“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”
Dale Carnegie
Whenever I come across a quote I find inspiring or meaningful I print it on a file card. I keep a stack of quotes in my desk drawer, pulling out a new quote every few weeks. The above quote is currently on the shelf above my computer where I can see it daily.
Some people seem to exude confidence. It’s not something they need to work at; it’s just there. The rest of us have to work at it.
For entrepreneurs, fear shows itself many ways. Rarely does it have you curled up in a ball on the floor – although there are days…
One of the most common ways fear manifests itself is through the guise of perfectionism. I’ve seen too many entrepreneurs holding themselves back from marketing and promoting themselves because everything isn’t perfect.
They come up with a variety of reasons why they can’t move forward, yet. “I can’t go to that networking meeting because my business cards aren’t designed.” Or “I’ll start promoting myself once my website is finished.”
The truth is perfection is not a prerequisite to business success. Look around at successful entrepreneurs you know. How many of these businesses have poor websites – or even no website! Look at your collection of business cards. How many are difficult to read, on cheap paper, or just plain ugly?
How are these people able to run successful businesses with less than stellar marketing materials? It’s simple. A mediocre marketing campaign applied consistently, with enthusiasm and integrity goes much further than a brilliant one that never leaves your desk.
Yes, a custom designed, well written website with a concrete call to action, great headings and lots of content will get you more customers than an online version of your brochure created with a template. But the template website will do more for you than no website at all.
Now don’t get me wrong – I’m not suggesting that you put out marketing materials that are unprofessional and full of errors. What I’m saying is do the best you can for now and get moving.
For example, when I started my writing business full time, the first thing I did was create a website. As a writer, I really needed to have something where I could show prospective clients what I could do. But I didn’t have the money to hire a designer. So I found a web hosting company that offered website templates.
My first version of my site had a home page and a portfolio page and nothing else. Over the next two and a half years, I added pages and changed content as I found the time or the need. Today, my website still isn’t what I’d want it to be, but it does the job.
Also during those early days I got notice of a networking meeting that was taking place in five days. I didn’t have business cards yet. Rather than miss the opportunity, I called around until I found a printer who could get the job done in time. Then I opened up Word and designed my cards. I included my name, my business and my contact information. Nothing else. The cards were ready and I made it to the networking meeting.
Were they perfect? No. Did they present me in a professional light and give people all the information I needed them to get from my business cards? Yes. And more importantly, they’re not forever. Like my website, I can change them whenever I have the time or the need.
So what do I want you to take away from this? Ask yourself if there’s some marketing activity you’ve been putting off because it’s just not perfect. If so, make a commitment to complete that material as best as you can for now. Then go out and get busy.
Andrea J. Stenberg
