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Dear Coach... With Tom Foley Dear Coach: I'm currently trying to market two products, but haven't had much luck. In fact, when I get no response from manufacturers, I tend to lose interest. How can I keep the fire lit? Mark Orlando, FL* * * * * * Dear Mark:
I have a couple of thoughts on your question. First of all, I suggest you pay close attention to your "thinking." My guess is that when you fail to get a response from manufacturers, you begin to think negatively about your product as well as your own abilities. Here are a few examples of negative thoughts that people commonly have in your situation:
-"This is a dumb idea."
-"No one is interested in it."
-"If my product was any good, I would have sold it already."
-"I'm wasting my time."
Each of these negative statements is rooted in fear and can understandably lead to a loss of interest. Fear is a powerful force that manifests in feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and defeat. It zaps an incredible amount of our energy&emdash;energy that could be better used to achieve our goals. The good news is that we can actually change our negative thoughts with some effort and practice.
I suggest you take a few minutes and write down all the negative thoughts you have about your products and your ability to effectively market them. Once these are down on paper, look for a pattern in the way you're thinking. Most people develop patterns, or "habits" of thinking, some that actually hold them back from being successful. So the first step must be to learn what your thinking habits are.
Once your negative thoughts are identified, take some time to write a positive rebuttal to each of your negative statements. Here are some rebuttals for the negative statements above:
-"This is a creative idea."
-"The manufacturer for my product exists out there somewhere. I just need to keep talking with people."
-"Manufacturers are busy people. I need to discover a way of marketing my product that will make it stand out and catch a manufacturer's attention."
-"Marketing a product takes time and effort, and IÍm committed to do what it takes to get my product out there."
Again, this process takes patience and practice to be effective. So become "active" in improving your attitude.
Part of the problem may also be related to a lack of realistic expectations on your part. Remember, marketing a product involves persistence and fortitude. So maintain realistic expectations about your timeline. The process is often an uphill climb with a steep learning curve. In other words, you'll learn as you go along what works and what doesn't work to gain a manufacturers' interest in your product. It's a similar process for many professions--like writers who often have to deal with rejection of their written work. In fact, a writer may go months or years before finally finding a publisher for their book or article. To be successful, however, they can't afford to give up. Although it's not a comfortable experience, it is part of the game.
Tom
Tom Foley is a personal coach, seminar leader, and licensed clinical psychologist who has shared the concepts of "coaching" with hundreds of people. This background, coupled with his former career as a professional musician, has allowed him to utilize his creative spirit to help people achieve their goals and pursue their life dreams. He works with people from a variety of backgrounds, including artists, writers, people in transition, and entrepreneurs.
Coaching, which is conducted by telephone, is an extremely convenient process, and Tom's fee options make it affordable for most people. For information about personal coaching sessions, classes or workshops, call Tom at (425) 482-3022 or visit his website: http://www.angelfire.com/ca/LifeQuest. Questions for the "Dear Coach" column may be sent to him via email: indialogue@aol.com
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