Now More Than Ever
by Barbara Mencer
Times are tough. Better hunker down. You know, pull back and not try to do too much. After all, people are really cutting back and the last thing they're interested in is something else that's going to cost them money.
Hmmm ...
It's a good thing for all of us that GE wasn't thinking that way back during the panic of 1873 when they launched their business or I might be writing by candlelight.
I'm typing these words on a Hewlett Packard computer. HP got its start in 1939, during the Great Depression. The operating system that comes in it is from Microsoft, which was founded in 1975, a year when the economy was more deeply in the tank than it is today.
The lesson is simple. Don't let worries about "the economy" stop you from starting a business or marketing your services.
I ran across an article recently from an advertising man named Dave Chase. Something he wrote really caught my attention. "Those companies that not only survived but thrived during the Great Depression were those that continued to act as though there were nothing wrong and that the public had money to spend."
Wow. Talk about one's perspective making all the difference. And yet, it's so easy for us to buy into the times are tough, better hunker down story and act as if something is wrong and that people have no money to spend at all.
That's just silly when you think about it. People will spend trillions of dollars this coming year on everything from shoelaces to psychotherapy. There's a very large universe of people who need what you have to offer and it's not as if you need more than a tiny fraction of them to become clients or patients in order to have a very successful practice. So, free yourself from the scarcity mindset. There's nothing wrong. There are plenty of people with money to spend who need you. In fact, they probably need you now more than ever. Help them find you. Work on attracting them to you.
How do you do that? You need two things.
The first is to build your belief that it's not only possible to successfully market your business now, but that it's actually a great time to do it. After all, there's so much need out there at a time when so many other providers are cutting back or dropping out of the profession altogether.
As the old saying goes, whether you believe something is possible or you believe something is impossible, you're probably right.
Denise tells the story of how other coaches would warn her how hard it was to make a living as a life and business coach in her area of North Carolina back when she was starting out. She could have believed them. She could have been discouraged. But her attitude was that there were several million potential clients in the English-speaking world. Why not reach out to them wherever they are? She now has clients all over the United States, as well as in Canada, Great Britain, and Australia ... including many from her local area.
The second thing you need is an active marketing strategy or set of strategies that gets results. What do we mean by active marketing strategies? In our business-building system, we focus on four in particular:
- Speaking
- Networking
- Forming Strategic Alliances
- Creating Joint Ventures
Marketing budget a little tight? That's not a problem. All four of these strategies are free or nearly free. Heck, we often get paid to speak! You can't beat that.
We'd also emphasize focusing plenty of your energy on your existing clients and patients. They know you. They like you and what you've done for them, and they'd probably be glad to refer people to you ... if you would only ask. And it's not just existing clients who can refer people to you. You can build an entire referral network.
If you're thinking to yourself, "But I don't know how to make these active marketing strategies work" or "I don't know how to build a referral network," we understand.
We do know how. So, if you want some help, just let us know. We're offering a free consultation by phone to help you establish a marketing action plan for your business that'll give you a jumpstart on the new year. No strings attached.
Email us or give us a call at 800-941-1820 to set up a time to talk.
We want to help, and I'm just guessing you might be able to use a helping hand right about now.
After all, times are tough.
Best regards,
Barbara
