YOUR 90-DAY MARKETING MIRACLE

Many professionals and small business owners find the
challenge of maintaining a consistent, high-quality
marketing system to be over-whelming. They're convinced
it's hard work, expensive and a distraction from doing the
work they love. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be that
way!
Ironically, many people who struggle with the marketing
side of their business are among the very best in their
respective fields! Typically, they love what they do! They
enjoy their work so much they refuse to be "distracted" by
advertising and sales and all "that stuff." The problem, of
course, is that they are losing money.
Marketing is not about pressure or sales or gimmicks. It's
about letting the world know what you do, and what you
love. It's about letting people know how you can help them
solve problems or achieve their goals, and that's a
wonderful thing! It's about developing a daily routine that
lets people get to know you, your specialty, and that you
are available to serve them.
This fall, develop a 90-day marketing plan that you
personally love. Focus on your strengths, and the things
that are easy for you to do. Think about your natural
allies and partners, and invite them to work with you. Set
a budget, commit to a plan, and stay the course. Decide to
have your best year ever, and work your plan! This is not
hard! It's easy, and it can be extremely profitable!

ONE THING AT A TIME, PLEASE

Too many of us, too often, want to be someplace else. No
matter what we do, we wish we were doing something else. No
matter how we spend our time or how much we accomplish,
it's "not enough." I've heard that the secret of our age is
that "most people feel inadequate most of the time." In a
world of technology, options and wealth beyond imagination,
why are we so frustrated? I find this very frustrating!
I want to begin by assuring you, whoever you are, that you
are entirely adequate and far above average!
I think of the famous poster of a mischievous toddler with
his head on his hands, and the banner underneath says, "I
must be OK 'cause God don't make no junk!" Trust me, God
"don't make no junk" and you are at least, "OK."
So where does this sense of distraction, stress and
disappointment come from?
For many years I've suspected that the rise in ADD isn't
because more people are born with it or we've gotten better
at diagnosing it. Something else seems to be going on. And
then I made up my own brand new mental health diagnosis,
"Acquired Attention Deficit Disorder."
The conditioning we receive from the world around us
explains a lot!
A clue for me was watching a collection of old television
commercials from the 1960's. They were fond memories…and
they are almost unwatchable! My favorite was a Chevrolet
commercial from the mid-60's. I know some of you are old
enough to remember the jingle, "See the U.S.A. in your
Chevrolet!" The ad follows a convertible along a winding
road. There is no action, no jumping images, no jangled
nerves, just a full minute of a nice car with beautiful
people on a country road. By modern standards, it's
incredibly tedious!
Think about that. I'm told modern commercials spend less
than two seconds before jumping to another visual. No
wonder one long, unbroken 60-second shot is hard to watch!
In the past fifty years our world has sped up, and it is a
metaphor for our lives. We multi-task. We have music or
news on all day long, every place we go--in the car, while
eating or exercising, even going to sleep at night--we are
stimulated by electronic sights and sounds all day long, on
top of our daily tasks of working, cooking meals, paying
bills, running errands and juggling family issues. I
suspect it's too much!
Fortunately, our brains have learned to function in a world
of constant stimulation. I think our brains do this
remarkably well.
But I'm not sure "we" can. Between the mental effort, the
physical strain and the constant distraction, I'm not sure
our bodies and our souls are designed for the demands we
place on ourselves.
And so we feel "inadequate." We are exhausted, frustrated,
rushed, feeling we need to be someplace else, doing
something else or something more, when in fact our bodies
are desperately longing for stillness or even a moment of
silence.
I don't have a quick or simple cure. But I have some
suggestions:
1. Do less. Refuse to believe the illusion that every task,
invitation or project "must" be done. Practice laziness.
Develop the self-discipline to say no and do less.
2. Get more sleep. Studies say most of us are sleep-
deprived and it catches up with us. Take naps. Hammocks are
good.
3. Master silence. Turn off the television, the stereo, the
radio, the phone and the computer. Learn to love the sound
of silence. It will lower your blood pressure and teach you
patience.
4. Love what you do. Treat your work with respect. Give it
the passion it deserves. Become an expert and let your work
express your excellence. Do one thing, and do it well.
5. Be kind to yourself. Eat well. Delight in beauty. Laugh.
Give and get lots of hugs. Play. Spend more time with
people you love. And have more fun.

KNOWING WHEN TO SAY, "NEXT!"

There are two contradictory truths in selling. One is that
in many industries the great majority of sales come after
the fifth, eighth, or even tenth call, and the tragedy is
that too many sales people never make those "fruitless"
follow-up calls.
The second truth is that in other cases, sales follow the
"law of large numbers." This law says that if someone
doesn't buy after two or three calls, they will probably
never buy and successful salespeople know when to move on
and find a new prospect. In these situations, the best
salespeople make one or two contacts, give their best
presentation, then quickly learn to say, "Next!" They move
on without hesitation.
Which truth applies to you, your business and your
customers? Knowing the answer is critical to your success!
And what happens if you have to decide on a case-by-case
basis? Think about car buyers.
Some customers visit a car lot to dream or "kick the
tires." They are just looking and will keep on looking,
perhaps until their current car falls apart. Repeated
invitations to come back because we "just got a new model,
and it's your favorite color" are a waste of time. When
they are finally ready to buy (and who knows when that will
be?) they'll come in, negotiate a price and sign the
papers. They've been "looking" for years and they know what
they want. Until then, repeated calls make no difference.
Other customers, however, are ready and want to buy, but
need hand-holding. They want to be encouraged. They want to
be valued and they will respond to a second, third or
fourth invitation to buy.
Being able to "read" the intentions and buying styles of
individual customers makes all the difference. It's a skill
and it can be learned. If you are in business, you are in
sales. Get good at it.