Your Marketing Mindset - Scarcity or Abundance?

A great number of people who come to me for marketing help have a litany of complaints: "I have no time to market, I'm not the marketing type, I really hate marketing." Often they're expecting me to give them a "painless pill" that will make marketing both easy and effective.

That pill is actually available but it's not what they expect.

The first dose of medicine is this information: Your concept of marketing is completely backwards. Marketing isn't an ordeal to be endured. Marketing is about sharing the heart of your business. You need to change your point of view first.

What do I mean?

What I'm talking about is a "Mindset" that shapes the way you perceive your business and marketing. There are mindsets that serve you and mindsets that undermine you.

The kind of mindset that undermines you might be called the "Scarcity Mindset" and consists of beliefs, attitudes, self-talk and behaviors that go something like this:

"People don't value my services. People don't understand what I do and there's really no way to explain it. Marketing is about presenting a false image so it's not appropriate for my business. When it doesn't work anyway, how can I find the time to market? I'm not the hype-and-hustle type, so I'll just have to hope for word-of-mouth business. You have to struggle to make it in business - that's just the way it is."

Sound familiar?

Now the interesting thing about this is that it is TOTALLY subjective. It's not a report on the truth but a reflection of your mindset. It might seem completely true to you but it's actually a choice you've made. Sure there were things in your life that influenced you to adopt that mindset but it's still your choice whether you hold onto it or not.

Ask yourself, does it serve you? Does it make your life and business easier? Does it add to your satisfaction and fulfillment?

I didn't think so!

So why not try a whole new mindset that actually serves you, that makes your life and business easier and more fun and increases your satisfaction and fulfillment? What have you got to lose?

This mindset might be called the "Abundance Mindset." This mindset is also composed of beliefs, attitudes, self-talk and behaviors, but they sound quite different from the Scarcity Mindset:

"People value my services. It's fun sharing about what I do and the results I produce for my clients. Marketing is about getting out there and presenting an authentic message that represents my business. It's easy to find the time to market because everything I do pays off so well. I'm going to provide services that are so great that people will want to pass my name along. When you do what you love and share that passion, business is effortless."

This might not seem so familiar to you!

But again, it's your subjective viewpoint and it's your choice! You can whine about marketing or you can celebrate it. You can resist it or you can jump in with both feet.

When you adopt this new mindset, all sorts of new possibilities open up to you. You no longer feel like a beggar but more like an evangelist with a vital message. You're no longer trying to GET something with your marketing, you're trying to GIVE something.

After all, with an Abundance Mindset, you know that you have a lot to share. By sharing with enthusiasm, you realize that people will see the value you have to offer and will be more readily attracted to your services.

Some of the things you can do to share the value of your services include:

- write articles about your area of expertise
- give talks about your specialty
- volunteer your time at your networking group (instead of just showing up)
- offer low-risk introductory services
- go the extra mile in everything you do
- provide valuable information sheets to your clients
- send an email newsletter to your clients and prospective clients
- offer a free introductory workshop
- give away the first half-hour free
- provide a better-than-risk-free guarantee
- offer a free report or other valuable information to prospects
Let me tell you, it's very hard to do all of the above things if you're coming from a place of scarcity. But if you're choosing a mindset of abundance these things come naturally and easily.

You'll also realize that what you give comes back to you many, many times over.

What you need to do first is work on adopting an Abundance Mindset. Then start to initiate marketing activities that are focused more on giving than on getting. I guarantee that not only will marketing be a lot more fun, it will be a whole lot more effective.

About the Author

Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing works with professional service businesses to help them attract new clients. His web site is a valuable resource for anyone looking for effective marketing ideas.

:To contact see details below.


robmid@actionplan.com
http://www.actionplan.com