Are you suffering from feelings of indifference or a lack of concern when it comes to marketing your business? Do you lack the passion that's necessary to attract customers to your business?
Marketing apathy, characterized by feelings of passiveness, disregard, and a lack of interest is widespread among today's businesses. This attitude is like putting a roadblock between you and your success. Fortunately, there are a number of solutions for overcoming apathy that you can start implementing today. Try one or more of these.
1. Do something. The best way to take a blah attitude and turn it around is to do something. You may have heard the phrase, "an idle mind is the devil's workshop". The same goes for your business. Apathy often disguises itself as procrastination ? lack of action. In the case of your business, an idle business can mean financial disaster. When you find yourself not wanting to do anything, do something. Pick up a book and read for a while, call a client or two and ask them how things are going, or contact your coach to get yourself moving. If you have to, get up and do jumping jacks or take a walk around the block. When you engage your physical body, it's usually easier to engage the rest of you. Once you get the energy moving on your end, you'll be able to take it and channel it into a number of avenues that can lead to business success.
2. Gather your support team. A support team is critical to our personal and professional well-being. A support team can consist of our friends, business colleagues, family members, a loving partner or spouse, or even groups that we belong to ? like business or civic groups. When we experience rough days in our business we can call on these folks for uplifting conversation, brainstorming, or just to share a friendly "hello". Our support team can mean all the difference in the attitude we have in our business. Not only will you benefit from the interchange, you'll give your support members the opportunity to share their gifts with you. Everyone wins.
3. Obtain more education. Often indifference about our business can find its roots in a lack of knowledge. You've probably heard the phrase "Knowledge is power". Seeking out new knowledge, whether by reading a book, taking a teleclass, or enrolling in a workshop can be a wonderful solution to curing feelings of apathy. Seeking more education can introduce us to new people and ideas, which will often be just what is needed to get our creative juices flowing.
4. Craft a clear vision. Having a clear vision of your business purpose and mission can be critical to your business success. A vision, designed exclusively by you, provides a roadmap to help you move from where you are today to where you want to be tomorrow. When you don't have a clear vision about why you are in business and what purpose you are serving, it's easy to go in the wrong direction. Craft a written vision of your business. It will help you stay focused and on track.
5. Read a variety of periodicals. Probably one of the best solutions to marketing apathy is to read ? and one suggestion is to read a variety of periodicals. Take a trip to your local bookstore. Visit the areas you most enjoy. Peruse cookbooks, business books, or spiritual books ? anything that catches your interest. Don't forget to visit the magazine racks, which include hundreds of publications on almost every topic imaginable. You don't necessarily need to be reading books and magazines about marketing to get ideas about new things to do with your business. Look at what other companies are doing to communicate about their products and services. You might find a creative way to adapt something to your own business. One of my favorite things to do is pick up a magazine on a topic I know nothing about and turn to the back where the smaller classified ads are listed. It's amazing how many ideas I've been able to adapt from an industry totally unrelated to mine.
6. Hang out with new people. Look at your Rolodex or database. Do you socialize with the same kinds of people all the time? How about joining a new group - maybe one that isn't related to your business - and start meeting some new people? You may be surprised when something said would open your eyes to a new idea you can implement in your business. Better yet, you'll be expanding your network and increasing your opportunities to introduce others to you and your business.
7. Take failures and turn them into successes. Everyone has experienced a failure in their marketing or in their business. But, how you choose to look at it can mean all the difference in your attitude and determines whether you are going to remain stuck or move forward. Think of a few failures you've had in the past year. How can you reframe those into positive experiences? What did you learn from those experiences that helped you to avoid further issues? Did those experiences create opportunities for you? In many cases, you'll probably be able to see the "good" in the "bad". Whenever you start feeling down about your business marketing, stop your thoughts in their tracks and ask, "Where is the good in all of this?"
8. Focus on the few. Sometimes we find feelings of listlessness and lethargy creeping into our marketing efforts, usually because we're overwhelmed with all we have to do. We don't know where to start, we feel pressured to perform and to get something out there to attract clients, but we don't know which direction to take or which marketing technique to select. The solution to overwhelm, and the accompanying feelings of apathy, is to get focused. Select one or two marketing techniques that you feel comfortable and competent with implementing. Test them and see if you get the results you want. If you don't, then you'll have great feedback to try a new way. Don't try to do everything, otherwise you'll find yourself in a state of overwhelm, and doing nothing.
9. Create alliances with others. Isolation can create environments where we lack motivation and enthusiasm. And, when we're trying to market our businesses, we definitely need these two ingredients! When we work with others, we can move ahead a lot more quickly and, usually, with more ease. Who can you create a partnership or alliance with? Perhaps there is a person in a competing or complimentary discipline with whom you can partner with to create a workshop, e-book, or even a teleclass. Their enthusiasm will motivate you; and your enthusiasm will motivate them. Share your talents and ideas. You never know what kind of success you can create together.
10. Recognize the value in you. Apathy can often find its roots in the attitudes we carry around about ourselves. And, the sad truth is that these often are completely false. As an aspiring entrepreneur, learn to recognize the value in you. Who you are and what you have to offer holds great value. Your gifts, talents, and your unique way of looking at the world are just what your clients are looking for!
? Copyright 2004 Alicia Smith Consulting & Training. All Rights Reserved.
Alicia Smith is a Coach and Trainer whose specialty is helping coaches to Make Money Now. This article is derived from just one of the 90 lessons contained in her e-course, 90-Day Marketing Marathon. To learn more about that course and her other products and services, please visit the following sites. (You also can email her at alicia@aliciasmith.com)
http://www.90DayMarketingMarathon.com
http://www.discninja.com
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