I do think that you have to make it as easy as possible for the non-marketing types. What about giving the dog walkers business cards with their names and something like "10% off your first dog walking?" Then when someone uses the discount, the dog walker gets the referral fee. That way, the dog walker could just hand a card to someone without taking much attention away from the dog or feeling pushy.

This is the case, day to day. They have really cute cards that they can write their name in when they meet folks on the street.

I know I'm increasingly reluctant to stop and write down my e-mail address at some kind of event. I'd much rather get something with the website on it, so I can sign up at my leisure. You could encourage people to do that being saying "If you sign up online and mention this festival, you'll be entered into a raffle."

I designed a 'rack card' with all the pertinent info for folks to hand out. The graphics folks made it really attractive. My expectation was that for every couple of dozen cards handed out, the walker might get one address.

Years ago, a manager (of a retail shop) drilled into me that less than 5% of people who walk away without engaging will every make the effort to reengage.

Jen, I'm grateful for any and all feedback, so I'm not taking any prickliness personally. All the conversations we have seem to include some element of that!

Sorry. I'm not meaning to come off as terse. I'm typing from my phone while sitting in tech for a production of Into the Woods.

I know I'm increasingly reluctant to stop and write down my e-mail address at some kind of event. I'd much rather get something with the website on it, so I can sign up at my leisure.

So much this.

Ironically, I am of the same mind.

It may seem hypocritical, but I don't sign up for anything that isn't extremely local and very well known.

Since the company is strictly local (as in not even all of Capitol Hill) and we were approaching people with obvious dogs (as opposed to subtle dogs, I suppose) it seemed less intrusive to me.

Some folks that I addressed were not uncomfortable. I smiled and moved on. Others were extremely encouraging and grateful for the information.

Life. It is a mixed bag.

I'm not taking any prickliness personally

I'm not meaning to come off as terse.

Gotcha. I don't either. Sometimes I just want to keep talking about something, but I want to make sure I'm not coming off as glib or defensive or whatever. Especially in here, there is a wealth of knowledge I want to tap. Just sayin'.

Re: coming off as glib -- I do get that marketing is hard for most people; I don't love it myself. Also, my frame of reference is retail, where gauging someone's selling ability is part of the hiring process.

Oh, and contrary to you all, I give my e-mail freely, because I usually feel sorry for the poor sap who has to ask me for it, as I have been that poor sap many a time, and I know I can always unsub, and I am a master of the Gmail filter. So, someone with Ginger, me, Amy, and Bonny in a room would have a 25% success rate!

Heh. I should probably use a gmail address for on the street stuff.

This neighborhood is huge with the 'do you have a minute for the environment' approach. Sometimes I humor the down-trodden worker, sometimes I don't.

Oh, yeah, I'm free with retail requests. If it's a cause, well, I have to at least not recoil at the thought of receiving e-mail about it. Which, to be clear, save the environment would be fine. I don't get stopped in the street much, though... my default look is kind of grouchy, I've come to understand.

Sorry. I'm not meaning to come off as terse.

Yeah, me neither, although I really agree with everything ND said.

I don't sign up for things. There are two that I do, locally, both farmers at the farmers market. And I get email from them, and then I go to the market and I buy their products. So, yeah, it can be used effectively, but it has to be done well and unobtrusively. Otoh, I have friends on facebook who are constantly pimping their (home, probably pyramid scheme) businesses, and it drives me bonkers.

The question of promotion is a really thorny one, and one I wish I understood better.

Please know that my musing on this topic is not about my experiences here, but a sincere exploration...among business folks I respect...of something that has caused me no end of pain and confusion for decades.

A happy few people find themselves in situations where they become successful, never having to open their mouths about what they do. I know they exist, I just don't know any personally.

It took me a very long time and a huge amount of internal work to get to the point where I was able to say what I do and how much I charge without cringing.

Why should that be?

I've been dissed by folks who spit 'self promotion' as if it were an epithet, but who also happily wear labels and promo the products of rapacious corporations.

How is my sincere desire to help offensive?

In the macro view, I know there are masses of people in this world who are slimy and manipulative and happy to harm others.

How do I get painted with that brush?

I've never purposefully harmed anyone and have, on the contrary, done a lot of good. I just want to do more of it.

Communicating that in an attractive, effective way is hard enough without being viewed as selfish or abusive.

Help me understand how to make myself visible, and successful without inviting the disdain of others?

A happy few people find themselves in situations where they become successful, never having to open their mouths about what they do. I know they exist, I just don't know any personally.

They don't exist.

This is true if you're working for yourself or for someone else: The work does not "speak for itself." You have to speak for the work.

How is my sincere desire to help offensive?

This statement rubs me the wrong way, a little bit. (And I'm not saying you're offensive, at all.) I believe that you want to help, but you want to do it via people hiring you, right? Those are two different goals, and I think it's important to be up front about that. Not that I think this is how you personally approach things, but I would be taken aback if someone approached me to tell me what was wrong with me and how they could fix it. I would be less taken aback if I learned about some service I could purchase, and then decided it would be useful for me to spend my money on.