When marketing themselves to leads and prospects there are five common mistakes people make, all which can be easily avoided by finding the right balance to maintain your personal and professional integrity in all pursuits.

Five common mistakes many people make are;

1. Talking too much.

Enthusiasm sells! But don't talk too much about yourself - focus on your prospects needs and wants and how you can solve their problems.

2. Not listening.

All good marketers have exceptional listening skills. Be an active not a passive listener. Ask plenty of questions to find out what problems your client has so you can provide a solution.

3. Hard sell.

Even in desperate times always avoid a hard sell approach. Ignoring the needs of the client or your own company can have long term effects and result in the loss of potential work both immediately and in the future.

Always market the benefits - the "What's In It for ME" approach really does work and is better than purely focusing on selling the features.

4. Lack of clarity.

It is a competitive market out there and you need to focus on your UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION. What is it that makes you, your service or product unique and different from others? Once you have identified this you have your strongest selling point, and the focus of your marketing campaigns.

5. Distractions.

Life is really busy. Some people are too busy and easily distracted from the main game.

Learn as much as you can about setting goals, writing them down and working out on a daily basis the important tasks to do. It's called time and priority management and is a hallmark of successful people. Remember the "3 D's - Do It, Dump It or Delegate It" and if your life or your job depends on it - then it is a Must-do "A" priority, the rest can wait. Focus is a powerful thing.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.

You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom's blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com