One of the things I love most about being a solo-professional is I get to be "me." Now, I do realize that my business is NOT me ... my business coach has made sure of that. 

And, I do know that's a good thing.

However, one of the things I've realized over the past year is how important it is to just be me.

To let my personality come through in my articles, my writing and my marketing.

It's funny actually, because I get more reaction from my ezine subscribers when I do this. More than when I pose a marketing question or ask for feedback or response to an article.

If I talk about something personal, people connect and they write to me.

I was taught this by one of my mentors, Alexandria Brown, The Ezine Queen. She related a story of how when she talked about her kitten, she got all kinds of emails from readers sharing information about their pets.

So I figured I'd try it. I literally tried the same thing in one issue of my 10stepmarketing Ezine and talked about my dogs. They are after all my "co-workers" since I work out of my home and no one else is around all day.

What happened?

Same thing that happened to the Ezine Queen ... I got emails back from readers about their pets. The nice thing was, it actually helped me to connect with more of my readers, too, which was cool.

The same thing happened when I shared about my new car and my kids. And I started to realize I didn't have to separate me from my work. And that by bringing more of me into it, I was actually connecting with more of my readers.

What a relief that was for me. I could just be me and I could share more than just marketing tips; I could share about me. And that actually works better than just being the "marketing expert" all the time.

The other lesson I learned was to let my passion shine through.

I am one of those people who feels truly blessed to be doing work I love. I love to get up everyday and help my clients with their marketing. I love sharing what I know in the hope it will help another solo-professional be more successful.

And when I hear that I've made a difference in someone's business and their life, I'm overjoyed.

So, when I learned to let this passion shine through, to truly market from the heart, it made a huge difference. Not only did marketing become easier, suddenly I didn't feel like I was "selling," and I started getting better results.

People buy from those they know, like and trust.

So I guess it stands to reason that if you're authentic, you'll attract people who connect with you and they'll be more likely to like and trust you.

So while I absolutely believe you need to be professional in your marketing, I also believe it's more important to let your passion and personality shine through than to try and impress people with all your knowledge, experience and credentials.

Avoid the big words. Just talk to people in plain English about the problems they're facing and how you can help them.

When they sense you're speaking to them authentically, odds are they'll be more likely to want to do business with you.

And besides, its more fun to work with people you like!

Give it a shot.  Just be yourself. You might just be surprised at what happens to your business!

Debbie LaChusa

Debbie LaChusa is a marketing veteran with 20 years in the business. After 13 years in the advertising and marketing agency business, Debbie founded DLC Marketing, Inc., a marketing consulting and coaching business. Her goal? To give entrepreneurs and small business owners affordable access to the same high-level strategic marketing and advertising expertise that typically only large companies with big budgets can afford.

Debbie's commitment to making marketing expertise accessible to small business also led her to pursue speaking engagements and teaching. She has spoken at meetings and conventions across the United States and in Canada. She also is on the faculty of Wellcoaches Corporation, where she teaches wellness coach trainees around the world how to successfully market their new coaching practices.

Debbie has written and self-published two marketing workbooks, "A Step-by-Step Marketing Guide" and "A Step-by-Step Marketing Guide for Your Fitness Business" which have sold copies worldwide. Her advice is also featured in Entrepreneur Magazine's "How to Start a Personal Training Business," part of the magazine's Business Start-Up Series. And she is a contributor to the San Diego Business Journal.

Debbie created The 10stepmarketing? System to provide small business owners, coaches, consultants and other independent professionals with all the tools they need to market themselves.

This simple, step-by-step system, features an easy-to-use question-and-answer format that walks business owners through every step they need to take to develop and implement their own marketing plan designed to achieve the success they desire and deserve.

On a more personal note, Debbie LaChusa is a fraternal twin. In 2004 she launched Twin Connections, a web site that celebrates the unique and mysterious bond shared by twins. She collects twin stories and hopes to compile them into a book.