9 Easy Steps to Breaking the Blocks to Marketing Your Business

“Do what you fear and fear disappears." David Schwartz

When I first started my practice my coach told me I was going to learn to love marketing. I just chuckled. She had no idea what I thought about marketing and going to networking events while working in my counseling agency.

I had avoided them for the past 12 years of my business. My excuse was that Steve, my husband, was more charismatic and enjoyed socializing. He was the outgoing personality and I enjoyed staying in the office working directly with our clients.

Once I made the choice to step out of the comforts of the office and create my own business, Mindset for Marketing Success, I knew change was going to happen. A complete overhaul in my thinking about marketing was necessary.

There was nothing that I could change about marketing. What I chose to do was change my perception and beliefs about marketing. I had to get honest with myself. It was time to figure out what I was avoiding and what was holding me back.

There was a disconnect between what I wanted for myself and how I felt about doing those things. F.E.A.R. False Evidence Appearing Real.

Change was possible once I knew my goal, my strategy and my plan.

1. Identify your goal. What is it that you want so much, you are willing to do anything to make it happen?

2. Focus on the goal. Regularly envision yourself being a success. You reached your goal. Create the story of being a success, making it vivid and real. When you focus on the end result and embrace the feeling of success, your brain begins to make chemical changes which support reaching this goal.

3. Reframe. Instead of focusing on what you don’t want to do, set your sights on what you do want for yourself. Move toward a solution instead of away from a problem. Look at how you tell your story. Focus on the positive and make it exciting.

4. Strategize: Outline your plan, but be flexible. Don’t worry about all the steps needed to reach your goal. Focusing too much on the “how” contributes to perfectionism and procrastination, keeping you in fear and avoidance.

5. Step out of the box: Is there a way to reach your goal which might be fun and appealing. If it feels like work, you are less likely to stick with it for the long run.

6. Chunking: Develop a picture of the steps you think you might need to take to reach your goal. These will be your milestones toward successfully reaching your ideal outcome. Include begin and end dates for these steps. Try to make them as concrete and measureable as possible. Instead of saying “I will be marketing in 30 days” change that to “I will join BNI or go to my first networking event in 30 days.”

7. Get support. Nobody expects you to do it all on your own. Team up with someone else. This will help to keep you going, even when you might want to give up. Accountability is a wonderful motivator for change to happen.

8. Action: Begin taking action. Focus on the opportunities which are available right now. Thinking of everything you need to do can contribute to overwhelm and avoidance.

9. Celebrate: As you have successes along the way, celebrate them. You are making change. Get excited about the small successes you are having along the way. This contributes to increased self confidence and keeps you going even when it is uncomfortable.

My desire for success in my business was greater than my fear. It was time to face it head-on. I had all the tools available to get past my blocks. The opportunity was right to make a change. I had to become comfortable with what had been uncomfortable up until this time.

The motto I embraced was “If it is uncomfortable, than I ought to be doing it.” Being compelled to grow my business created the drive I needed to walk through my fear and resistance. Determination helped me to keep moving forward even when it was uncomfortable. I had reached a point in my life where I could not remain stuck any longer.

Dreams do come true when you have a desire, a strategy and a plan. Step out of the box and get support. Surround yourself with two types of people. People who have already achieved success and people who are implementing their plan for change. Teaming up with others is a win-win situation when you align yourself with other go-getters.

Activity: What is the next level of success for you? Describe it in as much detail as possible. Include measurable outcomes, being very specific, as well as adjectives, giving it life. Determine 4-5 areas you need to focus on in order to reach that goal. This could include networking, developing a new program, learning a new technique, creating a website or creating strategic alliances and partnerships.

1. Write out your goal in measurable terms. This will be your objective statement. Having a full practice with 28 clients, working 4 days per week.

2. Write a Support statement focusing on something you are doing which is helping you to move toward that goal and objective. Example: Developing a marketing plan which increases my local presence and establishes me as an expert in my field.

3. Write specific activities you need to do to reach your goal. Make them measurable, include a begin date and, if applicable, an end date. If it is on-going, then note that as well. Example: Begin going to weekly networking events. Begin date: 3/1 End date: ongoing.

4. Do this activity for each aspect to stay focused, create a plan and reach your desired outcome.