Good Marketing is Like a Bad Habit

You know those bad habits we get. Like raiding the chocolate biscuits during late night TV shows. Or slouching we when we sit. Or biting our fingernails.

Before we know it we've let a new behaviour creep into our routine. Now we're a slave to the bad habit. It's hard to resist. We're tempted. We get that short-lived surge of satisfaction when we do it.

Well, marketing is pretty much the same. Except you can get into good marketing habits that will actually help you. And it won't hurt. Good marketing habits can make you feel really great.

Think about this.

* When you introduce yourself, are you in a good habit? Do you have an easy-to-understand introductory statement, or maybe a snappy 30-second intro?

* When you meet people do you follow up? Are you in the habit of sending them a thank-you note for meeting with you? Or maybe you could send them a useful article (written by you or some other authority).

* Do you have good sales habits? Are you in the habit of asking the right questions? Can you automatically lead prospects towards doing business with you?

* Are you in the habit of regularly communicating with prospects and clients? Communication has never been easier with options like newsletters, updates and blogs being so easy to publish. Do you stay in touch?

* Are you in the habit of writing informative articles, stories, case studies, or helpful hints for your clients? This helps to demonstrate your expertise and is a key element of building trust with potential clients. It also gives you great content for your marketing materials and web site.

* Are your advertising and promotional activities a good habit? Do you follow a plan to avoid the "feast or famine" cycle? Or do you relegate promoting your service to a low priority in the rush to "do the business"?

Good News
The great news is that like bad habits, good marketing habits will also give you a surge of positive feelings. You'll get hooked on:
- The adrenaline rush of new clients asking for you.
- The positive relationships that seem to magically develop with new clients.
- The extra confidence you'll feel when people listen to what you say.
- The satisfaction of getting results.
- The constant knowledge that you are making progress.

You can eliminate your dread of marketing. And getting into good marketing habits is easy. Just like getting into bad habits. Do it a bit at a time. But keep doing it.

Slowly you will build up new behaviours. Results from your marketing efforts will improve. You'll feel more confident. You'll reinforce the good marketing habits.

Go on. Make a start. Slip into a good marketing habit. You'll enjoy it!

(c) 2004 Stuart Ayling

Stuart Ayling runs Marketing Nous, an Australasian marketing consultancy that specialises in marketing for service businesses. He helps clients to improve their marketing tactics, attract more clients, and increase revenue. For additional marketing resources, including Stuart's popular monthly newsletter, visit his web site at www.marketingnous.com.au

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Google News Updated : Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:49:19 GMT Notes on a Milk Scandal - Wall Street Journal Canada.com Notes on a Milk Scandal Wall Street Journal - 5 hours ago By JOSEPH STERNBERG | FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ASIA It's a question I'd never expected to spend much time thinking about. France pulls tainted Chinese food BBC News Tainted milk prompts new Chinese standards United Press International Voice of America - The Associated Press - Xinhua - RedOrbit all 2,270 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:28:15 GMT Two Banks in Midwest Fail - Wall Street Journal WWJ Two Banks in Midwest Fail Wall Street Journal - 35 minutes ago By JEFF BATER WASHINGTON -- The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Friday announced the closings of two banks, bringing to 15 the number of federally insured banks that have failed this year. Two banks fold, bringing total to 15 failures this year MarketWatch Regulators shut small banks in Mich., Ill. Forbes Bloomberg - Reuters - Detroit Free Press - WWJ all 37 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:14:00 GMT GOP Alleges Nonprofit Voter Fraud - CBS News Boston Globe GOP Alleges Nonprofit Voter Fraud CBS News - 27 minutes ago (CBS) This week Sen. John McCain and his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, went after one of the nation's leading voter registration groups which focuses its efforts minorities and low-income families and now being investigated for voter fraud. McCain Campaign Calls for Investigation of ACORN-Obama Ties Washington Post Voter fraud accusations mar presidential campaign The Associated Press New York Times - AFP - Chicago Tribune - Huffington Post all 1,109 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:21:41 GMT Emptying the Pac-10 notebook - ESPN Los Angeles Times Emptying the Pac-10 notebook ESPN - 1 hour ago USC is a perfect 8-0 vs ASU this decade, last losing to the Sun Devils in 1999. Over the 8 wins, USC has averaged 39.8 PPG. The Trojans are going for their 400th victory at the Coliseum. Trojans sense an opportunity with Arizona State Los Angeles Times USC, ASU to avoid second Pac-10 loss International Herald Tribune AZ Central.com - East Valley Tribune - Arizona Republic - Examiner.com all 266 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:31:02 GMT Conflict Resolution Marked Career of Nobel Laureate Martti Ahtisaari - Voice of America BBC News Conflict Resolution Marked Career of Nobel Laureate Martti Ahtisaari Voice of America - 2 hours ago By Andre de Nesnera Conflict resolution marked the career of former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari who has received this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to secure peace in various regions of the world. Video: Ex-Finland President Wins Nobel Peace Prize AssociatedPress Martti Ahtisaari gets a deserved Nobel Peace Prize for a (failed) plan Times Online The Associated Press - Sydney Morning Herald - TIME - AFP all 1,240 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:23:27 GMT John McCain, Barack Obama on healthcare - Los Angeles Times Seattle Post Intelligencer John McCain, Barack Obama on healthcare Los Angeles Times - 21 minutes ago How workable are the presidential candidates' health reform plans? Here's a summary of their proposals and a list of online resources for more information. In this economy, don't count on comprehensive health reform Chicago Tribune Fact Check: Would Obama fine businesses that don't offer health care? CNN Political Ticker The New American - The Associated Press - MarketWatch - NJBIZ all 1,686 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:27:40 GMT Wall Street, markets continue roller coaster - Bizjournals.com NEWS.com.au Wall Street, markets continue roller coaster Bizjournals.com - 2 hours ago A roller coaster week on Wall Street ended with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 128 points Friday after bouncing back from almost 700 points down in the day. Video: Wild Swings Drive Morning Trading AssociatedPress Worst Week on Wall Street Ends Down ABC News WMBB-TV - Washington Post - WMDT - NEWS.com.au all 2,033 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:29:25 GMT Make Money Online Display RSS Feeds on Your Website

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