Last time, we started to take a look at the most common reasons why most people don't make progress on their e-commerce and Internet marketing goals. Today, we continue the discussion. [See part 1 of this article at http://www.ecommercediva.com/articles/excuses2.html]
-------------------------------------------------
Excuse #5:" I just don't have time. I'm too busy dealing with [customers,clients, day job, family, etc.] to deal with my web site."
-------------------------------------------------
Isn't it interesting that the folks who have the fewest orders tofill or have the fewest clients to serve are usually the samepeople who say they don't have time to market their productsor services?
That's because the most successful entrepreneurs - the ones with all the orders and clients they can handle - know how important marketing is to establishing and growing their business. They don't put marketing at the bottom of their to-do lists, waiting untileverything else is done before they get to it. The successful onesmake the time; they schedule it in on an ongoing basis. It's awinning habit.
THE REMEDY:
You can do the same! It's a matter of priority. Try this: Block out some time on your schedule to do your marketing tasks. Make this appointment with yourself, and keep it! Treat it as if it were ahot date with the man or woman of your dreams, or an importantmeeting with your biggest client. In other words, be on time,be prepared when you get there, and be adamant about notallowing interruptions or distractions.
Actually, I started doing this myself. I call it "MarketingMondays" and I block out a minimum of four hours each andevery Monday to work on my web site, write new articles, createmarketing materials, and the like. I've been doing it for severalmonths now, and the results have been phenomenal! I'm blazingthrough all of the marketing stuff that got put on the back burnerlast year, including my new web site,http://www.EcommerceDiva.com, which launched earlier this year.
If you're looking at your Palm Pilot or DayPlanner and you're still convinced you don't have enough time for marketing, check out Suzanne Falter-Barns' list of "30 Guaranteed Time Wasters" from her book, "Living Your Joy: A Practical Guide to Happiness." You can download a "TimeWasters" excerpt here (PDF): http://www.howmuchjoy.com/11GuaranteedTimeSavers.pdf
-------------------------------------------------
Excuse #6: "Every time I sit down to work on my marketing, I just can't seemto stay focused."
-------------------------------------------------
This one goes hand in hand with procrastination. You sit down towork on your web site, all full of gusto and good intentions. Butthe next thing you know, you're rearranging items on your desk,sharpening pencils (which you probably don't even use!), checkingemail, doodling, and everything else. Sound familiar?
THE REMEDY:
Let me tell you, I'm great at finding little meaningless thingsto do when I'm dreading a particular task! But I'm going to sharethree tricks that have really worked for me. Maybe they'll workfor you, too.
1. TIME IT.If you know that a four-hour "Marketing Monday"-type block of timeis just not going to work for you, try it in one-hour increments,four days a week. The shorter time frame will leave a smalleropportunity for you to get distracted. Schedule the date and timefor it, then get yourself a timer. (My friend Janet Hall, "TheOrganizing Wizard," [http://www.overhall.com] gave me this tip.)Set the timer for 60 minutes, and work like crazy for those 60 minutes with total focus. When the timer goes off, put themarketing away and work on something else. For best results, skipthe timer on your digital watch and get a regular old kitchentimer. There's something about the ticking noise that reallygets me going, and when I hear that "ding!" at the end, I justfeel like celebrating because I know it's over!
2. PICTURE IT. Sometimes we get too bogged down with tasks that we lose sightof the big picture. What do you really want from your business?What is it that you're working for? And what will your life looklike if you have a thriving, successful business? A certain houseor car? More time with your family? A tropical vacation? Whatdoes success look like for you? Find a picture that representsyour "success" -- cut it out of a magazine or print it off theInternet if you don't have an actual photograph -- and post itat your desk, tape it to your computer, or place it wherever you do your marketing work. And every time you feel like you're losingfocus on your marketing efforts, look at the image and think abouthow completing the task will being you one step closer toachieving your dream.
3. SMELL IT! (Say what??) No, seriously. Try aromatherapy. Aside from all the anecdotal evidence, scientific research now shows that really issomething to ancient art of using essential oils to heal the mind,body and spirit. Specifically, oils of basil, geranium,frankincense, lemon, peppermint, and rosemary can be used toimprove your ability to focus and concentrate. Be sure to use thepure essential oils and not just "fragrance oils." Just add a fewdrops to a tissue, and inhale. (NOTE: If you're pregnant, avoidbasil, peppermint, and rosemary altogether; and avoid frankincenseand geranium during the first trimester.)
For me, a combination of frankincense and geranium works best. I'veBeen studying aromatherapy and creating all-natural products forthe past 21/2 years, so I create my own blends. But you can find allkinds of pure oils, spritzes for the room and the body, and plug-indiffusers for your home, office, and car at your local health foodstore, retailers like The Body Shop, or online shops like IndigoWild (http://www.IndigoWild.com -- check out their "Zum Body Mist"in Rosemary-Mint.) When I feel my mind wandering, I just get a goodwhiff of frankincense and geranium, and I'm immediately good to go!
If you're too much of a skeptic to try aromatherapy, just pull outa freshly minted $20 bill and inhale the scent of fresh money!
So there you have it...
You have no more excuses not to turn your web site into thefabulous, cash-generating marketing vehicle that it can be.What are you waiting for? GET TO WORK!!
(c) Copyright 2005 Jamila White. All rights reserved.
[NOTE: You are welcome to "reprint" this article online aslong as it remains complete and unaltered (including the"about the author" info at the end and the copyright notice),and you send a copy of your reprint to articles@jamilawhite.com.]
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jamila White, "The E-Commerce Diva", is an Internet Strategist,Web Designer, and E-Commerce instructor in the Washington D.C.area. For a FREE subscription to her "Sell More Online"e-newsletter, go to http://www.ecommercediva.com. |
