Marketing mediation from your strengths: Finding overlap between interest and skill

The following is part of my 2006-2007 blog to book project that ultimately became Making Mediation Your Day Job.

In Exercises 3.2.1 and 3.2.2 you considered the kinds of activities you like doing. Take a moment now and re-read the results of those exercises. If you haven’t yet compiled the responses you got from Exercise 3.2.2, take a moment and jot them down in your marketing journal or computer file before proceeding with this section.

Here’s a short list of enjoyable activities a U.S.-based mediator named Rob generated:

• Gardening.
• Writing short stories.
• Doing puzzles (crossword and jigsaw).
• Taking my two dogs for walks at the dog park.
• Hanging out with people and chatting.

When Rob asked others what they think he’s good at or consider his best attributes, more than one person offered these talents and skills:

• Telling entertaining and educational stories.
• Strength of his many friendships.
• Analytic ability.
• Imagination and creativity.

Marketing from your strengths means figuring out what you’re best at and enjoy doing most. In Rob’s case, one of his favorite activities, writing short stories, also makes good use of talents others notice most in him, his ability to tell entertaining tales and use his imagination and creativity. Similarly, his enjoyment of puzzles makes use of his analytic ability. And I imagine that his love of informally hanging out and chatting has a lot to do with his lasting relationships.

Exercise 3.3.1: Where’s the overlap for you?

As you look through the two lists you generated in those activities, take note of favorite activities that make best use of the skills and talents others see in you.

Mark the favorite activities for which there’s skill or talent overlap. If there’s a lot of overlapping in a long list, select and mark your favorite three activities (you can come back to the others at a later date).

If there’s no overlap between the two lists, fear not. Select 1-2 of your own favorite activities and 1-2 skills or talents that appear most often on others’ lists. I also encourage you to look more closely at the lists, perhaps even ask someone with “fresh eyes” to look at them, as there’s probably some overlap you’re missing.

There are two concrete ways to take your favorite and most skilled activities and tap them to build marketing momentum. I’ll talk about those next!