Gotta Get A Marketing Mantra Going On

You know, the small business owner gets whacked around all day trying please the many forces that plot to take them off course.

Half the time you feel like you are making it up as you go. And that's a great way to forget why you do what you do and who you are.

One of the most effective ways that I have found to stay on course is to create and use what I call a "Marketing Mantra."

Okay, first let me explain this mantra thing, according to Webster's, just for context.

A sacred syllable or sequence of syllables (sometimes a name, a word, or a phrase) that is used in meditation (as in dhyana yoga), usually assigned by one's guru, and believed to tune one into the divine ground of existence.

So, how does a small business owner apply something with such an obvious spiritual background?

You take the concept of a simple phrase, that you can use habitually, that allows you to remember why you do what you do, and you make it work for you.

Here's what I mean.

I used to get in front of audiences to speak with some fear that I wasn't going to be entertaining or that I wasn't going to smart enough.

Or I would go on a sales call and think I had to have all of the answers.

Now, before I work with prospect or client or go before I go up in front of an audience; I repeat this thought to myself - "What am I here to give?"

It's funny, but by simply repeating this phrase or mantra, I find myself moving towards the right frame of mind and staying focused on service and nothing else. Once I realized this, public speaking became much more enjoyable for me too. No, I don't always deliver, but at least it helps me let go of all the stupid stuff.

It's like an alarm clock and it serves to wake me up.

If you can develop something similar, something that helps you be who you are, your marketing and selling efforts will be greatly enhanced. Nothing sells like being real.

So, what's your mantra?
 

John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide published by Thomas Nelson - due out in the fall of 2006.

He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small business marketing system. You can find more information by visiting http://www.ducttapemarketing.com.