What Exactly is Fearless Marketing?3 min read
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I got so many responses from last week’s article about marketing mindsets, that I wanted to go a little deeper into the topic.
My first main point was that marketing is difficult for many of us, because of our neurotic fixation on our fears, doubts and insecurities about being rejected or making a mistake.
My second point was that this can be remedied relatively easy by taking the attention off yourself and putting it on the contribution you intend to make and on the clients you serve.
The transformation isn’t subtle.
“I’ll screw it up, I might get rejected,” and “I’m not sure the value is there,” are replaced with, “I’ll do the best I can, maybe people will be interested,” and “I’ll work on giving the most value possible.”
From, self-obsessed neurosis to selfless contributor.
And when that happens, the whole game of marketing and selling your professional services turns upside down.
From a dreaded slog to a daring adventure.
This practice of turning your perspective from internally focused to externally focused may be the most valuable life skill you’ll ever learn.
But this is very different than positive thinking or “looking on the bright side of things.”
Sometimes pessimism is very valuable. Being real about your situation is laudable. Knowing all the pitfalls can give you a great advantage.
No, the real issue, the thing that mucks up everything is complaining that things aren’t fair or that the world is out to get you.
I love this famous quote by George Bernard Shaw:
“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”
This is the difference between being a victim or being victorious.
But wait a second Robert, marketing myself, trying to attract new clients, presenting new ideas is always going to result in some rejection, right?
Yes, that’s absolutely true. The majority of prospective clients aren’t going to be interested in what you have to offer.
But that has nothing to do with you personally, does it?
For instance, right now, in the middle of the Covid 19 Pandemic, business can be pretty challenging. Your clients are facing real difficulties and budgets are tight.
All that means is that you need to get the attention of more people, add more value to your services, be a little more persistent. So, stop complaining and go to work to discover what is wanted and needed right now.
A great example is a client in my group program right now. At the beginning of the pandemic, she lost all the business she had booked for the rest of the year.
She was scared, but she didn’t complain. She went into action and offered a free webinar to an association. Then she approached her biggest client and showed them the webinar recording. Ultimately, this has resulted in new projects offering webinars and virtual training programs – and she’s now booked up for the rest of the year!
That is Fearless Marketing.
My brilliant colleague, Jason Leister*, talked about this in his newsletter today:
In a world where everyone assumes 100% responsibility for their lives, this s*it show we’re witnessing couldn’t exist.
Starved for the emotional equivalent of oxygen, the blame game would end.
This is a big opportunity for anyone building a business. Because the world is starved for people who are willing to do this and take full responsibility for everything in their lives.
(One of the benefits of this is) fear goes away. In the presence of 100% self-responsibility, FEAR of “what might happen if you do X, Y or Z” disappears.
By the way, this week I’m launching my next Marketing Action Group that takes this stand: No matter what the circumstances are, you can find a way to grow your business, even during these challenging times. Check it out.
Cheers, Robert
*Jason Leister – Incomparable Expert
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