There you sit: you know you need to do something to get the word out about your business and get the clients flowing in, yet you’re not in the mood. In fact, you’re mostly never in the mood to do marketing. The problem is, no marketing = no clients = no money = no impact with the work you’re here to bring to the world, which is a sad state to be in.
“Even if you don’t feel like sitting down to write or working on that big proposal, or whatever it is,
just show up anyhow and the rest will follow.”
– Ayana Mathis
Getting in the mood to market is a mind shift, one you can bring on yourself. Consider these tactics when you’re just not feelin’ it:
1. Get out of the house. Go someplace away from your normal surroundings; a sense of change may be just what your mood needs. You might find one place you go, which becomes your “marketing place” – the place you do all your marketing activities.
2. Pair up with a buddy. Working on something alone often makes it seem harder. Call a buddy and schedule a working session together – it could be in person, or as simple as texting to keep each other accountable.
3. Get out of your head. A lot of what makes marketing hard are the conversations you have about it. Stop thinking about marketing as a concept and instead look at what your Super Powers are. Using your Super Powers will make marketing easier and you’ll be more likely to do it.
4. Put it on the calendar. Find a set place in your day / week that you dedicate specifically to marketing. If you’re an early riser, maybe it’s 8 am on Wednesdays, or if you’d prefer later in the day, Thursdays between 1-3 might work. Having a set time, and keeping that time sacred, makes it easier to get in the mood.
5. Take action – of any kind! As my Dad is fond of saying, “Let’s do something, even if it is wrong.” Taking any kind of action can act as a catalyst to getting something else going. Remember Newton’s first law of motion: an object in motion tends to stay in motion. You’ve got science on your side!
As an example, I have a client who sets aside every Wednesday afternoon for following-up with clients and the other marketing activities she does, such as looking for speaking engagements and setting up coffees with a referral partners. Having a dedicated time to focus on marketing calms the voice in her head and allows her to give it her full attention.
Pick a strategy from this list and try it out the next time you know you need to do some marketing yet just can’t seem to get started – you’ll be rocking-n-rolling in no time.