March 31, 2010
The Adrienne Alert:No Money to Market
Often at seminars I ask attendees what they think is the single most important aspect of running a business. People start to call out, “quality, range of products and services, good employees, expertise, price.”
As they call out these and other issues, I have an answer for each; “won’t be important, doesn’t matter” and so on. After they’re through I state very simply, “The most critical part of running your business is keeping your name out there. If you don’t do that, nothing else matters.”
That sobers them quickly enough. How are you going to generate business, if nobody knows about you? And how will prospects learn about you, if marketing is always the last thing you pay attention to in your business?
Over the years I’ve learned it’s not really No Time; nor is it No Money. It’s overwhelmingly No Priority. If you don’t know the benefits (WII-FMs: what’s in it for me?) of doing something, it’s very easy to find excuses not to do it!
These days I hear the same excuses over and over again. “I’m uncomfortable with marketing; finance is my thing” or “I don’t know where to begin” or “Marketing is expensive, and I don’t have the cash flow to support it.”
Rubbish. If you don’t know how to promote your business, you shouldn’t own one. If you are overwhelmed by where to start, purchase two hours of consultation from a marketing consultant who will give you several suggestions of what’s appropriate for you. If you’re worried about the money, let your resourcefulness kick in. It’s called “bootstrapping.”
The simple fact is that you’re not going to succeed, or even survive, by burying your head in the sand. Marketing is fun; it’s exciting and invigorating. If you’re passionate about what you do, the passion will come through in the excitement you generate, when you talk about your products and services.
Marketing is that easy. In marketing it’s not what you spend, but how you spend it. Primarily, marketing is getting and keeping your name out there through networking and schmoozing, both of which are free to inexpensive.
What are you waiting for?
