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How To Find Time To Market Your Business
January 26th, 2010 by Kendall
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The real challenge for the woman entrepreneur isn’t how to deliver a great service but how to find time to market. Most gals prefer to yak on the phone with friends, answer email, wash the dog or run the kids around to soccer practice instead of marketing their business.
Unfortunately, avoiding marketing only leads to feeling guilty or overwhelmed. Or worse, feeling downright scared because you’re ca.sh flow is shriveling up.
If you’re being totally honest you have to admit that the reason you don’t seem to find time to market is because you’re either not sure what the best way is to market your business, you don’t want to feel pushy or inauthentic, you’re not sure where to start or you’re afraid that it won’t work and you’ll have failed.
If any of these reasons are true for you then let me start by reassuring you about something:
You are awesome, amazing and incredible.
Plus, I firmly believe that you wouldn’t have the desire to be an entrepreneur if you didn’t also have the ability to successfully market your business.
All you need is to have the right system that works for you and your style, so you know what to do and when to do it, which will instantly give you a shot of self confidence.
Let me share how I find the time and the confidence to market, even during the busiest of weeks, with these simple tips.
Tip #1 Stop Second Guessing Yourself
If you’re afflicted with the “not good enough” syndrome then it’s time to stop. Self-doubt and fear aren’t truth; they’re old ways of thinking that no longer serve you. If you’re serious about serving others through a successful business then it’s time to focus on your gifts and the love you have for helping others. Do that and you won’t have time or energy for self-doubt.
Tip #2 Start Using Your Calendar The Way Highly Successful Entrepreneurs Do
How much time you have to invest in your business isn’t as critical as how you spend that time. Millionaire entrepreneurs use a simple technique called Time Blocking to make sure they have regular, consistent time built in to their day for marketing and business building activities.
I recommend scheduling a “marketing appointment” in your daily planner. Even if you only have 15 minutes you’ll be surprised at you can get done.
Tip #3 Set Small Goals For Success
Break your marketing tasks down into small, specific activities and always assign a number to each activity. For example: On Monday your goal is to write five follow up thank you cards and mail them out. Tuesday’s goal is to call three potential clients. On Wednesday your goal is to attend a networking meeting, then follow up with each prospective client you meet with a thank you card, mailed that same day. Celebrate every action you take so you feel energized to do more.
Tip #4 Calculate The Pay Off
I bet that if you calculate how much money is at stake by marketing your business you’ll instantly make it a priority. Here’s a simple formula I use:
- Estimate how many clients you want this year
- Then multiply by the amount of income each client brings to you
- Now multiple that number by three (this represents an estimate of the number of referrals satisfied clients will refer to you).
What’s your total? More importantly, what would having that amount of money mean for you in your life or business? How would this money impact your family or help you do the things that are most important for your?
Think Of Marketing As Connecting And Serving Others
Women entrepreneurs love to help, to serve and to make a difference for others. If you approach marketing as simply a way of fulfilling these values that are so important for you, you’ll find that marketing isn’t something you avoid but becomes something you do each day with meaning and purpose.
Posted in Small Business Marketing • • Subscribe to this feed
Tags: entrepreneurs, marketing plans, marketing strategies, money, Success, successful entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs
What are you? Psychic or something? This is exactly what I have been struggling with the last couple of days! Thanks for the advice!
Comment by Anna — January 26, 2010 @ 6:20 pm
Another inspiring, practical and timely article, Kendall! I love the reminder that a lot of marketing can be initiated in even a 15 minute time block. Small, consistent actions will spread the word far more effectively than the occasional big marketing push. Off to block off that time now! Thanks for your wisdom!
Comment by Carolyn Ellis — January 26, 2010 @ 6:31 pm
I love the way you always give tips that are easy and effortless to implement. My favorite is Tip #3! You rock, Kendall!
Comment by Lourdes Elardo-Gant — January 26, 2010 @ 7:14 pm
I have come to know that when I take the focus off of me, and instead act from a place of service for my clients, that is when amazing things happen. Instead of ‘fear of selling’ I have discovered connecting conversations as a way of being in service of my client’s needs.
Thanks Kendall!
Comment by Laura Dessauer — January 26, 2010 @ 7:38 pm
Thanks for helping me remember that I love to help, serve and make a diff to others! - Hil
Comment by Hil — January 26, 2010 @ 9:38 pm
I LOVE the reminder to think of it as connecting and serving. Connecting is like breathing to me! I’ve also been playing with this idea — it’s a game! It’s genuinely fun to see what people will say and how they will react.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom, Kendall!
Comment by Julie Gabrielli — January 27, 2010 @ 10:02 am
I love tip three too - what a lovely easy way to make progress.
Comment by Rosemarie — January 27, 2010 @ 10:13 am
I need to hear Tip #3 - its sooo true. Small changes over time yield BIG results.
Thanks Kendall:)
Comment by BRENDA HYLAND — January 27, 2010 @ 10:44 am
Kendall,
I appreciate all of your tips, especially the one about how much can be accomplished in a 15-minute time period. So often I find myself caught up in thinking that I need hours to really move forward with my marketing, but you reminded me that I can continue to make progress by taking advantage of smaller amounts of time on a consistent basis. Thank you!
Comment by Amy E. Willard — January 30, 2010 @ 10:11 am
Hi Kendall and All,
The biggest difference in my business in the last five years is the amount of time I spend, strike that, invest is in marketing. I am sure I spend minimum 30 hours a week on marketing….probably more.
I am overworking a bit and changing my mindset on that. We joined a gym and Larry has been kidnapping me for trips to the park and surprise lunches.
I LOVE serving my clients and that fulfills me but I also adore marketing and now pour considerable energy in that direction.
To all who are intimidated about the marketing game, step it up! No one can want your dream more than you do.
These are some of my marketing activities:
*writing blogs and articles
*submitting articles to the article directories and other blogs in my market
*interviewing HARO contacts
*running a meetup for my target market
*preparing my signature speeches for speaking engagements
*contacting people for possible speaking engagements
*tweeting and Facebook updates
*brainstorming with mastermind partners
*contacting JV possibilities
If I can do this, you can too. My results have been stellar because I take every bit of feedback I get from you and Richard and I act on it.
Thanks for coaxing the best out of us!
Catherine
PS I especially appreciate how you model limited availability. I am designing my business that way. I love the idea of building a robust group coaching program and limiting my one on one to an extremely select crowd.
Comment by Catherine Behan — January 30, 2010 @ 12:58 pm
He, he, he…love the comment about me being psychic. Let’s just say that I am EXTREMELY energetically connected to you, my loyal readers. The closer people are to me the more I pick up on what motivates them, worries them, holds them back and where their opportunities for a breakthrough are. Pretty cool!
Comment by Kendall SummerHawk — February 2, 2010 @ 7:11 pm