Marketing Doesn’t Have to be a Struggle

The idea to work hard is engrained in us. It’s part of who we are (especially if you are living in America). We come from a very Puritanical background and even today our society rewards hard-working people and accusing everyone else as lazy!

I hear from so many folks that marketing is hard, especially if you are a self-employed professional and you are a one person act! I hear how they are having trouble finding right clients, struggling to make their business work month to month. “There’s got to be an easier way?” - they ask me.

I’m here to share a few points and help you make a shift in your perception and thinking.

You don’t have to struggle

Perhaps you feel like you are putting in lots of hours and it’s producing little results. Working too hard can be spending too much time or money to get clients, or trying too many marketing strategies at once. Hey - I’ve been there before with my past businesses and suffered as well. It wasn’t until I sat down with an advisor or guide and they asked me, what’s working in my business, did I pause and consider that for a moment.

When you are so used to running around, it’s hard to stop and take a break. Really, ask yourself, what marketing activities have brought you the clients you want? Sit back and consider this question and look back over the last six months to a year. If you find that your clients aren’t wanting to pay what you are asking, it might be time to look for different clients who are willing to invest in your services. As uncomfortable as this might seem, it can lead to some pretty interesting outcomes.

It’s all about ROR (Return on Relationships)

Another consideration is to move into less cold approaches in marketing (such as placing ads) and use warm approaches like asking for introductions, building referral partners, reaching out to past clients, and many other tactics. When you have TRUST within a relationship, it’s much easier to do business. You will usually have a better outcome as well!

Building relationships is an easier path to clients. That can look like meeting people in person or on Zoom more. Don’t hide behind a boring website, use LinkedIn in an annoying way, and pretend to send emails - really let your personality and your services be seen!

I challenge you to also ask yourself, what do you really need for your business to succeed?

How many new clients do you need each year to earn the money to live your lifestyle?

How many leads should be in your marketing pipeline that will convert to a number of closed sales?

Do you know how much time and money it takes to bring in each client?

And of course - which marketing strategies will bring in the number of potential clients you need with a budget of time and money?

If you’re not sure how to answer some of these questions, read a book, take a class, or hire a consultant or coach like myself.

Are you tired of avoiding the work that needs to be done?

I know it's easier to buy an ad instead of reaching out to past colleagues or try a new idea that might work instead of sticking with a tried and true marketing activity.

It’s so easy to keep doing what you’ve always done, let me know if you want to talk through it. I’m here for you