Motivational Marketing Articles

1.

Are You the Master... or Servant of Your Business?

by Barbara Casey

"Any thing we love serves us. Any thing we don't love, we serve."

In a business context, this is a very important distinction. What aspects of your business feel like drudgery? What do you put off until the last minute? Or are you juggling so many things you don't have space to savor what you love to do?

Where do you compromise... or settle for less than your ideal? Are you the master or the servant of your business?

If you're spending more time and effort on the "not-love" parts of your business, are you also generating an abundance of "not-income?"

What would it take to turn this situation around?

First of all, try to break your business down into its component parts. All of us in business have to do certain administrative things -- pay bills, balance check books, answer phones, purchase supplies. Whether you love it or not, you gotta do it -- or hire someone to do it for you.

All of us in business need to learn and conduct some type of marketing, to keep our name in the public eye. Again, whether you love it or not, it must be done, by you or by someone you hire.

But these aren't your "business" as such. They're important to your business, but they aren't your business. Your business is serving clients in some fashion and that's where you want to look for the "I love it" versus the "It's not much fun" feelings.

If money were not an issue, what would you be doing? How does the idea of this activity feel to you? Can you see yourself in the picture of doing what you love? Can you feel the joy this brings you?

What will it take for you to create this activity in your business every day? A more focused marketing plan? Permission from yourself to enjoy your work more? Unleashing your inner child? Releasing a lifetime's worth of "shoulds?"

Joy expands energy; enthusiasm puts you "at one" with what you're doing. By focusing your intention and activity on what you love to do, you magnetically attract clients who are attuned to you. You are putting out a vibrant signal which gets the attention of those people who most need your products and services.

If you're looking for a way to make your business more successful, try doing more of what you love.

It's been known to work.

2.

The Constant Marketer

by Barbara Casey

I was sitting in my home office, thinking. While I was thinking, I looked out the window. Then I stopped thinking and just enjoyed the view, which now included a profusion of blooms on the orchid tree across the road.

Then I started thinking again. Nature is so faithful in all her seasons. Trees and flowers bloom like clockwork. You can count on Good Old Mother Nature to do her thing.

It's a good model for business, too. Remember what happened when Coca Cola tried to change "The Real Thing?" It was as if they had cancelled spring. People resisted the change to this major constant in their lives.

A "constant" is something unvariable or unchanging. Something people come to know and trust. Something they have faith in.

When Coke broke faith with its patrons, it opened the door - wide - for rivals to step in and attempt to "claim the throne." Coca Cola lost customers because they confused them about what Coke stood for. What would you order - the "real thing" or "what's this new stuff?"

With Mother Nature and Coke as examples, see how well you do on this little marketing test:

(1) Do you know what your business stands for?

(2) Do you have a definitive position in the marketplace?

(3) Do the people who need your services know exactly how you can help them?

(4) Do you advertise consistently and frequently so people know where to find you when they need you?

Your marketing needs to be as constant as the seasons. People are more likely to do business with you if they are familiar with you. If you stay faithful to your marketing plan and become ultra clear and compelling in your marketing message, you will be rewarded.

Once you can answer "Yes" to all the questions in the little marketing test, stick with the program. Remember the Rule of 7 - it can take up to 7 exposures within an 18-month period for people to notice your marketing message.

That's why constancy is important.

3.

How's Business?

by Barbara Casey

Business is great! In the face of a war and economic bumps and grinds, it’s easy to let our mental toughness slip. Especially when we see our client rosters with blank spaces and our cash registers less than full.

But now is exactly when we need to show our true grit. As the healers, teachers and spiritual guides of the planet, it’s up to us to maintain "grace under fire" so we can help our clients through their stress-related illnesses.

Instead of cutting back on your advertising because your income has slowed, now is the time to "hold the line" or become even more emphatic about getting your name into the public eye. People need your skills and services now more than ever. Make sure they know how to find you.

Remember the saying: "Where thought goes, energy flows."

So, how’s business? Business is GREAT! Thank you for asking.

4.

Protectors of the Land and Its People

by Barbara Casey

In days of yore, before armies organized themselves into permanent institutions, the land and its people were protected by a network of knights. The knights swore fealty to their lord and were given a purpose in life in exchange.

You had to train to be a knight, passing many tests along the way. You had a unique status in society; you were a kind of noble warrior - educated, looked up to, and brave when it counted.

After much testing and battle hardening, a knight finally "won his spurs" and joined the ranks of the lesser knights where he polished his skills and learned to conduct himself with knight-worthy decorum.

So why am I talking about knights? Mostly, I guess, to take another look at the tradition itself and to see how it fits in the world of today.

I think all of us in holistic and spiritual work have something of the "noble warrior" in us. Only our armor isn't hard and shiny; it's light and swirling with energy - a healthy aura.

Goodness knows we've been tested - many, many, many, many, many times.

Of course, the bloodiest battles are the ones within ourselves. And the conflicts which seem to require the most courage are those between our personality/ego and our higher nature (or between *our* will and You Know Whose.)

Is this sounding familiar?

Let's look at the work of "protecting the land and its people." As the teachers, healers and spiritual guides of the planet, can you identify with this job description?

What about fealty and life purpose (higher calling)? Are you starting to believe maybe you're one of these noble warriors after all? And moving up in the ranks? Teaching the newbies the ropes?

When you think about it, there really is a new, global network of knights. Many of them call themselves "lightworkers." But I think we've graduated now. I think we could more appropriately dub ourselves "the knights of light" or, if we're being friendly, "knight lights."

Even knights (of light) have to eat. That means we need thriving businesses. Perhaps now's a good time to review your own business to see if it's sufficiently knightworthy/lightworthy.

1) How strong and passionate is your vision? Are you spending the most time doing what you love and what your clients need?

2) How focused is your marketing? Have you designed a bona fide, unique niche that you can "own" in the marketplace? Can you accurately describe the essence of your business in one or two powerful sentences?

3) Have you committed to a marketing plan with enough budget to execute it? The trick is to use marketing tools worthy of your position, and that includes your brochures, flyers, business cards, newsletters, ads, trade show booths, even your wardrobe.

With passion, focus and a plan, anything is possible. With proper tools, the work proceeds more smoothly.

When you review your own situation, does your business feel solid around you, or are you still grabbing at any and all "opportunities" that come your way? Juggling swords is lethal. Business juggling -- and spotty marketing -- puts your energy all out of whack, and confuses prospective clients.

It's hard to "protect the land and its people" when your own house is out of order.

Fortunately, there's help. It's online and it's free. For a straightforward, step-by-step guide that shows you (1) How to pinpoint your passion; (2) Focus it into a strong business niche that feels "like home" and then (3) Create a simple marketing plan that works for you.

Go for it.

Acceleration and Momentum

With the economy the way it is, it's easy to let ourselves get caught up in mass consciousness images of lack. For example, in 2003, right on the heels of "shock and awe" followed a new picture called "fear and owe." Downsizing, budget cuts... even our service men and women were being hounded by collection agencies -- while they were still serving!

So how do we stay above these negative thoughts, and keep the level of our healing and teaching work high? And how, in an economically fuzzy time, do we break ourselves and our business through to even greater heights of performance and prosperity?

We've read all the books. Taken the classes. We're supposed to know how to do this... right?

But it's tough when the energies seem to be tugging so fiercely in the other direction.

Tough, but not impossible.

To break through to real success, you want to be absolutely certain that you're in your "dream" business. That your heart and soul are behind what you do. That you feel pure joy at the thought of getting up to do your work every day. That's the first thing; numero uno; primary; gotta have it.

(If you're not there yet, do the very best you can where you are right now and know that the business of your dreams is manifesting because you're keeping your integrity and your energies consistently up.)

Then you figure out ways to raise your personal energy WAY above mass consciousness every day -- several times every day. You can rise above the fear and into the "love zone" a number of ways. Try laughing, singing, dancing, listening to beautiful music, creating something, feeling gratitude, pampering yourself, surrounding yourself with beauty, being enthusiastic, reading inspirational books, listening to vibration-raising tapes, forgiving someone, praising someone, loving someone, looking for the gift in everything, looking for the Divine in everyone.

You know the ways. It's just that much more important to do these things more frequently and consistently now.

As you raise your personal energy, you'll start receiving new, creative, lucrative ideas for your business. See where they come from -- and note the synchronicities around them. Then hang on! And watch your business success accelerate beyond your imaginings. Whew!

After a breakthrough, it's time to explore and expand this new plateau to "make it yours." To maintain a good momentum, continue your personal energy work. You'll find that your clients will be positively affected by the "new you" and you'll also find your work flowing more easily. Once you've settled down from the more energetic breakthrough phase, you can build an even firmer foundation to support you through the next energetic boost.

Peak, plateau; peak, plateau -- higher and finer each time we take a new leap forward. Loving our work, serving the best way we know how, making a tremendous amount of money.

A business plan you can love.