Nothing is to Nothing as Something is to Surprises

Nothing Equals Nothing
When it comes to marketing and selling - if you do nothing, nothing happens. Don't make any outbound phone calls. Don't send out any emails to prospects. Don't write any articles for online or print media. Don't attend networking events. And don't attend your association meetings.

Your outcome, 100% guaranteed, is nothing will happen. You will make no connections and you won't make any sales.

While you are doing no marketing and selling, you might be very busy doing your ‘real work' - research, project development, and the ever present creation and consumption of your online feed of emails.
But, in this ‘real world', if you don't market, and you don't make any sales, you and your organization will not stay in business - which means you won't get to do your ‘real work' anymore either.

I've been there. It's called Complacency-itis.

Something Equals Surprises
Here's what "something" looks like: It's picking up the phone and calling past clients. It's writing a blog. It's updating your website or your "look". It's sending out an electronic newsletter. It's getting out there - attending events related to your business or taking someone to lunch or for coffee.

Please note that activity just for activity's sake will also net nothing. You still have to be mindful to focus on people and organizations that will pay for what you have to sell.

Recently I called a past client, Yvonne. I hadn't talked to her in four years. I had done a 2-day workshop for Yvonne's Dental Study Group in Minnesota, and I'd love to work with her or other dental groups again! The stars must've been aligned because I actually got through to Yvonne - you will get voice mail 80% of the time. (Leave an upbeat message and call again.) While catching up I discovered she was headed to Dallas, my hometown, to work with a dental financial planning group at the end of that very same week.

Something - Calling Yvonne - equals Surprises. Surprise Number One: Her dental financial company is also one of my prospects. I had just been referred to them by someone else. Surprise Number Two: I offer to pick her up at DFW Airport. Surprise Number Three: We have a lovely drink at her hotel after I picked her up. Surprise Number Four: She leaves her cell phone in my car. Surprise Number Five: I deliver her cell phone to the financial company the next day getting to then visit with my Decision Maker Prospect again! Nice outcome: Yvonne also recommends me to this prospect and I get back on her radar screen.

All because I called her.

Will you get business from all this activity? You never know where your marketing will lead you. But you do know where no marketing will lead you. Nowhere.

Karen, a presentation skills executive coach in Dallas, can be reached at www.karencortellreisman.com