By Guest Blogger Loren Fogelman
Everything we do is either to feel or avoid some emotion. How you feel does matter. Mindset contributes 80% to success. If your mindset is not in the right place, all of the information about marketing will not make a difference.
Ready to market your business online and offline, but are procrastinating and busying yourself with activities which really don’t help? You might want to look deeper for the reason. Many times there are opposing beliefs. It is possible to have one part of you want to get out there and participate in social networking. Another part of you is apprehensive, avoiding taking action.
Some obstacles keeping solopreneurs stuck in their tracks include wealth, self worth, disappointment or fear of public speaking. Once you become aware of what is holding you back from social networking and growing your business, you have a choice. Do you want to change it, or not?
Become aware
Awareness of your barriers to marketing is the first step toward change. Our beliefs and doubts become reinforced through events in your life, many times unconsciously. Notice why you are avoiding marketing, online and offline. Does marketing somehow remind you of experiences you had when you were younger? Just as there are many reasons not to grow your business, there are just as many reasons to progress despite the fears.
This is similar to weeding in your garden. You don’t want to just pick the weed above the ground. You want to pull it out by its roots to prevent it from sprouting again. Go beyond the obvious reasons for avoidance or procrastination with social networking.
Turning a negative into a positive
Once the core issues are resolved, the other things which appear to have been issues will resolve themselves easily. The goal is to turn a negative into a positive. Instead of trying to get away from a problem, consider how it would be different if you decided to move toward a solution. The action steps might not change, but your perception will and that is powerful.
Find one reason you are hesitant to market. Now ask yourself “why”. Each time you write something down, ask yourself “why.” Do that at least five times. It might sound tedious, but it will help you to get beyond the surface. The hesitancy for stepping out and social networking might not be what you think it is.
A new twist on goal setting
So let’s try a different approach to get started with social networking. It is easier to identify the goal and then begin to work your way backward. Once you have broken it down to the smallest bit, you will have more focus.
When you are ready to take some of these ideas you listed and take action, block out time for marketing on your schedule. Get out your calendar. With different colors for each category, begin to place some of these activities onto your calendar.
The idea is to consistently do some type of marketing activity on a regular basis. When you consistently market, you are more likely to always have referrals. Instead most people take a feast or famine approach, only marketing when they need more clients.
Activity: List everything you would need to do for networking, online and offline. Write down everything that comes to mind. Brainstorm. Do not filter any thought. Allow it all to flow. Once you begin writing, you will end up with a large list of possibilities to help to grow your business. Now develop categories in order to group everything on your list. Some categories could include networking, immediate opportunities, future opportunities, indirect marketing and ongoing efforts. Items on your list falling into more than one category than be placed in each appropriate category. Next rank the level of difficulty for each item with a 1,2 or 3 from easiest to most difficult.
About The Author:
Loren Fogelman, is your success expert, who shows entrepreneurs how to get past their fear and overwhelm, creating the mindset for confident business growth. Clear the obstacles to taking action and reach the next level of your success. Her goal is to inspire, strategize and create an action plan for fast implementation.
Visit Loren’s website at http://mindsetformarketingsuccess.com to receive a free “Get out of overwhelm” consultation.
