Business, Marketing

Marketing Mindsets That Undermine Your Business

Your mindset makes all the difference in the success of your marketing and your business. A mindset is a belief that, in spite of facts to support or refute its validity, we hold to be true no matter what happens. We all have mindsets, some good, some bad. Mindsets can help or hinder us in our business and in our marketing. Let's look at a few that undermine your business.

hand-down1. "Marketing invites rejection." - This mindset holds that if I promote myself, the only outcome will be that people will not only dislike my offer but will ridicule me for promoting it. If you feel this way, ask your self these questions: 1) Is it possible for everyone in the entire world to like my offer? No, it's not. So by not purchasing your product or service, they are rejecting you. By default we are going to experience some rejection. 2) When I decide not to buy a product or service, do I ridicule the advertiser? No. 3) Do I have any evidence that the general public actively ridicules those that market their businesses? No. This mindset is rooted in the desire to be liked by everyone. And as hard as it is for us to admit, it is impossible to be liked by everyone. What is the worst that could happen? Some people don't buy what you offer, but more people buy than are buying now. So truthfully, marketing leads to more acceptance than you are used to.

2. "Asking for referrals sounds like I’m begging" - This mindset stands on the premise that the service or product you are marketing isn't valid or doesn't have any value. And by extension you don't have value either. When this comes up, ask yourself these questions: 1) Do I have customers that pay for my services? Yes? Then there is some value in what you do. 2) Are there more people out there that would benefit from my offer? Yes. 3) If my existing customers weren't happy, would they keep paying for my product? No, they would find another resource. 4) If my customers are happy with what I provide, would they be willing to introduce me to their friends? Facebook and Twitter think they would. If you have customers, your offer has worth, and is good enough to be shared. You, regardless of what you are pursuing, have worth. Never let anyone tell you differently.

3. "Marketing doesn’t work for my kind of business" - A convenient mindset for those afraid of stepping out of their comfort zone is the idea that your business is special and unaffected by any laws of marketing or nature. That no matter what has been attempted, marketing doesn't apply to me. If you feel like this, ask yourself these questions: 1) Have I made a serious effort to market my business for longer than 6 months? 2) Have I enlisted the help of an expert in marketing? 3) Have I tested and improved my efforts over multiple marketing venues? More than likely those that hold to this mindset can only answer no to the above questions. It is safe to say, that there is always a way to market your business. I would accept the challenge if no one else would.

4. "I don’t have the time to market my business" - Mindsets come in all shapes and sizes, this one is unique in that being busy is a good thing in business. No one can fault you for not dropping everything to market a business that is already busy. Ask these questions: Am I busy working in my business or on my business? If you are taking out the trash and filling orders, you are working in your business. If you are making your vision for your company become a reality, you are working on your business. If you are working in your business, it may be time to start delegating some responsibilities and focus on growing your company. If you are working on your business and are still too busy, it may be time to start delegating some of your more managerial tasks. When you take on the role of your company's chief marketer, your success is right around the corner.

5. "Only the sub-standard companies need marketing" - This one is rooted in the idea that if a product or service is good enough there is no need to tell anyone about it. It may have basis in the adage "Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door". If your product is as revolutionary as Edison's light bulb, or Gutenberg's Bible that adage may be true. But in today's marketplace there is no one exempt from the need for marketing. Ask these questions: 1) If I tell no one about my business, who will be my first customer? You won't have one. If they aren't aware of your offer, they can't purchase it. 2) If I have no customers, how will the word spread about my mousetrap? It won't. Think of it this way if Walmart, Nike, and CocaCola have to keep marketing their offers, why would we need to?

6. "I’m not qualified to market my business" - Number six is found in the fear of those things outside of our wheelhouse. Not being qualified gives us ample reason to avoid the scary world of marketing and stay where we are comfortable. If you feel this way ask these questions: 1) With the right instruction, could I learn to do some of my marketing? Yes, with instruction we can do anything we set our mind to. 2) Is there someone I can turn to if I am unable to achieve the quality I want? Yes, there are many professionals that will be glad to help you for a reasonable cost. 3) With a little experience, will I get better at marketing my business? I am sure of it, you have nothing to lose but the fear of the unknown.

7. "Marketing bothers my customers" - This mindset is based in insecurity but shows up wrapped in courtesy. We don't want to be like the telemarketers that call every night in the middle of dinner. We want to be liked, accepted, even respected, and barging into other people's lives is just rude. I agree. When you feel this way ask yourself these questions: 1) have I ever seen marketing that isn't intrusive and disrupts my schedule? Yes, we see over 4000 marketing messages every day and we keep our focus. 2) Is it possible to reach my customers that won't bother them? Yes, with a little thought and some targeted marketing tactics, your customers will be glad you contacted them. I promise you won't have to call them during dinner.

8. "No one in my industry does any marketing" - Wanting to fit in is the basis of this mindset. We all want to fit into a certain crowd, even if we are supposed to be standing out of the crowd. No matter what situation we are put into, studies show that humans want to fit in with their peers. We can't help it. We are wired that way. So if no one in the industry is marketing their business, we automatically assume that it is a taboo and can't be breached, regardless of the reason. If this is your thought, ask these questions: 1) Why not? Good question 2) Do we have enough business? Never. 3) If I step out of the norm, what are the benefits? You could DOMINATE the market. 4) Draw backs? Your peers may grumble at first but when they see you rocket past them they will either put it in gear or be left behind.

The way we think about our situation can determine the success or failure of our marketing and our business. Most of our mindsets are based in a false perception of the world around us. To defeat these false perceptions we must ask the right questions to get to the truth, and then be ready to act on the truth we receive. If you need help losing some unhealthy mindsets, I would be glad to help.

By Mark Combs, Cre8iveDept.com-[email protected]

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