perfectionism = #FakeNews ... [🐝U]

Some days it seems like we’re hunkered down & waiting for perfect conditions before stepping outside.
Perfect timing.
Perfect confidence.
Perfect plan.

We all do it.
& it doesn’t matter how old / experienced / supported we are.

Every now & then we sabotage our progress because of perfection with 1 (or more) of the 3 P’s of Perfectionsism.
Sometimes it’s procrastination because “I’m not ready” … there’s more to do / earn
It can be people-pleasing in not wanting to be “found out” or “make a mistake” because you don’t “know-it-all”
Or even the paralysis because of the unknown, good or bad!

So we slap a “perfectionist” label on it & wait

I get that.
(I’m a card-carrying member & was the President of my local chapter)

That fear … that self-doubt … it’s loud.

Spoiler Alert: That day’s not coming.

& you don’t want it to!

There are “dangerous downsides to perfectionism,” according to the BBC.
Psychology Today lists a lot of “consequences of perfectionism”

& even though we don’t obsessively read up on all the studies, we know it’s not “healthy”

like we’re talking …
- depression
- anxiety
- eating disorders
- chronic headaches
- early mortality kind of ‘not healthy’

& we would never expect it of others, but we still demand it of ourselves.

& while you’re battling your own (lack of) confidence, you’re also watching people with way less integrity (& what looks like all the confidence in the world) score client after client by being loud … obnoxious … pushy.

That’s the part no one warned you about …

Marketing your own business kinda sucks!
Especially when it’s compounded with “do I have what it takes”.

You’re left wondering if you’re broken because that kind of marketing makes you want to crawl out of your skin.

Let’s be real, we didn’t get into business for ourselves because we’re itching to become a sleazy salesman.

If you’re like me, you want more freedom.
A chance to do work you’re proud of
Help clients who appreciate & value you

The “hard part” isn’t doing the work.
You don’t need to know everything.

Honestly, you just need to either be 1 step ahead & willing to try staying there
Or you need to be where they’re at so you can free their time to work on other things.

That’s it
You CAN do that.

THAT is what authority is built on.
THAT is how trust & experience & confidence grows.

The “real” hard part (IMO) is trying to talk about what you do.
You don’t want to sound like a walking sales pitch.

& you think you have to drop all these crazy success stories as “proof”

It’s that “bro-marketing” babble that’s probably got you hiding out.

Here’s the great thing I learned about marketing …

Marketing - by definition - requires us to test things (it’s an A|B Split Test)
We look at 2 options
Which option works better?
Keep what works … toss the other.

But we don’t stop with 1 test.
We keep going.

How else can we improve?
What else can we try?

Sometimes it works better.
But not always.

If you stop to think about it,
your life is a split test too.

You try different things
→ fashion styles (& food)
→ dating (& friends)
→ jobs (& hobbies)

That you’re now applying all this to your business feels different.
You feel more exposed.

But it’s the same process.

You can keep waiting by the window during the storm …
… hoping the clouds lift
… or the fear fades
& suddenly you’ll feel “ready”

But growth doesn’t work like that.
You move forward through the mess, not around it.

You can learn to have fun, playing in the rain … again!
We did it before as kids.
We can get it back.

But don't confuse staying dry (& studying) with making progress.

The people (& companies) that actually grow are the ones out in the storm
- They’re getting messy,
- & laughing through the discomfort,
- because they’re learning as they go.

& the ones with lasting results … they’re doing it authentically.

Success in business (& life) isn’t just about the instant gratification (no matter what the entertainment industry tries to tell you)

Success is long-term.
We’ll have sunny patches.
But there are going to be seasons.
& they’re keep cycling through over & over & over & over …

So put on your raincoat, find a puddle, stick out your tongue, & start splashing.

Keep learning … a little bit every day …
(yes, consistency really IS key)

& if your marketing makes you:
→ cringe when you re-read it
→ freeze when it’s time to post it
→ feel like you’re performing instead of connecting

It’s time to try something else.

You don’t have to “fake it”
You don’t have to “get comfortable being uncomfortable”

You just need an authentic plan that actually feels like you.

& you need to spend more time with facts instead of fluff.
Banish the “bro-marketing”
Because when your marketing sounds like the same person your friends get over coffee…

Everything gets easier!

Try it (aka Split Test it)

Imagine having “clients on tap” with feel-good strategies!

If you’re reeeaaallly struggling with marketing yourself, here’s an “easier” (more comfortable) way to start …

It’s not about you.

No one cares about you … or what you do … or how you do it.

It’s sounds harsh, but it’s true.

It’s about your client.
What do THEY need to solve THEIR problem?

“What’s in it for them?” ← the Wall Street Journal bestseller with 9 Genius Networking Principles to get what you want by helping others get what they want.

It’s never going to be “perfect”
You don’t want it to be.

Those butterflies in our stomachs…
That sense there’s “a frog in our throat”

That says you care.

TL;DR?

Perfectionism is a lie.
Things will never be perfect.

You don’t have to be THE expert.
Because you are AN expert
& that’s enough

& when you’re authentic (about your skills, experience, self)
& doing things that fit who you are (marketing & work)

It’s going to be sustainable (& profitable) for the long haul
& it makes you sound (& feel) like you…
not a webinar bro with a ring light & a funnel addiction

Just focus on the facts
Be authentic in everything you do
& keep learning 

Just a little bit … every day.

& remember, marketing isn’t about you.
“What’s in it for them?”

It’s never going to be perfect.
& you should always be a little nervous.

Perfectionism = #FakeNews

Be authentic.
Be yourself

Make it a great “imperfectly perfect“ week!
EG

PS:

Laura Lopuch has a “feel-good email profit kit” she shares when you subscribe to her free newsletter … & she’s also got a strong no “bro-marketing” stance that’s worth reading.

PPS:

📈 Want to talk about better marketing results by skipping the sleaziness?
Find a time that fits your schedule.

📣 Tell me what you want to read about … here
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn … here