Step Three: DESIGN Your Service
Choose Your Solution, Then Your Service Style
You’re the CEO of a company called YOU.
Chet Scott
I waited until this chapter for a reason. At this point in our conversation you might be asking one BIG important question:
Who is The Dream Jobber Plan for?
Businesses owners?
Entrepreneurs?
Micro-business owners?
Independent contractors?
Mobilepreneurs?
Sole proprietors?
Solopreneurs?
Employers?
Employees?
Me?
I understand the question. And I’ll provide a clear answer, but first let’s unpack the story behind the question.
Initially, when sharing this content, I heard people give seemingly logical reasons why they didn’t need The Dream Jobber Plan. Reasons such as:
My dream job still keeps me in an employee role.
I want to work in a Fortune 500 company.
I want to work behind the scenes, not out in front.
I don’t want to be my own boss.
I don’t want to mess with technology.
I don’t need to change.
Great reasons. Except each one of them misses the point. Even worse, each one ignores the new world in which you live.
You have a choice:
Live Ignorantly = Irrelevance and Illusion of Control
Live Enlightened = Relevance and Loss of Control
Your choice brings a cost and a reward. And I’ve seen these costs and rewards play out in real time throughout environments of various sizes and shapes (businesses, families, marriages, nonprofits, churches, schools, and individuals). As a student of change and transformation, here are two of my favorite quotes on the topic:
In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.
Eric Hoffer[1]
If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.
Gen. Eric Shinseki, retired Chief of Staff, US Army[2]
It’s your choice—ignorance or enlightenment. What’s it going to be?
The Brand Called You
When the 1997 August/September issue of Fast Company landed in stands it rocked the business world. Revolutionary for its time, the article sounded the alarm about the changing landscape. Even the title—“The Brand Called You”—challenged current thinking.
In the article, author Tom Peters communicated some shocking sound bytes. Many still ring true today.
To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.
Anyone can have a website. The sites you go back to are the sites you trust. The brand is a promise of the value you’ll receive.
When everybody has email . . . how do you decide whose messages you’re going to read and respond to first—and whose you’re going to send to the trash unread? The answer: personal branding. It’s a promise of the value you’ll receive for the time you spend reading the message.
What do I do that adds remarkable, measurable, distinguished, distinctive value?
What do I want to be famous for?
When you’re promoting brand You, everything you do—and everything you choose not to do—communicates the value and character of the brand.
One key to growing your power is to recognize the simple fact that we now live in a project world. Almost all work today is organized into bite-sized packets called projects.
Being CEO of Me Inc. requires you to act selfishly—to grow yourself, to promote yourself, to get the market to reward yourself.
Instead of making yourself a slave to the concept of a career ladder, reinvent yourself on a semi-regular basis.
You are a brand. You are in charge of your brand.[3]
It’s easy to forget what life was like in 1997, and if you do the article loses some of its prophetic voice.
Remember 1997? A world with no Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. Many of us still listened to music on cassette tapes. And we made calls “on-the-go” using pay phones.
Keeping it real, look how the trendy author wrote his bio at the end of the article:
Tom Peters (TJPET@aol.com) is the world’s leading brand when it comes to writing, speaking, or thinking about the new economy. He has just released a CD-ROM, “Tom Peters’s Career Survival Guide” (Houghton Mifflin interactive).[4]
Evidently, an AOL email address and a CD-ROM screamed “cutting edge” back then. Peters even references “beeper numbers” in the article. (Millennials, you might need to Google that word if you want to know the ancient gadget he’s referring to.)
But don’t let his concluding bio fool you.
Peters’s 3,800 words reek with the scent of time travel. It’s almost as if he hijacked a spaceship, flew into the future, peeked over the horizon, and then scribbled down what he saw.
His article’s subtitle only has one phrase wrong for today’s marketplace (italics mine):
Big Companies Understand the Importance of Brands.
Today in the Age of the Individual, you have to be your own Brand.
Here’s what it takes to be the CEO of ME Inc.[5]
Today you no longer get the option of having to be your own brand. In our digitally connected world, like it or not, you are your own brand. And thanks to social media, your brand receives regular promotion via status updates, tweets, and tags. The only remaining question is: What kind of brand are you communicating?
Everybody can watch you everywhere, especially those with a vested interest such as prospective clients, vendors, partners, and employers. According to Gen Y expert Dan Schawbel, “A new survey . . . shows that 92 percent of employers are using or planning to use social networks for recruiting this year.”[6]
His article “How Recruiters Use Social Networks to Make Hiring Decisions Now,” featured in Time magazine, explains “What you post or Tweet can have positive or negative impact on what recruiters think of you.”[7] In other words, caution: your tweets may eat your opportunities.
Schawbel isn’t alone in his thinking. According to CareerBuilder.com,
Hiring managers are using social media to evaluate candidates’ character and personality outside the confines of the traditional interview process. When asked why they use social networks to conduct background research, hiring managers stated the following:
65 percent—To see if the candidate presents himself/herself professionally.
51 percent—To see if the candidate is a good fit for the company culture.
45 percent—To learn more about the candidate’s qualifications.
35 percent—To see if the candidate is well-rounded.
12 percent—To look for reasons not to hire the candidate.
A double-edged sword, social media hurts candidates just as much as it helps. Smart employers “research” their future hires as a means of managing damage control.
A third of hiring managers who currently research candidates via social media said they have found information that has caused them not to hire a candidate. That content ranges from evidence of inappropriate behavior to information that contradicted their listed qualifications:
49 percent—Candidate posted provocative/inappropriate photos/info.
45 percent—There was info about candidate drinking or using drugs.
35 percent—Candidate had poor communication skills.
33 percent—Candidate bad-mouthed previous employer.
28 percent—Candidate made discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc.
22 percent—Candidate lied about qualifications.[8]
Not in the job hunt? Think because you’re employed you’re now immune?
Think again!
Huffington Post published a brief article titled, “Fired Over Facebook: 13 Posts That Got People CANNED.” A simple post on Facebook meant no more jobs for thirteen individuals.
The authors intro the article by explaining the purpose of social media. “Facebook’s mission is to make the world a ‘more open and connected’ place. But the site’s users can sometimes be a bit too open, posting pictures, opinions, videos, and ‘jokes’ via the social networking site that give employers pause—and employees the boot.”[9] Huffington encourages readers to vote if they felt the thirteen examples of termination were excessive or deserved.
Improper photos might deserve “the axe,” right? But Huffington also published a related article, “Fired Over Twitter: 13 Tweets That Got People CANNED,” that reveals how 140 characters launched a firestorm hot enough to place some employees in the hot seat, permanently.
Toxic tweets such as:
Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.
According to the article, “After an interview at Cisco Systems, Connor Riley confessed in a tweet that she would hate the job but relish the ‘fatty paycheck.’”[10] When a channel partner advocate for Cisco Alert stumbled across her Twitter account, Connor’s fate was sealed.
Think times have changed since Tom Peter’s article published in 1997? Even Pope Francis seems to think so, along with his three-million-plus Twitter followers.
Opting Out Isn’t an Option
Some claim immunity by opting out of social media altogether, declaring themselves “off the grid.” But even this choice communicates volumes about your personal brand. It’s time to accept the truth. Every single one of us is the CEO of a company called YOU.
You might argue, “I can’t afford the time or money to develop The Dream Jobber Plan.” I respectfully disagree. You can’t afford the time or money NOT to develop your Dream Jobber Plan.
Here’s why. Regardless of your current classification . . .
Businesses owner
Entrepreneur
Micro-business owner
Independent contractor
Mobilepreneur
Sole proprietor
Solopreneur
Employer
Employee
You’re still the sole manager of our own personal brand. Critics might argue they don’t need:
A story
A space
A service
A platform
A product
A promotion
A community
Clarity
Credibility
Regardless of their rationale, I respectfully challenge them by pointing out:
Story—You are one. (It might not be sticky yet.)
Space—You’ve already designed one. (It might be ugly and unintentional.)
Service—You need a solution to help people. (Or else you’re irrelevant.)
Platform—You might only have a small one. (Get noticed in a noisy world.)
Product—You need one. (Nothing to sell means no passive income.)
Promotion—You already do it. (Though it might be done poorly.)
Community—You were built for it. (No one is an island.)
Clarity—You need it. (Fogginess repels people.)
Credibility—You can’t survive without it. (All relationships are built on trust.)
Functional Freelancers
I believe you should become what I call a Functional Freelancer, regardless if you’re “traditionally employed.” Here’s a quick comparison between a Functional Freelancer and everybody else:
| Long-Term Contractor Mindset | Functional Freelancer Mindset |
| Dependent posture | Self-employed posture |
| Blame others | Take ownership |
| Make excuses | Invite accountability |
| Embody denial | Embody responsibility |
| “On the clock” = waste time | “On the clock” = redeem time |
| Externally motivated | Internally motivated |
| Annual review metrics | Project review metrics |
| Pay based on attendance | Pay based on performance |
Seeing yourself as anything other than a Functional Freelancer creates prisonlike conditions. The way you see yourself, regardless of your job title, matters. Just like Andy back in Shawshank. He may have been imprisoned on the outside, but he maintained a mindset of freedom on the inside. And as a result, Andy escaped.
When Day Jobbers adopt a Functional Freelancer Mindset, something exciting often happens. They begin to see their current employer as one large billable client. When Day Jobbers change the way they look at things, the things they look at change.[11]
You can fire billable clients.
You can serve billable clients.
You can respect billable clients.
With billable clients you have choices. You move from grumbling to gratitude. You begin to see the truth that imprisonment, imagined or actual, only occurs when you lose your ability to choose.
Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, held prisoner against his will, realized this. He wrote, “Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.”[12]
Head of the Class
This new mindset isn’t just for employees either. I coach all my clients toward becoming Functional Freelancers. It doesn’t matter if you’re a CEO of a large company or a founding partner of a startup. If you see yourself improperly, you soon become imprisoned no matter how big the paycheck.
Here are three reasons why Functional Freelancers are superior.
1. They Add the Most Value
Some long-term contractors feel internally motivated and embody responsibility, but these are the exceptions. Remember the Gallup survey we examined? Only 3 out of 10 employees are engaged in their jobs. The remaining 70 percent are disengaged or actively disengaged. This long-term contractor mindset costs “up to $550 billion annually in lost productivity.”[13]
Functional Freelancers are different. Rather than costing money, they create it. They don’t receive a paycheck for showing up. They hustle to get theirs. This mindset creates people hungry for growth. Functional Freelancers realize that as they add value to themselves, they make themselves more valuable.
2. They Align with the Market
Remember John, Nancy, and Louise from chapter 1? Naturally, over time, each had adopted a long-term contractor mindset. This happened simply based upon the years they had invested in their respective companies. Although successful, each eventually appropriated a dependent posture. They found out overnight how vulnerable they actually were.
Functional Freelancers are highly aware of market trends. They know the unemployment rates, the average stay in jobs, and the fact that half of the American workforce will soon consist of actual freelancers.[14] This knowledge doesn’t create fear. Instead, it creates the fuel to develop your own brand.
3. They Attract the Best Clients
Functional Freelancers recognize the better they become, the better clients they attract.
In his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, author John Maxwell teaches the Law of Magnetism—who we are is who we attract.
In the past we observed this law with the military leaders of the Civil War. Maxwell writes:
When the Southern states seceded, there were questions about which side many of the generals would fight for. Robert E. Lee was considered the best general in the nation, and President Lincoln actually offered him command of the Union army. But Lee would never consider fighting against his native Virginia. He declined the offer and joined the Confederacy—and the best generals in the land followed him.[15]
If Lee had accepted the Union position, many historians speculate that the war would have been much shorter and hundreds of thousands of lives would have been saved. Lee was an influential leader and many of his generals would have followed him if he fought for the North.
Living in Columbus, we saw this law play out over the span of two football seasons. The Ohio State Buckeyes had an amazing 2010 season with a record of 12–1. When coach Jim Tressel resigned on May 30, 2011, his assistant coach Luke Fickell was named interim coach. Although conditions weren’t ideal, Fickell coached his best and led the Buckeyes to a 6–7 season.
On November 28, 2011, Urban Meyer replaced Fickell as head coach. (Aware of Fickell’s natural skill, Meyer repositioned him as co-defensive coordinator.)[16]
Some complained about the quick replacement. Others cheered. Meyer didn’t care about public opinion. Instead, he went on to recruit a talented 2012 class, leading the Buckeyes to a 12-0 season. Some of the best players in the country came to OSU because of the new coach who led the team. The coach brought the players and the players brought the wins.
In business, the Functional Freelancers bring the best clients and the clients bring the wins.
What Are You Waiting For?
Some critics eventually make the shift from ignorant to enlightened. They agree with their need for The Dream Jobber Plan, but they commit another fatal flaw. They put off developing it until they feel they “need it.”
If you wait to develop your plan until you jailbreak your job, then you’re only shortsighted. Successfully shifting from your day job to your dream job takes strategy and momentum. The best time to develop your plan is before you need it.
Perhaps you have heard the old proverb about the best time to plant a tree? It’s also true about developing your plan.
Question: When is the best time to develop your plan?
Answer: Eight years ago.
Question: When is the second best time?
Answer: Today.
If you’re just starting on your Dream Jobber Plan, congratulations! Today is the perfect time because you’re now aware you need a plan. On that point, let’s take this third critical step together—Design Your Service.
The Service Sweet Spot
Because most people only care about the solution you offer, the best strategy for building your brand isn’t focusing on yourself but on others.
When you change your focus, you soon realize people have problems and they’re asking questions:
How do I . . .
make it go faster?
make it go slower?
fix it?
break it?
build one?
feed it?
cut it?
attach it?
make it grow?
make it shrink?
How can I . . .
have more joy?
laugh more?
overcome boredom?
get a date?
get better grades?
get stronger?
lose more weight?
Although each question is different, all represent an obstacle. I call these snags. A snag is simply:
A difficulty
A disadvantage
A hidden obstacle
An impediment
The world wants help fixing their snags. By offering an excellent solution and then choosing the right service style, you’re in business.
Here’s what I mean.
1. Pick a Snag
Don’t pick just any snag. Keep these three components in mind:
Pick based on awareness: DJs realize the fact they even saw a snag indicated a deeper meaning. Your awareness isn’t by accident.
Pick based on interest: Bob Moore says, “Make your vocation your vacation.”[17] What’s an activity that doesn’t seem like work for you? Why not tie that to the service you offer?
Pick based on expertise: Usually, you enjoy what you’re good at. The public values competence and expertise.
2. Offer a Solution
DJs, the ones who turn their passion into their full-time gigs, make an important discovery early on in the process. They realize most people don’t pay them for their hobby itself. According to Chris Guillebeau, author of The $100 Startup, “You get paid for helping other people pursue the hobby or for something indirectly related to it.”[18]
Great solutions help people overcome their snag. We typically buy solutions, not services. Your service is merely the venue that contains your solution.
Solutions don’t need to be complex. The best ones are as simple as ABC:
A—Achievable
Make sure it works. Test it. Provide results. Include testimonials.
B—Believable
Provide a guarantee—even better, provide a risk reversal guarantee. Marketing genius Jay Abraham explains the principle behind the promise. First, identify the various reasons a potential customer would hesitate to buy. Second, think of how to overcome those obstacles by transferring the risk of the purchase from the buyer to the seller.[19]
Here’s a quick summary of guarantees below. Thinking as a buyer, which one do you enjoy receiving the best? Thinking as a seller, which one should you offer?
LEVEL 1—THE STANDARD GUARANTEE
Buyers receive a thirty-day period (sometimes less) to return the product for a full refund. Example: Best Buy. The standard guarantee lingo:
Original Receipt—The original receipt, gift receipt or packing slip is required for all returns and exchanges. If returning or exchanging an item in a Best Buy store, a valid photo ID is also required.
Return and Exchange Period:
15 days for all eligible products
60 days for eligible products for Reward Zone Premier members
Best Buy reserves the right to deny any return or exchange.[20]
LEVEL 2—THE EXTENDED TIME PERIOD GUARANTEE
Buyers receive a full ninety days to try the product. Example: Lowe’s. The extended time period guarantee lingo:
Lowe’s—Customer satisfaction is our goal. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, simply return the merchandise to any Lowe’s store in the United States within 90* days. We, in our discretion, will repair it, replace it, or, based on your method of payment with a valid receipt, refund your money.[21]
LEVEL 3—THE RISK REVERSAL GUARANTEE
Sellers assume the risk of the purchase, providing buyers peace of mind and 100 percent satisfaction. Example: Zappos Shoes. The risk reversal guarantee lingo:
FREE Shipping: Unlike many other websites that have special rules and lots of fine print, Zappos.com offers free shipping on all domestic orders placed on our website, with no minimum order sizes or special exceptions.
FREE Returns: If you are not 100 percent satisfied with your purchase, you can return your order to the warehouse for a full refund. (Returns must be unworn, in the state you received them, and in the original packaging.) We believe that in order to have the best possible online shopping experience, our customers should not have to pay for domestic return shipping.
With Zappos Retail, Inc.’s 365 day return policy, there are no special catches or exceptions. All we ask is that you send the items back to us in the original packaging, and make sure that the merchandise is in the same condition.
You can return your purchase for up to 365 days from the purchase date. If you purchase on 2/29 of a Leap Year, then you have until 2/29 the following Leap Year to return those orders. That’s four whole years! Woot![22]
C—Conceivable
Make sure your solution is easily understandable. Break it down into bite-sized chunks. Remove noise, clutter, and confusing “insider” language.
3. Choose a Service Style
True, some people receive compensation purely based on the products they create. But many receive compensation for their services too.
I’ve found this to be true in my own DJ journey. If I relied purely on book sales, my business would struggle. Instead, I have created multiple streams of income based on a service/product combination.
For some industries, this requires a change in traditional thinking. But try. Remember, you shouldn’t see yourself as a cog in the big giant machine. You should see yourself as a Functional Freelancer. Don’t view yourself for what you currently do but rather for who you can become.
Remember our friend Tom Peters, the “Brand Called You” boy? He exhorted us even back in 1997, “You don’t ‘belong to’ any company for life, and your chief affiliation isn’t to any particular ‘function.’ You’re not defined by your job title and you’re not confined by your job description.”[23]
Serve in Your Own Style
With that in mind, it’s time for you to choose your service style. I’ve included a partial sampling below. Many more options exist, but this will help you get started:
Service Styles
| Teaching—sharing information | ||
| Training—sharing skills | ||
| Mentoring—sharing experience | ||
| Consulting—sharing advice | ||
| Tutoring—sharing guidance | ||
| Creating—sharing inspiration | ||
| Specializing—sharing expertise | ||
| Speaking—sharing content | ||
| Writing—sharing stories | ||
| Counseling—sharing therapy | ||
| Coaching—sharing transformation |
In Dream Job Bootcamp I help clients develop their Service Sweet Spot. This process includes identifying their service style too. We don’t have the time to explain every distinction between these service styles. However, here’s one simple difference between counseling and coaching.
Counseling is moving someone from dysfunctionality (in a certain area) to functionality.
Coaching is moving someone from functionality to potentiality.
By picking a snag, offering a solution, and then choosing a service style, you’ve designed your Service Sweet Spot. This awareness allows you to serve people better and faster.
Quite naturally, it also produces a pretty cool byproduct too. Expanding your personal brand—the brand called YOU.
Key Points
(If you RT, use #DJtoDJ to join the conversation with other DJs)