I used to attend a morning leads group, and it was hard to get some people to join. They found some lame reasons why they couldn’t: husband couldn’t get the kids to school one morning a week, no one to open their store, etc.
What I always said was, “What if we paid you $50,000/yr? Do you think grandma could come over and help your husband one day a week for that?”
"Sheesh." Hammy can't stand lame excuses.
Where’d that number come from? It was a leads group, for heaven’s sake. I was getting about $100,000 a year in referral business, and it was easy to imagine that it would be financially justified to get a sitter or an employee to help them out once a week.
So, you can imagine my frustration at some of the questions and objections I get from clients. They let a teeny-tiny obstacle block their path to a dream.
Let’s look at some of these molehills appearing as mountains. Have you ever said any of them?
“I don’t have time for marketing.”
See leads group example above. What if we paid you $50,000, $100,000 or even a million dollars a year? Could you find some time for marketing then?
What most people mean is, “I don’t see a point. It isn’t working. I don’t enjoy marketing.” It’s like playing a card game in which everyone else knows the rules and you keep losing. That’s no fun.
It doesn’t have to be that way. If marketing is important to you – and if you are in business, I assure you, it is – then you have to make it a priority. Study it, get better at it and you’ll see it pay off. You have to invest the time first, before you get the return. That requires a leap of faith. But hey, what choice do you have? ;-)
“I don’t like marketing / selling.”
How do you know you don’t?
Most people I meet feel that marketing is pushy, like having to force people to listen to you. They also think selling is cold calling. Or something a used car salesman does.
OK, so just because some people are doing it WRONG, does that mean you have to do it that way? It’s like seeing a rude, obnoxious person from your team, country or organization making a fool of himself and thinking, “We’re not ALL that way.”
Marketing is just sharing information about how you help people.
Selling is saying how you would help a particular someone with their specific need.
It’s not a matter of like or dislike; it’s a matter of learning to do things more effectively so that those who need you seek you out.
“I’m no good at writing.”
Who ever said you had to write? Writing needs to be done, but there are lots of ways for that to happen.
I advised one client this week how to work with a freelance writer. His role is to brainstorm topics, since he knows what is important to his clients and where his expertise lies. After he selects 8-10 topics, the writer I referred him to will interview him according to the bullet points (main subtopics) he wrote for each one. Then, she’ll write the articles which he can approve and use as needed.
That’s only one option. You might also decide to use audio or video instead of writing.
Creativity blasts molehills AND mountains.
“I can’t afford to build a website / blog.”
Really? How much does it cost?
What amazes me is how often an assumption rules our reality. Maybe you can’t afford a $10,000 website, but who says you have to pay that? My team and I routinely launch great-looking blogs for less than $50 and a few hours of our time. Some of those new sites started generating revenue quickly, because we built them according to a specific goal.
Before you assume you can’t afford it, spend time thinking about your goals for your site. What do you really need to accomplish that? Then, do some research to find out what it might realistically cost. I’d check with colleagues to see what they have done, or you can always contact me.
Don’t let mistaken assumptions keep you from the growth you deserve.
“What if ____ happens?”
Fear of failure, fear of success and fear of the unknown: these are the main mindset obstacles I see. I deal with them myself. One of the keys to handling “what if?” is to complete the sentence – and the entire picture – to see if the fear is really so bad after all.
The other day I spoke with two owners of multimillion dollar businesses about the benefits of having a blog. Both of them (same day, different meetings!) said, “Oh we couldn’t have a blog. What if we got negative comments?”
Me: <Incredulous stare>
Are you kidding? The fear of negative &^%#$# comments is preventing you from enjoying the benefits of a blog, among them the chance to position yourself as an expert, attract scads of traffic to your website and clients from it, and engage your community in a dialogue in which a small majority might say something negative?
So, follow it out: What if we got negative comments?
Well, you’d deal with them in a professional, skillful way. Next?
What if there were a lot of them?
Wow, you’d learn there must be a real customer service problem, and you’d have a chance to improve it. It would be embarrassing in the short-term but, handled correctly, it could win you some credibility and loyalty in the long-term.
Sounds like a worthwhile exercise!
“I don’t know how to …”
OK, neither did I. So, I made time and studied it. In fact, I spent about half my working hours (and big bucks) this year studying new stuff, like blogging, Internet marketing, keyword research, search engine optimization, article marketing, social networking, online video and inbound marketing. And that’s not even all of it!
Not everyone knows everything, but winners don’t let it stop them. It all starts at the beginning: to know your next step and take it. Make a list of what you want to learn. Find out where you can learn it. Schedule time and study. Rinse and repeat.
“I did some marketing but it didn’t work.”
So did I. That was Tuesday. On Wednesday I got up and tried again and it went better.
Marketing is not an event; it’s a process. If you want, you can consider it a spiritual practice, a way we demonstrate commitment to ourselves and the Universe. If it wasn’t a little bit challenging, everyone would always get what they wanted, and how interesting would that be?
What excuses, fears and limiting beliefs have gotten in the way of your dreams? Please share them in the comments below. But only the POSITIVE ones. ;-)
Adorable hamster photo by annia316
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This is my favorite newsletter yet. Don’t know if I can place why – maybe just the fluidity!
Keep them coming! I forward them to my bosses and sometimes to the whole team.
When you’ve got it, you’ve got it – and I’m so glad to be able to absorb it from you!
Thank you, April. I appreciate the evangelism!
This is wonderful! One of the best I’ve read of yours. Thanks for the encouragement. There’s something for everyone here. I’m going to pass this along to lots of people I know!
You’re so positive, Bethany, I can’t believe you need any encouragement. But I do, so thank you!