Make This the Year You Do Things Differently

Make This the Year You Do Things Differently

At the start of every year, I encourage my clients to follow the same practice I do of reviewing the past year before setting intentions for the new one. I find that a thorough review of the previous year can provide important guidance for moving ahead. I make a list of “Successes, Accomplishments, and Breakthroughs” and another of “Failures, Disappointments, and Breakdowns.” After giving myself some time to celebrate my successes, I analyze my failures. Try this process yourself, and see what it provides.

Looking at each of your disappointments over the past year, ask yourself what went wrong in that area, and what you might be able to do differently. Let’s say you didn’t gain enough new clients last year. What’s your take on what went wrong?

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Your Leadership and Your Marketing

Your Leadership and Your Marketing

In working with successful business owners, one of the traits I see come up often is that of being a leader. Some are natural leaders, comfortable with being in charge; others have reluctantly taken on the role. If you seem to have leadership in your bones, fantastic! However, if you find yourself more of a reluctant leader, you’ll want to develop your leadership skills so you can step more into the role.

Being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean being a take-charge, my-way-or-the-highway type of person. Being a leader means being willing to say the buck stops here and hold yourself, and those you work with, accountable.

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5 Reasons Why Being Stubborn is a Good Thing

5 Reasons Why Being Stubborn is a Good Thing

Being stubborn is a great trait when it comes to marketing your business. The more you can be persistent in your marketing, the better; remember the axiom that OK marketing, done consistently, is better than great marketing, done inconsistently.

To that end, here are five ways to that being persistent in your marketing will benefit you and your business.

It makes marketing easier
Be stubborn about making sure your marketing is a priority, that you’re using the same marketing strategies consistently, and that you have a set result your marketing is trying to achieve.

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Four Tips for Staying Persistent in Your Marketing

Four Tips for Staying Persistent in Your Marketing

Sometimes you feel like you can rock your business marketing, really get out there and let the people know about all the great stuff you do. Other times, you may have a harder time of it. Everyone has those days, when even the most modest marketing tasks feel like an effort. That’s where persistence comes in.

Persistence: firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. (Thank you, Google.)

How do you stay persistent, then? Automation. Habit. Mindset. Accountability.

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Consistency and Accountability: Complementary Bedfellows

Consistency and Accountability: Complementary Bedfellows

Are consistency and accountability related?

Yes!

Consistency is the capacity to show up for something over and over, to produce results that are equivalent over time; stay the course, steady as she goes.

Accountability means you stay true to your word, that you can be counted on. You say what you’re going to do, and you do it, holding yourself answerable.

What do these have to do with getting the word out about your small business?

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You, Your Marketing, and Staying Accountable: Why Does it Seem So Hard?

You, Your Marketing, and Staying Accountable: Why Does it Seem So Hard?

Perhaps this sounds familiar: you think about doing marketing, put it on your calendar, call an accountability buddy, tell yourself you got this, and… an hour later you’re watching YouTube videos of fluffy kittens and eating chocolate.

What happened? You did what the experts say to do to keep yourself accountable:
Get a buddy – check
Put it on the calendar – check
Give yourself a pep talk – check

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Are You Hearing the Siren Song?

Are You Hearing the Siren Song?

Recall this story of Ulysses: his ship is passing the Sirens who live along the rocky shore, and he asks his men to tie him to the mast so he won’t succumb to their Siren Song, smashing the ship into the rocks.
 
Flash forward to your business today and compare this story to your marketing. There are plenty of Sirens calling to you; are you in danger of smashing into the rocks and wrecking your business ship? Below are several Siren Songs, and how you can safely navigate through them.

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Are You Circling Dallas?

Are You Circling Dallas?

I’m not sure where I first heard the term but I fell in love with it immediately: Circling Dallas. Being a Texan I naturally think everything orbits the Lone Star State; however, that’s not what I’m talking about. Circling Dallas refers to that state where you are going somewhere and you just can’t seem to land. You could be going to an event and you just can’t seem to make it out the door. Or you’re going to write an article and you can’t sit down and get typing. Or, you’re going to get around to your marketing any minute now, just as soon as you do the dishes, walk the dog, rearrange your desk, and plant those petunias. Even if you’ve gone to the effort of making a marketing calendar, and choosing your preferred marketing strategies, you find yourself still not taking the necessary steps to get going.

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How to Keep Your Marketing Going Even When You Hear Stop

How to Keep Your Marketing Going Even When You Hear Stop

Every self-employed professional has at some point found his or her marketing stopped in its tracks. Maybe you hear an internal voice, telling you things like, “This is too hard,” or “I don’t like selling,” or “I don’t want to bug people.”

Or perhaps you’ve gotten a rejection from a prospective client. A prospect has told you, “Not now,” “I need to think about it,” or “I don’t have the budget.” Instead of moving on to your next prospect, you find yourself questioning whether there is anyone at all who is ready to hire you and able to pay.

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How to Keep the Most Important Person Interested in Your Marketing – You!

How to Keep the Most Important Person Interested in Your Marketing – You!

If you’ve read my book Get Clients Now!, you’ve seen my personal definition of marketing: telling people what you do, over and over. The book also spills the beans about the secret to successful marketing: choosing a set of simple, effective things to do, and doing them consistently. Following these two pieces of advice will make your marketing both simpler and easier. You design a marketing plan, refine it, and then repeat it. Voila – clients! But there’s a problem.

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