Forget the Little Mistakes

In the most recent issue of Sun Magazine (my favorite magazine - great writing, no ads) was an interview with Studs Terkel. Terkel has written several books that are essentially an oral history of the United states in the last half of the 20th century.

His famous book, "Working," chronicled the daily work lives of ordinary people. And his 1984 book, "The Good War," won the Pulitzer Prize. Terkel is an American icon who has put his heart and soul into his life's work.

And Studs Terkel also makes mistakes.

For me, the most refreshing part of the interview was him admitting the technical mistakes he's made in taping the interviews:

Sun: Have you ever lost an interview because of a technical problem?

Terkel: Sure. I'm known for my ineptitude. That's the irony of the whole thing; they call me the "master of the tape recorder," but I haven't the faintest idea of what I'm doing. I'm just learning the electric typewriter. And I don't know what a computer is. You've got neocons and neoliberals: I'm a neo-Neanderthal.

That cracked me up.

When I think of all the technical mistakes I've made in my business, not to mention a zillion other small and not-so-small mistakes, it's nice to be reminded that you don't have to be perfect to be successful and to make a difference.

I've noticed that one of the biggest things stopping people from marketing themselves is obsessing about "doing it right." But I have the opposite advice: Do it wrong. Just try something and, like Studs Terkel, sooner or later you'll figure it out.

These imperfections or small mistakes will rarely sink a business. But getting so stuck in preparation that you never get started, kills businesses every single day.

A recent Time Magazine cover story asserted that we worry about the wrong things. For instance, only one or two people are killed in the US each year by sharks. But hundreds are killed by deer (when we hit them in our cars). But did you ever see a TV show about "Beware the Killer Deer?"

In my Fast Track to More Clients Program, I emphasize seven big things you need to focus on in order to market effectively. Miss doing these and you're in deep trouble. And miss them we do, because we're too focused on the sharks.

Do you fall into any of the following mistake traps:

1. Not Having the Right Marketing Mindset
In our marketing we worry about trivial things when we need to focus on the bigger picture. We need to develop a marketing mindset that is focused on making a difference instead of worrying about rejection.

Instead of complaining how we can't find time to market or how our services are hard to explain, we need to adopt the mindset of the master marketers.

Their mindset is: My services are valuable. I will do what it takes to get the attention and interest of my prospects until they see the value as well.

2. Not Making Marketing a Game
Whenever you play a game you make mistakes. That's just part of the game. You drop the ball. You miss the goal. It's not a big deal, you just keep playing the best you can.

The big mistake we make in marketing is either not playing the game at all or not realizing that there even is a game. I see a lot of Independent Professionals running around the field with no idea who has the ball or where the goal is.

You need to understand the rules of the game and then commit to playing it to win. It becomes a lot more fun when you do.

3. Not Speaking the Language of Marketing
The bottom line of marketing is communication. It's saying the right things at the right time to the right people. But obsessing about the perfect word is not very productive.

Like the game of marketing, many of us don't even realize that there's a language or syntax you need to employ to get attention and interest from prospects.

Talk about who you work with, the problems they have and the solutions you offer and the words will take care of themselves.

4. Not Having a Powerful Marketing Message
One thing that still amazes me is how people obsess about their marketing message or "Audio Logo" but never try it out on real, live prospects.

A marketing message only makes sense in the context of an interaction or written communication with a prospect. Did they show interest? Did they respond?

Try out your marketing message on 50 people and you'll know if your message is working or not. Then fine tune.

5. Not Using Persuasive "Marketing Currency"
If people obsess about marketing messages, they agonize over written marketing communications. Is that the perfect word? What if there's a typo? What if I say if wrong?

But what we miss is the big picture of marketing communications - getting something out on a regular basis to prospects on your list. That builds credibility through visibility, even if you make a typo here and there.

Just ask yourself: What information would help my prospects? And then make it a priority to get it to them.

6. Not Implementing Effective Marketing Tactics
There are probably hundreds of different marketing tactics you could use to market yourself. From networking to television ads. What's the perfect tactic for your business? How can you know?

Guess what? There is no perfect tactic. So don't get caught in paralysis by analysis. Pick a tactic that you would actually enjoy doing (see last week's More Clients) and jump in with both feet.

My favorite tactics involve very direct communication with my prospects. I get them interested; I offer something of value; I ask for a response; I follow up and ask for the business.

7. Not Following a Marketing Action Plan
Ever notice how the same ideas tend to recirculate in your brain over and over again? We don't take action because our plan never becomes real. Again, worried about making a mistake, we do nothing.

You don't figure out your whole plan and then write it down. In the process of writing it down, the plan becomes clearer and clearer. What's your goal, what are you going to do, when are you going to do it and what resources to you need? Then start.

Remember Goethe's famous couplet:
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

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The More Clients Bottom Line: Don't let yourself be stopped by worrying about little mistakes. They'll happen despite our best efforts. Put your focus on avoiding the big mistakes and your marketing effectiveness will expand dramatically.

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What's a dumb marketing mistake that you made and survived to market another day? Tell us on the Blog on the comments link below.

http://www.actionplan.blogs.com

P.S. Happy Holidays! You'll hear from me one more time this year, the day after Christmas.

Comments

[Marc]

Just wanted to thank you for your optimistic message and clear langage -- even for me, not fluent in english. I am an "independant professional" and I certainly need to perform a better marketing for my services. This helps.

[Shel Horowitz]

One marketing mistake I made was, years ago, shortly after my book on having fun cheaply (The Penny-Pinching Hedonist: How to Live Like Royalty with a Peasant's Pocketbook) was published, I announced to the media that Thoreau was the first penny-pinching hedonist, and that I was going to do a graveside reading from Walden on his birthday to prove it.

He is buried in Concord, Mass., about two hours from my house. I notified the media for throughout eastern Massachusetts; not one showed up, and neither did the public. Fortunately, it was a beautiful sunny day and I was very entertaining to the two or three people who happened to be walking by.

The good that came out of it: I described my plan ahead of time on a discussion list, and it caught the attention of Dr. Joe Vitale, who has since become one of the best-known marketers in the country. He contacted me about using the example in a book on publicity stunts, but it didn't make the cut when he found out it had failed.

But...Joe started referring a few copywriting clients to me, and later gave me an endorsement for one of my books and done various other favors.

[Sally J, The Practical Archivist]

I think "paralysis by analysis" is a brilliant phrase! Unfortunately, it's something I've struggled with time and again.

-Sally J.

[Sharon Lutz]

Several weeks ago, I was following up with a client on an ongoing project by email.
I sent an email outlining the next elements we needed to consider in the design plan for his home, ( I am an interior design consultant), and to check in on progress with lighting and furniture purchases.
Unbeknownst to me at the time, I mistakenly sent the email to someone with the same first name and similar address--a previous contact who had not hired me, but whose autofill info was still in my system.
The following day, I received an enthusiastic reply from this non-client saying in sum " I'm not sure when we talked, but yes! I do still need help with lighting and furniture..thanks for checking in.."
I was mortified about my mistake, but also curious.
Could I now gain this client thru my accidental mailing? And shall I admit my error or proceed unencumbered?
I crafted a reply including my acknowledgement of the irregular path by which we were again in contact, along with more information about my services.
I wish I could say that this did result in a "recovered" client. I didn't hear from him again.
But, I did have that experience of carrying on, and trying something to recover my footing after a slip. I've thought more about how I could have approached my reply, and remembered that even this non-client was happy to receive a check-in.
And I was reminded that I won't evaporate if I make a mistake...even if I admit it!

[Judy Murdoch]

In many ways I'm a perfectionist and waste enormous amounts of time trying to find the perfect graphic or word.

But one thing I don't agonize over is proof-reading my writing because it bores me. The problem of course is my emails are full of spelling errors, extra words that I forgot to remove during rewrites.

In the late summer I began promoting my More Referrals teleclass and the first announcements were a disaster. In my nervousness I managed to botch the link and sent people to a website that had nothing to do with the class. I also got the date wrong at least twice, the form I created didn't work, and the shopping cart link didn't work.

I'm very fortunate to have some patient colleagues and clients who have graciously pointed out the errors (and pointed out that maybe I need to hire an assistant to review my work).

And then there are the really BAD presentations I've made. I did a guerrilla marketing presentation to a small business group and someone later told me (as kindly as they could) that several people said they "wouldn't want to work with me" because my presentation was so stiff and tentative.

I guess I've had to reconcile myself to the fact that it's more important for me to get my message out to those who need what I offer than to be as polished as I'd like.

Definitely keeps me humble.

Judy Murdoch
Highly Contagious Marketing
Denver, CO USA
303-475-2015

[Lyle Lachmuth - The Unsticking Coach]

Excellent advice Robert!

It's kind of a parallel to Time Management notion of focusing on the Important Few vs. the Trivial Many.

Some recent research in Neuroscience supports your notion of focusing on future, big picture stuff.

As always, great thoughts -- thanks, Lyle