As long as you eat and breathe you will stay alive. But is that really living? In a crisis that may be enough. If your business is in crisis - deal with it. But
secret to keeping your business alive is growth. That is litmus test of keeping your business alive. Look at nature. Everything that is alive continues to grow. Growing your business is best way of keeping it alive in long term. How do you continue to grow your business? Feed it, nurture it, invest in it and treat business as a journey - not a destination. On your journey you must keep one eye immediately on road in front of you and other on horizon.
Invest in your business success with smart marketing. Smart marketing does not entail expensive advertising campaigns. Instead it means managing all messages you send about yourself and your business. Be aware of unintended messages as well as your conscious messages. Test for your unintended messages by asking your best clients. Ask those who did not give you business - why did they chose to go elsewhere.
Marketing is a long term investment. Because of that, many get frustrated, and complain, 'I tried marketing and nothing happened.' The credibility you build today will help you gain business months or years later. It may seen tough to justify that. But don't stop running day-to-day activities - just invest a little in your future
Marketing is like planting bamboo. In first six years seedlings only grow about 12 inches high. It could be very discouraging to bamboo farmer. Then 'suddenly' in seventh year bamboo sprouts to 6 feet tall. In marketing - nothing happens suddenly. It takes time for results to appear. Prospects need to see your name many times before they remember you and recognize your value. You may think nothing is happening because you don't see growth. You are bamboo farmer.
Not only is marketing sometimes a slow pay back. It is uncertain. Not everything works all time. It's been said that half of your marketing efforts are wasted. The problem is to discover which half. You don't know - so do it all.
Make your marketing personal. Relate to people because people buy - companies don't buy. But don't take rejections - real or imagined - personally.
One of my good clients stopped returning my calls. I continued to call and send information. I felt discouraged. I thought she didn't like me any more. A year later she called to say, "I had a major operation and I did not feel like talking to anyone." Boy, did I feel stupid for thinking it was about me. Often when we don't hear back from our clients and prospects -we think it is us. How can we be so self centered. The world does not revolve around us. Just ask my teenager - it revolves around her.
