Our internal relationship to marketing defines the outcome

Today’s Musings on Marketing and Magic continue around the theme of business success being an inside job and I will focus on our internal relationship to marketing and how it impacts the outcome of our marketing efforts.

Many coaches, healers, and other conscious entrepreneurs I talk to tell me “I simply hate marketing and sales” or “I feel so sleazy doing marketing and sales” – there are countless variations to this theme, but if you recognize it as part of your mindset, it’s worth looking at.

The intention behind our actions guides the outcome

Marketing and sales seem like a “necessary evil” with this mindset, something you force yourself to do. When you look at it energetically though, it carries quite a negative charge that any marketing action we may take will then be infused with. The intention behind our actions guides the outcome and putting the intention of “I hate marketing and feel sleazy doing it, but I want people to purchase my services” doesn’t instill much trust in the offering.

Do you really want to be successful?

When I first started out on my own, I figured that the last thing I would have to worry about was my marketing, since I had been doing it for 20+ years in various corporate settings. Imagine my surprise when I realized how different it is to market someone else’s product vs being the brand of my business and marketing my services! It was a real wake-up call and it took a lot of effort to work through my discomfort and ambivalence.

Eventually I came to a moment of choice that many business owners face: do I really want to be successful? And if so, what does that mean with regards to my relationship to marketing and sales? I decided to choose becoming friends with these activities and to consciously making it about the joy of connection building.

What is your current relationship with marketing and sales?