What’s holding your company back? You have a great product or a valuable service. A smart business plan. The right people in the right places. Why isn’t your business exploding into the stratosphere? Maybe it’s your attitude when it comes to marketing your business. At Trade Press Services, we’ve helped subject matter experts write books who never thought they could be published authors. We’ve helped number savvy professionals become literary geniuses with bylined articles in their industry’s trade publications. And it’s all because they exhibited the right attitude, not excuses. Here are five common excuses that may be holding your company back:
1. You don’t have the money.
And you never will if your product or service doesn’t sell. Find it in your budget. Postpone something less vital for six months. Do you really need that new copier now, or can it wait until the spring? Open a line of credit. As Chris Brogan said in his eponymous blog, “Don’t believe what the news tells you, money is everywhere, and people spend it every day.”
2. You can’t afford to take a risk right now.
It’s not risky to market your goods or services in a smart, effective, proven fashion. What’s risky is having a great product or service that no one knows about, and hoping they stumble across your company.
And when is that “perfect” time to take a risk? When the economy is great? Hint: the economy is always tough. If making money were easy, anyone could do it. And advertising when the economy is “great” isn’t taking a risk—it’s following the herd.
3. What will my colleagues think?
They won’t think anything about you at all if they don’t see you out there in the news. Some may read your well-crafted opinion piece and disagree. Some may find a newfound respect for your company. And some may call you up and ask how the two of you can do business. Like Steve Jobs said, “You’re already naked.” Throw yourself out there. You’ll be surprised.
4. Nobody will buy my product or service.
There’s no guarantee that your sales will increase if you publish an e-book or produce a compelling new white paper. That’s true. All that is guaranteed is that absolutely no one will buy what you’re selling if they don’t know about you and your product. Give customers a chance to show you just how smart they are, whether you’re targeting B2B companies or consumers at large.
5. You don’t know where to begin.
Correction—you didn’t know where to begin. Now you do. Trade Press Services will work with you to develop articles and other forms of editorial content and guarantee to get your story published in magazine read by your prospects and customers. Call us today at (805) 496-8850 or e-mail me, Gerri Knilans, at [email protected].
