Success in Marketing

One of the most difficult areas to cultivate as a business person, particularly when we are starting out in business, is to market ourselves, our products and our services effectively. To find the right words, at the right time, for the person that I am talking to in any given situation is an art and a discipline.

So, how do we market ourselves?

The tension between 'big-noting' or 'puffing ourselves up' and 'hiding our light under a bushel' creates a balancing act that has within it the potential to make us feel uncomfortable and awkward. However, getting the balance just right often spells the difference between success and failure.

In essence, successful marketers tell stories that people believe.

We all love stories that move us in some way. The best stories, of course, motivate us, inspire us and make us act. We love the stories that engage us and light us up. These are the stories that enthuse and inspire action.

The telling of our own story in a believable way begins with our being very clear about who we are as a person. This is the story that we are living and writing everyday into the paragraphs and chapters of our own lives. The way in which our story is told shapes the result.

How well we live, breathe and move within our own business story will be the measure of how well we enthuse and inspire others to want to have business dealings with us.

In my view, the integration of our inner lives with its outer expression is critical. Others must be able to see that what we say we do is in keeping with what we actually do. In the first instance, we ourselves must be believable to ourselves, before we can be experienced as believable by others.

That what we have to offer is of immense benefit to a customer, either in solving a problem or satisfying a need that they might have, has to have first been discovered and written into our own business practices.

Over many years, I have found that constant reflection on the story that I tell myself, about myself, regarding my vocation and my mission in life and business, is a vital ingredient in successful marketing and selling.

Invest in Yourself

The greatest investment that you can make as a business person and business owner is in yourself and in your own ongoing growth and development.

We must look after this God-given asset and manage it judiciously and effectively.

Being responsible stewards in building our capacity emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually is paramount in developing our own business interests and the people around us.

We must pay attention to ourselves as a whole person. By so doing, we model the standard of excellence that we are striving for, both in our own lives and in the life of our business, and create the envisioned future we have for our business in ourselves in the present.

We must nurture our spirits by reflecting on higher principles and precepts and applying them to our lives on a daily basis.

We must watch our diets, get the right amount of sleep and make sure we are getting the physical exercise that we need to keep reasonably fit.

We must read good books and fill our minds with literature that expands our knowledge, stimulates our thinking and raises our spirits.

We must get in touch with our emotions and discipline ourselves to manage them well.

We must pay due care to nurturing positive relationships with people who will enable us to reach the next level of high performance.

There is so much garbage out there in the world, and the only way to protect our wonderful personal asset is to fill our minds, hearts and lives with uplifting and noble pursuits.

What can you do today to begin investing in yourself?

Maintaining Control

The only element in our business that we can fully manage is ourselves, and that can sometimes be a tall order.

In line with our Vision for our business, we must engage in those behaviors which will keep us centered, calm and in control.

I find that when I am out of control it is generally because my emotions have welled up and erupted in some way that lets both me and the people around me down.

How do we maintain our poise in the cut and thrust of conducting our business affairs?

There are no easy answers to this question. Success in this area comes only on the heels of hard work.

High performance requires a commitment to discipline and practicing the behaviors that we want to have, as well as deciding to get rid of the ones that we do not want.

Using the Vision we have of the quality world that we are creating for our business and ourselves, we need to write down those positive behaviors that we expect of ourselves. In addition, we must identify those behaviors that are unacceptable to us and get rid of them.

The positive behaviors we exhibit must evolve into habits in our business so that we are consistent in our relationships with our colleagues and our customers.