What if you could attract clients who are perfect for you and, even better, who already know you’re perfect for them, before you even talk to them?
Not only that, but when it’s time to have the “money” conversation, it goes smoothly, because it’s not about IF they will hire you, it’s just a question of when.
I know that sounds too good to be true, but it’s not. In fact, it’s exactly what happens when you have a strong foundation to your marketing and the right marketing tools in place.
But what is that foundation?
It’s made up of three things: a healthy marketing mindset, a regular marketing appointment with yourself, and a consistent marketing “habit.”
These things need to be in place before you choose your marketing tools, even before you “pick a niche.”
Setting that foundation can make all the difference in how your business grows. Let’s look at each in turn…
1. How to Cultivate a Healthy Marketing Mindset
I don’t know why, but most people start with a rather negative (and, therefore, unhealthy) marketing mindset. Do you do that, too?
If so, the good news is you can change that, but it takes practice.
A post from the exclusive Facebook group for my 21-Day Challenge shows the evolution from unhealthy to healthy marketing mindset of a member we’ll call Mike. This transformation happened as he learned how to use LinkedIn to find practice prospects.
Here’s the text:
I think the moral is to keep moving forward. The seeds you are planting will sprout sooner or later.
P.S. Sent two more requests today. You all keep going, no matter what!
First, notice the word “never” in the first sentence. Using “never” implies he’s been waiting a long, long time. In reality, no more than 10 days had elapsed between the time Mike sent the invitation to connect and the time the CEO accepted it.
But when you’re first starting out, 10 days can feel like an eternity — it did to Mike!
Second, note that Mike uses the word “never” again in the next sentence, exposing his fears once more.
Then, everything changes!
This morning out of the blue I saw that he accepted.
Because Mike was not optimistic, he was surprised that his prospect accepted his invitation to connect. That’s why it feels unexpected.
In fact, it’s not “out of the blue” — not at all!
Any response — sooner or later — to any kind of marketing effort — is never “out of the blue,” although, again, that may be your perception.
Early on, a quick win has the potential to gin up your confidence and keep you motivated and positive. That’s why LinkedIn is a good marketing tool to start with. It doesn’t require much effort for your new prospects to accept your invitation to connect. When they do, it feels like a big win!
The fact that the CEO accepted, when Mike was certain he “never” would, changed everything. It seems to give him hope. So, what does he do?
He turns around and closes the message with a cry of encouragement to all his colleagues in the group:
I think the moral is to keep moving forward. The seeds you are planting will sprout sooner or later.
P.S. Sent two more requests today. You all keep going, no matter what!
By this point, Mike has begun to change his mindset. He’s on the road to having a healthy one!
What does this mean for you? Start paying attention to how you think about marketing. Think of your efforts as seeds planted rather than messages sent into the void with little hope of reply. Just that little shift makes it easier to keep planting those seeds!
2. How to Set a Regular Marketing Appointment with Yourself
Once you’ve started cultivating your healthy mindset, you need to start carving out the time to get clients. Because, if you don’t, you won’t have any.
The first step is to identify the optimal time of day for you to do these often-uncomfortable self-promotional tasks.
When no one (like a boss), is holding you accountable, this tends to be more difficult. That’s why it’s essential that you know these things about yourself:
- How much self-discipline do you have?
- Are you disciplined about everything but your own projects?
- When is the best time for you to be productive?
- When are you most likely to be unproductive?
- When are you most awake?
- When are you least awake?
- When are you most likely to get distracted?
- When are you least likely to get distracted?
- When are you most open to something new?
- When are you least open to something new?
You need to be at your best in order to do your best when connecting with new prospects.
So, when is that for you? And can you carve out 30 minutes every day at that time to work on your business?
That is my challenge for you.
3. How to Develop a Consistent Marketing “Habit”
Now that you’ve got the optimal (for you) time carved out, you need to commit to it long enough for it to become a habit. Some say it takes 21 days, others say it takes 66. What’s relevant is how long it takes for you to make it a habit. That’s all you should care about.
Because here’s the thing — marketing isn’t something you just do to get your business off the ground or to get out of a hole when things slow down…
You must make it part of your ongoing work, if you want a sustainable business.
It has to be part of your daily, weekly, and monthly routine — forever!
When you have this foundation in place, here’s what could happen:
- You’re no longer passed over by prospects for whom you’re a great match and you could really help.
- You no longer have to compete on price or defend your fees because your prospect can’t understand why you charge so much.
- You’re finally perceived as having the level of expertise and experience you truly do.
By putting these three elements of a strong foundation in place, you’ll experience ongoing success and enjoy your progress along the way!
Do you have any questions about getting started as a copywriter? Please share with us in the comments so we can help.
