How you sell yourself is different than how you market yourself. Here’s a marketing tip for you:
“No” is Just the Starting Point
In my line of work, I’ve been called a “puppy dog yapping at my heels,” “bulldog pain in the ass,” “go-getter,” and on one occasion “the energizer bunny.” I wear each of those proudly because they mostly come from people who are not focused enough to get where they want to go. They don’t know how to get there or are motivated by the title, not the job.
Does any of this sound familiar to you? Have you ever had a great idea and the immediate response from the first four people was, “No. It can’t be done”? “No” is the easy answer, right? If someone says yes, it typically means they’ll have to be more involved.
Here’s what “No” really means:
- I don’t know.
- I don’t care.
- I’m threatened.
I don’t know.
Whether he doesn’t want to admit he’s ignorant on a subject or truly doesn’t know is almost irrelevant. The fact is that this person is not going to help you and unless you are his boss, move on.
I don’t care.
This is the lazy man’s response. This person punches her clock every day and does the bare minimum. You will not get where you want to go with this person or his attitude.
I’m threatened.
This person is scared you’re going to show him up. You have a good idea, and he wished he’d thought of it first. Move on before he steals it.
So, how does this relate to you and your marketing?
If you want to be a best-seller, it takes a massive amount of effort – to write the book and to sell the book. You are the sum total of the five people you spend the most time with. If they are motivated, you’ll be motivated. If they are couch bums, complaining about why their social media won’t work with their one post every other day, then that will be you too.
What I’m saying is this. Surround yourself with people who want to get to the “Yes.”
Yes, but … here are all the things you’ll need to do to get there.
Yes, and … here are some things to do as well
Yes, yes, yes, ….. I can totally help you do this!
So, brainstorm your ideas for marketing. List them out. And find people to help you get to the “yes” of making them work for you.