“Every achievement, big or small, begins in your mind.” — Mary Kay Ash
What are you telling yourself about marketing? I hear it so often from small business owners…”I don’t like putting myself out there” or “I just want to do what I do; I don’t want to do marketing.”
So why are we so reluctant to promote ourselves? Let’s try a little experiment. Close your eyes and think of the word “salesperson.” What mental image do you get? A pushy guy in an ill-fitting plaid sport coat selling used cars or something similar? I thought so.
This all-too-common stereotype is a major reason why people hold back when it comes to self-promotion. But let’s analyze this. Are all salespeople pushy and dishonest? Of course not! I’ll bet you’ve even got some friends who make their living in sales! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 15.8 million people in sales and related fields in the U.S. in 2013. We can’t all be sleazebags!
Good Salespeople—An Essential Resource
So let’s dump that old dishonest salesman stereotype. Haven’t there been times when you got valuable help from good salespeople who had your best interests in mind as they helped you make difficult purchasing decisions—an insurance salesman who helped you decide which policy was best for you,
a saleswoman who helped you choose the right dress for your daughter’s wedding or the young man at the computer store who patiently explained the merits of the different laptops to you?
So reframe the way you think about sales. You’re not just selling. You’re helping your clients and educating them about something they want and/or need. You’re problem solving—and who better than you to do the job?
Want to learn more about changing your mindset about sales and marketing? Check out my book, Your Mind on Marketing: Self-Help for People Who Hate Marketing But Have to Do It Anyway.
