Karen and I were chatting over coffee the other day and I realized that not every small business operator is in a sales or marketing mode at all times.
Chris, young but wise in all things digital asked, “What do you mean?”
“She was telling me about speaking at an industry event and how it had gone.”
Kate interjected, “And she got no sales and no leads, am I right?”
“Yes, Madam Sales, you have put your finger on the problem. What would you recommend?”
Kate took a sip of ice tea and said, “It’s a matter of mindset. You need to decide what the single most important outcome needs to be for you on any day in any situation.”
Rick said, “That’s one thing we do when we build a direct marketing campaign. We try to anticipate what a prospect might do and provide ways to overcome objections, pull them back to considering our solution and give them some reason to buy in. Is that what you mean?”
“Sounds like you have to do it for life,” said Chris.
“Yes and no,” I said. “My friend Karen was unhappy. The first thing I asked her was what she expected to get out of it. She hadn’t thought about it! Then I got her to think through what she would have done differently if she had thought it through. Here’s what she came up with:
- Figure out just what you’d like to get from the overall situation and this piece of it.
- Act on it. Do what will get you to your goal without damaging the relationship.
- Do it again situation by situation.
I call it being true to your mission. When you know why you are in business all you have to do is look at a task or decision and if it keeps you on mission it is the right thing to do. It is the marketing mindset that will make you successful.
“Sounds like branding to me,” said Rob. “Y’all can’t know every situation your brand is going to get into but you do know what you want it to stand for with the folks that are rubbin’ up against it. That doesn’t change so long as you’re true to what they believe you to be. But if you go kiting off in all directions or you don’t pay attention to being just one thing you’re gonna’ get ditched and that ain’t pretty!”
“You’re right Bubba,” said Kate. The difficulty is going from the way most people operate almost on remote control to a focus on what is happening in the moment and putting all their cognitive capabilities into play to get to the goal set. “
“That isn’t easy”, I said.
“And it can’t be done overnight,” Gail, our resident writer joined in. That old saw about it taking at least 30 days to change a habit is true and when you’re dealing with a behavior like this the recidivism rate is over the top.”
“Didn’t I just say it isn’t easy.” I asked.
“Not as eloquently,” said Bubba.
Kate said, “If you want to act intentionally ask yourself one question as you begin any task: Why am I doing this? If you don’t have an answer, you are coasting. Stop.
Re-read what Karen came up with. Take a little time to think through what your mission in life is. You have a mission, don’t you?”
Our Mission: Deliver the marketing knowledge that makes it possible for the “Little Guys” to go it alone… successfully. Learn more at: www.JerryFletcher.com
Jerry has spoken professionally on three continents. His hard-earned expertise is in three business development specialties: Personal Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship “Magic”. Jerry’s speaking site is: www.NetworkingNinja.com