scary bridge to crossWe all come to that scary bridge when we’re in business for ourselves…we’re non-marketers who have to become marketing masters.

We need business but we hate sales and marketing.  However, we know that we HAVE to sell and market ourselves and our businesses in order to create a successful, thriving business.

There’s that lovely saying by Steuart Henderson-Britt: “Doing business without marketing is like winking at a girl in the dark.  You know what you’re doing, but nobody else does.”

I just love it, don’t you?

But how do we cross that bridge from being marketing- and sales-averse to embracing (and even enjoying) marketing and sales.

The first place to start is with your marketing.

Marketing creates awareness and brings potential clients to your door, interested in what you have to sell.

Good marketing does the job of selling.

Neuromarketing tells us that successful brands get attention (through marketing), become memorable (marketing, again), and are emotionally engaging (more marketing).

I firmly believe that business runs on relationships – the relationships that we build with potential clients from our marketing, and the social proof that we build up.

So how does someone who finds marketing intimidating and scary become comfortable and start to enjoy the process?

Marketing takes a number of different forms.

Probably the first thing that springs to mind is social media.  It’s a great way to build relationships and be “seen” – to get attention, if you don’t mind attention.

In fact, here’s a truth bomb: the moment you decided to go into business for yourself was the moment that you inadvertently committed to becoming a marketer.

Michael E. Gerber, in the E-Myth tells us that most people don’t make the kind of money that they dream of, and have the potential to earn, because they are doing the wrong work.

We go into business because we are good at something – we are “technically” good, but the technical part isn’t what makes the money.  Its the marketing and sales.

So many entrepreneurs go into business with lofty dreams of making a fortune, of being in charge of their own time and not having to work for a boss.

Um…if this sounds like you, you’ve probably already experienced being “b#tch-slapped” by the reality of running a business.

As a business owner and entrepreneur, it’s your primary job to generate leads that turn into business.  You need to take responsiblity for marketing the business.

Without effective marketing there is no business.

But marketing can take lots of different forms.

Like writing an article, for instance, or being interviewed by someone on a podcast.

Here, you’re focusing on sharing value (in fact, most of our marketing efforts need to offer value) but you can “hide” behind the name of the publication, or you know that you will be in the safe hands of your interviewer.

Think of it: if you write an article for a magazine or publication – one that your potential clients choose to subscribe to – the publication is doing all of the hard work of marketing.  Your job is to make your article interesting and thought-provoking enough to make the readers take note and remember you.

Similarly, if you get the chance to be interviewed – for example, in a podcast or on Zoom – the person interviewing you is going to be doing all of the publicity to get an audience.  Not you.

Another easy way to market yourself and your business is by listing in online directories.  Again, the job of drawing people to the online directories is done by the directory owners.   That’s how they make their money – by ensuring that your listing gets traffic and attention.

Does that sound a little bit less intimidating?

PS: for some easy and practical tips on how to market your business, download my free guide with five simple marketing steps that any entrepreneur can easily do.

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