering the “i’s” dotted well enough. If you’d like to know what that means, check out the “i specialist” blog next week. This week’s blog posts on all my blogs will provide useful information on incorporating Self-promotion Month into your marketing plan. You’ll find the URLs in the sidebar. Be sure to check in.

Well, enough explanation…let’s get to it!

ideas

If you need an idea, I’ll come up with one. If you have an inkling, I’ll help you flesh out the details. If you have an idea, I’ll help you with whatever steps are necessary to bring it into being.

illustration

I’m an idea person. Even better than that, I’m a creator. I can come up with an idea and make it a reality. I’m a whiz with a pen, a paintbrush, a sewing machine, a stapler, and a glue gun.

I’m a master of illusion. I can create something from nothing. I can turn something into something else. Blank paper becomes blog post, marketing copy, or some other illustration at my command. If you need a more physical illustration, I can do that, too, with construction paper, cardboard, and string if necessary. I can achieve the desired effect on a shoestring – and have a great time in the process.

implementation

I get the job done. I do work that I love and I’m willing to put in the time and effort to make each project a masterpiece. My ego doesn’t prevent me from wearing whatever hat or hats need to be worn to complete a project I’m committed to whether that means creating, planning, supervising, doing what needs to be done, or cleaning up afterward.

investment

My brother tells me that I shouldn’t use the word “investment” because people will think I’m giving stock advice. My money says you’re smart enough to know that I mean commitment, time, and caring.

I take a personal interest in every person and project I commit to. I really care – and not just about how much helping someone can help me, or how
I might benefit in the future. I invest in my work.

integrity

I don’t know how much description I need here. I practice personal and professional integrity. I won’t lie to, for, or about people or projects I’m involved with. I don’t steal – money, clients, ideas…or anything else.

I’m a firm believer in discretion. I guard all personal and business information as though it were my own. I don’t share information about a person, project, or product unless the job calls for it.

information

I collect information. If you need information about a business idea, career choice, or almost anything else (sports and politics…not so much), I’ve got you covered. If I don’t have what you need, I know where to find it. Beyond that, I know how to process what I find and give it to you in a form that you can use.

instruction

Do-it-yourselfers are welcome! If your spirit (or your budget) leads you to do things instead of having things done, I’m happy to work with you. You don’t need to wade through a lot of information and try to figure things out alone. Step by step, from idea-storm through implementation, I can provide as much or as little help as you need.

implication

This is an overview of my business and of my character. I have a couple of reasons for letting you know all about me: self-promotion and promotion.

Self-promotion

If you’re trying to build or market an owner-run small business, I would like for you to contact me.

If you’re trying to market yourself into a new job, or your company into a new employee, I’d like for you to contact me.

If you know anyone who needs marketing help, I’d like for you to contact me.

If you were ever in a job situation that didn’t fit and you’d like to share your story, I’d like for you to contact me.

If you’re tall, male, and single…just checking to see if you’re still with me (that’s a different web site).

Request for Help (Promotion)

The second reason I’m glad you stuck around this long is that I need your help. I’m not asking you to lie or to wax poetic, but if you have seen evidence of any of the work or character traits I’ve described or any I’ve forgotten, please take a moment and write a recommendation for me. You’ll find my LinkedIn profile here. If you’d prefer to recommend me in another manner, please leave a comment or contact me.

Self-promotion can only take me so far. Care to help me take the next step?