Look around and see if others use method you are trying with greater success. If they are, or seem to be, try to determine why they are having greater success with it. Perhaps easiest way to do this is to email them or call them and arrange to consult with them or to share insights on ways to improve both of your businesses. If you do this, be prepared to compensate them for their time.

Look at each of methods on your list and use same system of honestly asking yourself if this is working for your business. Your goal is to find a few core methods that work best for you. Then you focus on really using these. For example, articles work really well for me. So I focus on getting my articles in as many article directories, ezines, and on as many websites as practical.

After you have one method down to a science and it is working semi-automatically for you, then-and-only-then go on to refining next method. This is best way to really focus on implementing methods that do and will work for you. It's also an excellent way to identify methods that are nothing more than time wasters for you.

To further leverage your effectiveness, don't overlook automation or hiring other to implement your successful methods. For example, I use an article submission service because they reach some potential customers that I would probably otherwise miss. It only takes a few publishers running my article or one extra sale to cover investment. To me this makes economic sense.

Begin today, examining pillars, tools or "weapons" you have in your marketing arsenal. Keep using those that work, discard those that don't, and then add new ones from time to time. Soon you will have a core set of methods for deriving business, and surprisingly, it will no longer be a struggle. The business will seem to take on a life of its own. Once a method is fully refined and set into motion, they become semi-automated and you can then look for new methods if appropriate.

Why should your personal life coach NOT be able to design a web site for you? Why shouldn’t your attorney also design and sell needlepoint? Why shouldn’t your cosmetic surgeon be an artist as well? More importantly, why would you consider something else a person does well “a hidden talent.”

Many of us who are in search of a balanced and meaningful life enjoy developing multiple talents.

KEEP YOUR MIND OPEN

Don’t automatically ‘shut down’ when man who comes to paint your house tells you you need a product to make your practice grow and then tells you what it is. It happened to me because I was willing to listen. Tony Painter gave me idea for my Don’t Die at 50 Weekly Organizational Calendar© (www.susandunn.cc).

Tony Painter, I eventually found out – after all he ‘lived with me’ for a solid week – set up 3 of most successful beauty salons in our town and then sold them, patented an invention for painters and sold it to 3M, and owns a huge piece of property he’s developing into a housing development. In addition, he’s owner of painting company, and contracts with 15 other painters.

I work at home and he overheard my conversation on phone and jumped in with a suggestion that helped me produce a product that sells.

What would have happened if I’d said, as many of us do, “What could Tony painter know about anything besides painting walls?’

OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE WHAT YOU’RE SEEING

My first clue to open up to this man was when he told me I should paint DR mauve, with faux, and put in deep green carpeting to bring out colors of seat covers. I realized I was listening to an artist.

Tony painter, by way, is living his passion. He has several businesses going (that I know of), is an artist and entrepreneur, owns painting company, and chooses to go out and paint walls himself. I asked him why.

“I like to paint,” he said. “My wife runs businesses. I can’t stand that stuff.”

Tony painter would be a good coach, too.

Get rid of your preconceived notions!

Also, be willing and open to developing other talents you may have that could bring you satisfaction and help clients.