Sometimes in business you just have to suck it up, stop being a princess and do the things that scare you.
There is so much to do in business, and it’s impossible for one person to be an expert at it all. But you have to get a handle on the basics.
If you want business success, you have to invest. There is a cost and a price to do that.
Say you don’t like marketing or selling, don’t have a budget for it or you don’t know what to do.
You know, deep in the cockles of your heart, that to grow your business you HAVE to market it, you HAVE to sell, otherwise you may as well go get a job.
To get clients and to make money you have to tell people what you do, how you do it and then ask for the sale. Basic business.
This is where you weigh up the cost vs price
The cost:
- your time to learn how to do it or find someone to do it for you, your effort
- put into practice what you have learnt and don’t give up because it is hard, your time – to be persistent and consistent with your efforts so people get to know, like and trust you (there is no magic bullet to do this … it takes time).
- the not very successful cross-my-fingers-and -hope-strategy and allowing your discomfort about marketing will cost you your business.
The price
- the dollar amount of what it will cost you to learn how or to get someone to do it.
You need to decide what you are prepared to spend. But you have to spend something – your time or money.
There is no free in business. If you can’t or won’t do what has to be done, then you have to pay for it. The tradeoff is it will have a price tag attached … and when you complain about how much it costs to write a media release, or create a marketing plan or a FB ad, remember, you don’t have the skill or expertise (and the person who does has put in their 10,000 hours and that has value).
We can tiptoe around it but the reality is being in business is all about the climb. You are going to have to do things you never thought you would have to do – like promote yourself and close a sale. As Yoda said ‘ do or don’t do, there is no try.’ If you don’t have the results you want, look in the mirror.
Success in life is not about the easy path. It’s about being comfy with being uncomfortable. it’s about the stretch and that delayed gratification that we seem to have forgotten is how we grow and learn.
