You know, the small business owner gets whacked around
all day trying please the many forces that plot to take them
off course.

Half the time you feel like you are making it up as you go. And
that’s a great way to forget why you do what you do and who
you are.

One of the most effective ways that I have found to stay on
course is to create and use what I call a “Marketing Mantra”

Okay, first let me explain this mantra thing, according to
Webster’s, just for context.

A sacred syllable or sequence of syllables (sometimes a
name, a word, or a phrase) that is used in meditation (as
in dhyana yoga), usually assigned by one’s guru, and
believed to tune one into the divine ground of existence.

So, how does a small business owner apply something
with such an obvious spiritual background?

You take the concept of a simple phrase, that you can
use habitually, that allows you to remember why you do
what you do, and you make it work for you.

Here’s what I mean.

I used to get in front of audiences to speak with some
fear that I wasn’t going to be entertaining or that I wasn’t
going to be smart enough.

Or I would go on a sales call and think I had to have all
of the answers.

Now, before I work with prospect or client or get up in front
of an audience; I repeat thisvthought to myself –
“What am I here to give?”

It’s funny but by simply repeating this phrase or mantra I
find myself moving towards the right frame of mind and
staying focused on service and nothing else. Once I
realized this, public speaking became much more enjoyable
for me too. No, I don’t always deliver but at least it helps me
let go of all the stupid stuff.

It’s like an alarm clock and it serves to wake me up.

If you can develop something similar, something that helps
you be who you are, your marketing and selling efforts
will be greatly enhanced. Nothing sells like being real.

So, what’s your mantra?