Have you ever procrastinated on getting out there and marketing yourself,
but you don’t know exactly why? Many people that I coach allow the fear of rejection to stop them from marketing their business, and after digging deeper, we discovered it was fears that were holding them back.
Has this ever happened to you? Perhaps being afraid to call or email someone, fear they will reject you, fear of not doing or saying something right, fear of introducing yourself at a networking event. Even some of the top speakers out there, get massive jitters just before walking on stage, but they have learned how to master those fears and move on.
And so can you.
Fear of rejection is inherent in many of us for some reason or another and the problem with this is it can completely stop you in your tracks. In extreme cases, it can keep you from doing what it takes to market your business and get clients. So it’s time to push past this and get out there in a big way.
The first step is to understand that it’s not procrastination, but instead it’s actually some sort of fear keeping you from reaching out to people. Believe me. I’ve been there before. I know how ugly those fears can be. Fortunately, there IS something you can do about it.
Next, is to realize that there’s an INNER game and an OUTER game when it comes to marketing. Our outer game is what everyone else sees. The inner game is what goes on in our heads 24/7. It can be fears of not making enough money, of not being able to help people, of making too much money (yep, that’s a common one believe it or not), or of people not liking you.
There are a lot of schools of thought out there on how to master your fears. I’ve done a LOT of research on this. In my previous life (before coaching) I was a relationship and family counselor, so I’ve studied a ton of stuff on how the mind works. What I’ve learned is that if you don’t deal with that inner game, it will come back to bite you in the you-know-what.
Here’s what you do:
1. Make a thorough search of all the things you are telling yourself that sabotage your business and/or marketing efforts. What are those little thoughts that enter your head when it comes time to take action? Locate the root and most basic belief that you have about why you can’t succeed (this can take a little searching). Good.
2. Now think about how that belief has actually created a false identity you now carry around with you about who you think you are. What meanings have you created about your life as a result of this belief? For instance, “I’m not good at making a lot of money,” or “I’m too shy to go to networking events,” or “When I try to write my enewsletter, I make too many mistakes.” Don’t wimp out on this step.
3. Now make a line down the center of a piece of paper. One the left side is YOU. On the right side is the OTHER YOU (the false beliefs of who you’ve been thinking you are). Write down all the things you know about you. You’re intelligent, focused, caring, pragmatic, good at communicating, etc. Place the other meanings from step #1 in the right-hand column. You’ll start to see a pattern of a similar belief popping up over and over again.
4. Create a new belief about who you really are. Realize that many of those false beliefs may have been things others said or made you believe a long time ago and now you have owned them as your own beliefs. It’s time to take charge and decide who YOU really are.
5. Now it’s time to move forward with your new belief and create new meaning for yourself. And when you can do this, you can then create a rock-solid unique selling proposition for your business that magnetizes your ideal clients right to you.
Your Assignment:
Set aside 30 minutes to do the above exercise. Go to a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted (maybe you need to do this a few times). Really take a good look at what’s stopping you from getting yourself out there in a big way. It feels GREAT to do this, and you will find that life becomes easier.
You’ll find yourself getting more done, taking advantage of more opportunities and attracting a lot more referrals your way. You’ll also get much better results in your marketing, which will lead to more time and financial freedom for you. Dale Carnegie once said, “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”
Client attraction specialist, Rachel Karl, teaches high-achieving entrepreneurs, professionals and small business owners how to consistently attract more ideal, high-paying clients, as well as how to leverage their time so they make more money while working less.
In just 11 short months, Rachel created a six-figure home-based business on ZERO marketing budget and filled her practice to the brim with high-quality, high-paying clients.
After 13 years of winning Top Marketing Awards, Rachel has put her skills to the test again and again helping her clients create six and seven-figure businesses so they can truly live the lives they want!
Rachel’s work has been recognized and recommended by the prestigious Association of Women Entrepreneurs, the American Writers and Artists Institute, The Social Media Examiner, and dozens of other top businesses around the country. Meet Rachel at http://www.RachelKarlOnline.com