When you work out of home as well as spend a lot of time in your head, so many things become routine. This week my husband decided to work out of home one day while his car was in the body shop. He asked that I tell him when I was headed out for an appointment so that he could tag along and us my car do an errand himself. It was a simple enough request. 
Forty minutes later, checking my cell phone, there was a voice mail from my husband. He left a voice mail asking me why did I left without him? Did I forget him? That’s almost too funny.
Introverts, maybe even some extroverts, who are tasked with marketing or networking, do you think you might be too much in your head? Do you think you might be marketing and networking but forgetting the customer?
Here is how to know you might be making too-much-time-in-your head marketing mistake in-person or in social media:
1) You have never surveyed your prospects or customers for anything let alone what their needs might be so you are focused on your own agenda.
2) You don’t have the business you want and yet you network often.
3) Customer referral program? What’s that? You don’t have one let alone know what one would do for you.
4) You don’t follow-up for further conversation with people who come onto your radar screen as a prospective customer or referral partner. Leads. What’s a lead?
5) You focus on getting more and more new prospects and fail to continue selling to your current customers. I suffer from this one even knowing that it’s said that in marketing 80% of your business comes from existing customers and 20% comes from new customers.
6) You focus on the sale instead of the customer’s problems.
7) You make it difficult in to easily connect with you.
8 ) You lack a clear message and communicate as if the world is your prospect.
9) You don’t know what either an elevator pitch or brand statement does for you, or you don’t have a clear one.
10) You do more talking than listening.
You might be able to even to add to this list some marketing ideas that you know are helpful but they are still in your head but forgetting to put them into action. Please do tell us those in the comments.
The forgetting was funny with my husband. We had a little laugh about it. And he did forgive me. But, it’s not maybe so funny with your prospective customers. Do a check-up for yourself: what are you not doing in real life that you might be doing in your head that could be sabotaging your marketing and networking?
I especially like the reminder that marketing isn’t the end goal, it’s the means to build your client base. Sometimes I get so engrossed in tweeting, blogging, commenting that the day is half gone.
This is a really good reminder Patricia. Something to continuously keep in check!
I’ve definitely been guilty of forgetting about the light at the end of the tunnel. Great reminder. I especially like number 8 which reminds me that I’m not marketing to the whole world but one unique customer at a time.
Great post. Definitely something to consider and reflect on. I’ve been going to lost of networking events and have secured two design gigs from them.
Janine thanks. I know the list isn’t complete but then – I tried my best to get out of my head and into the action of writing! LOL.
Keyuri yes that # 8 seems to be a prevalent problem. And it’s double trouble because it’s likely your message NEEDS to be heard by specific people but if you are like a lighthouse running up and down the shore then people are crashing all around you and never getting to you.
Jeannette who said to keep the end in mind? That’s what your take away is right? Yes. Too much activity instead of focused actions that get results.
Good for you Dennis! Reaping the rewards from your marketing is what it’s about.
I am glad to know that I am not alone in forgetting things, although Pat that is pretty bad to forget your husband LOL. Glad he forgave you. I think we are ALL overextended and overwhelmed with so much to do and not enough time to do it. Your summary of reminders is very helpful. Funny that I market myself as being there to help the small business owner who is overextended and overwhelmed and I am in the same position (shhhhhh don’t tell anyone). I have one client in particular who is stuck in production mode for one of her releases and because of that, we haven’t made it past step one – but I am very understanding because I really DO understand. She appreciates this and while we wait to get past step one, we are developing a relationship, keeping in contact, tossing around ideas, etc. so the time is not wasted. I know this is the beginning of a good, solid, business relationship.
Believe me Pat, I have had much more embarrassing moments! What secret? Can you let me in on “my” secret? 🙂 It is such a secret, even I don’t know what it is!
Great list Pat! We all fall into some of those traps ocasionally. Extrovert or introvert it doesn’t matter, we are all human and it’s so easy to focus on what we want and not the customers problem.
Oh yeah – that’s right. I need to find my brain before our call today. I know I saw it someplace………. 🙂
I know I know Julie! That WAS an embarrassing moment to forget him.
What I know some energy coaches say is that – our clients in waiting, those who we have attracted and will attract, are an image of us. Maybe that explains your secret (shhh!)
LOL. Your secret that you are often in the same feeling of overwhelm that some of your clients are. Good for you about keeping secrets.
People often fail to be productive. The reasons can be due to over information or unable to perform task, stress etc.. However, if you put all your focus on actions, you can change this situation. Set your mind to focus on how you can take actions with lesser efforts. You will get the answer on how to make productivity time. Remember your actions is your money! or can I say: “Faith without Action is Dead”. 🙂
Great information!!
That’s very funny Pat. The only reason I probably would not have forgotten my husband is because I would have sent myself a reminder on my Outlook and left a post-it note stuck to my keys. 🙂
Catarina, that is the key: to focus on the customers problem. And good to know even extroverts have such a dilemma.
I’d take your focus on actions one more step Mark – focused on actions as you focus on helping your customer. I believe that would tell you the next best action to take.
Ok Alicia. I hope you found something specific as a take-away.
The post it note Sherryl! GREAT idea. I’ll do that next time the unusual work from home day hits him.