Are Your Clients Missing Out Because You’re A Marketing Perfectionist?

My friend and colleague Helen Graves of CrackerJack Online Marketing has a saying that I just love.  “Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time.”

I love it because the idea of “perfect inaction” totally cracks me up.  I mean, really – when you really think about it, “perfect inaction” is pretty ridiculous, no?  And also because it speaks to a challenge that just about all of us spirited, heart-centered entrepreneurs have struggled with: waiting until something is perfect before taking action.  (Also known as “the perfectionist trap”.)

Helen also calls it the “just one more” cycle.  Just one more tweak to the website, just one more training, just one more revision, just one more whatever until… your program, your product, or your marketing is finally ready “for prime time” and you can get out there and get results.

Here’s the thing about the perfectionist trap and the “just one more” cycle.   Not only is there always “one more,” the reality is you’ll discover the tweaks that actually matter only AFTER you bring “your baby” into the world.

More importantly, when you’re stuck in the perfectionist trap, you’re not helping clients. You’re not changing lives.  You’re not having an impact.  You’re not living your dream. (That’s a pretty high price to pay, no?)

Bottom line: When you’re a marketing perfectionist, your clients are missing out… and so are you. Here are some simple tips that make taking purposeful, impactful, and yes, imperfect action a snap…

1. Focus on one thing at a time. You may have heard about what I like to call “the power of one” or “the rule of one” in marketing.  Just as you will get much better results when you make only ONE offer at a time (because a confused mind always says no), you’ll fly by the stumbling blocks in your marketing tasks when you focus and just get ‘er done.

2. Break it down. Find yourself in a project that’s even mildly big, let’s say, and what’s the first thing that happens?  Well, if you’re like most entrepreneurs (me included), you get overwhelmed.  Perfection follows overwhelm, just as sure as night follows day.   And then you’re stuck.  Yuck!   Instead, break it down into small chunks and focus on the chunks.  Success creates momentum and leads to more success, so be sure to celebrate each one!

3. Realize that nobody is looking at this thing as closely as you are. When I was a little girl, I used to live in mortal fear of being publicly scolded or called out – like if I was talking too loudly in class, say.  I have a voice that carries, and often adults would tell me that I was “too loud.”  I would be so embarrassed, so humiliated!  And then I realized that the kids in my class were waaay too busy passing notes and snapping rubber bands at each other to even notice the teacher “yelled” at me.

The truth is, nobody looks as closely at your stuff  as you do.  Yes, your clients take note… but 9 times out of 10, the those little niggling things YOU notice are not the ones THEY notice.  Which leads me to the next point…

4. Choose to view your project as an opportunity to get valuable feedback from the people who matter most. If there’s one thing that never, ever ceases to amaze me, it’s that the feedback I get from my clients is rarely what I expect.  You will learn so much from “getting it out there” that you ever will from hanging out in your own head, churning over how to make something perfect.

Instead of sweating the details, choose to focus on how cool it’s going to be when you get real feedback from real clients… which you can then use to make the next go-round even more life-changing for them.

5. Get in touch with your why. Remember, you’re not in business just for the heck of it – there’s a reason why it’s so important to you.  For many of us soul-centered business owners, it’s about living our purpose: making a difference for our clients and the world while creating a lifestyle that truly supports us.  Every project you complete pulls you forward, no matter how it turns out!  Your “why” is so much bigger… and so much more important… than any tiny imperfection.

© 2009 Elizabeth Genco Purvis.  All Rights Reserved.

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Elizabeth Genco Purvis, “The Marketing Goddess” teaches spirited solo business owners and conscious entrepreneurs how to attract an abundance of clients, income, freedom and satisfaction in their business while staying true to their values.  Visit MarketingGoddess.com to claim your copy of “Grow Your Business With Spirit And Soul,” a 7-part audio workshop with everything you need to begin attracting more clients right away.