A Point in Every Direction is the Same As No Point At All

Ever try to be something for everyone and find no one wants it? Do you have trouble finding the time to focus on your business? Do you do so much for so many that you find it's difficult to make any financial progress in your business; much less make an indelible mark in the mind of your potential customers? I found myself on that road so many times, that I could be a tour guide for Please-want-me-ville.

Where did this come from and how can you get it to stop?

It starts publicly when we're very young... at school. A moment emblazoned in my mind was in Mrs. Moon's kindergarten class. I had just discovered a squirreled stash of my favorite food, Pepperidge Farms Goldfish Crackers, in the front pocket of my patchwork dress. I squealed with delight and proudly started munching on them in the middle of "two plus three". My delight turned to horror when I heard, "Miss Castle, I hope you have enough for everyone or you will stand in the front of the class with your face in the corner!"

Out of nowhere, large beads of sweat developed on my forehead as I desperately searched every inch of my two-inch square pocket for enough goldfish to feed the entire class. Even though we were only on "addition", somehow I knew that four fishes and a tail wouldn't cut it. With my face in the corner for those very long twenty minutes, I vowed that I would always have enough to make everyone happy. In business, these fish have come back to bite me over and over again; until I started teaching people how to brand. Now they can 'gold-fish' for themselves.

As a teenager, I developed 'I don't have enough friends' syndrome. Not being one of the 'cool-n-popular' types, I had to buy my friends (I hope I'm not the only one who did this). And since I wasn't the brain, I couldn't find my value in helping friends get "A's. I did everything else: the grunt work, the labor, the runs to the store, the 'kill- the messenger' calls, the kind of stuff that took me away from most of the 'friend' action. I did so much that I had no time to develop the relationships that I wanted in the first place. I was spread so thin... I was transparent! No wonder for the first few years of my business, I worked unbelievably hard but had nothing (no money, no value) to show for it. It wasn't until I turned my focus inward that I really started to build something of value that customers wanted.

A few dictionary definitions of focus:

1. concentrated effort or attention on a particular thing

2. a concentrated and unified quality

3. the quality of being sharply defined with clear edges and contrast

A few dictionary definitions of inward:

1. situated within something

2. relating to or existing in the mind or spirit

3. toward the inside or center of something

Your business can never be developed as a brand until you first:

a) suspend the need to be something for everyone, and

b) sharply define with clear edges from your inside or center

The challenge to our business success grows when we compound these learned behaviors with the entrepreneurial fear that we need to be attractive to e-v-e-r-y- o-n-e in order to survive. Especially because we don't know when and from where the next customer will come. I've done that dance too. (You know, the one when you get off the phone with a new client closing a "new tiny project that feels huge because it's the only one you have 'dance').

If you identify at all with this, how's it working for you?

For me it didn't! Nothing did until I:

1) deeply connected to what I offered, found my uniqueness in it and built on the internal power of it (the first part of the BrandU? process), and

2) communicated it consistently with precision and quality (the second part of the BrandU? process known as CLICsm).

The points of effort that you are sending out in every direction - squandering your focus externally, trying to be something for everyone, doing so much that results so little - all start from somewhere. That somewhere is a place that you control. The seeds of your brand are planted there. Don't be affected by your programming, program your success. I promise you that if plant it there and tend it, it will grow, and grow, and... grow! And you will be filled with joy and financial success, and the freedom to enjoy it.

© 2003 Castle Montone, Limited All Rights Reserved.

Written by Kim Castle, the Co-founder of BrandU? - the home of only step-by- step process for developing your business as a brand from the inside out!

To get information on upcoming BrandU one-day workshops: http:// www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13 Get your Why You?!(sm) monthly ezine for easy-to-read tips and informative insights on branding. To subscribe: http://www.whybrandu.com/

"BrandU? - Big Business Success No Matter Your Size"

---

Top 10 Ways to Create and Manage Opportunity

Most of us are used to the concepts of risk... Read More

Overcoming Resistances To Marketing a Practice-Part 2

In Part 1 of this article, "Resistances to Marketing a... Read More

The Marketing Secret Every Child Knows

Little Kids Ask Until They Get What They Want.Mom, Mom,... Read More

Low-Cost Marketing With Postcards

Here's a simple way you can generate lots of sales... Read More

Have Something Good To Say

If you don't get this right, you can just forget... Read More

Marketing Tips 101 - Where Can I Get Clients From?

The following tips have come from a wide variety of... Read More

Unique Marketing Ideas That Generate Cash!

First of all - keep in touch with your customers!... Read More

The Process of Change in Marketing Approaches

In a world economy that is in constant flux and... Read More

Professional Marketing

Have you looked for marketing advice on the internet recently?... Read More

Ten Reasons Why Most Yellow Page Ads Fail -And Yours Does Not Have to

Grant Directory users are ready to buy Yellow Pages have... Read More

Help! What Happened?

Let's be honest, when you're writing sales material for a... Read More

Open Doors by Building Relationships

"You can make more friends in two months by becoming... Read More

How Nearly Going Broke Taught Me The Value Of Niche Marketing

If you want to learn how effective Niche Marketing can... Read More

Business Marketing Strategies

For many small business managers, finding the time and commitment... Read More

Top 3 Reasons Why Your Headlines Fail

Many professional copywriters estimate that the headline contributes to 80%... Read More

Direct Marketing: Overlooked, Underappreciated, and Unstoppable

Every business needs customers, but more importantly every business needs... Read More

The Seven Keys to Marketing Genius: The Complete Guide to Increasing Your Marketing IQ

How smart is your marketing? Do you follow the crowd... Read More

How to Write Fundraising Letters That Motivate Donors To Make Donations to Your Non-Profit

Motivating strangers to give their money away is one of... Read More

Plant a Seed and Watch Your Business Grow

Do you have all the business you could possibly want... Read More

Prepare Your Communications For Growth

As the American economy emerges from recession, many businesses are... Read More

Marketing For Profit - 6 Critical Traits

Develop These Six Critical Marketing Traits...And Success Will Surely Follow.If... Read More

SWOT Analysis -- Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

When conducting strategic planning for any company -- online and/or... Read More

Has the Internet Killed Off the Direct Mail Baron?

Over the past 30 years, direct mail has been responsible... Read More

What Is Multi-Level And How Should It Be Worked

Multi-level marketing is really a partnership. You go into... Read More

What You MUST Understand About Your Web Numbers

Two years ago, when I first started selling online, I... Read More

Did Jesus Get Killed for Practicing Interruption Marketing?

I'm reading Seth Godin's Permission Marketing and he brings up... Read More

Top 10 Marketing Pitfalls

Ten Marketing Pitfalls By Stuart ReidIf you want to make... Read More

Network Marketing Is Definitely A Relationship Business

Heavily branded websites like amazon.com are household names and carry... Read More

The Top 10 Ways to Market your Business or Professional Practice Without Networking

While focused, strategic networking is usually the most efficient way... Read More

Do this One Thing and Beat 85% of Your Competition!

Maybe you don't want to work that hard, or maybe... Read More

Website Marketing: 10 Uncommon Bonuses That Will Help Make Your Product Hotly In Demand

Giving away free bonuses is an important website marketing secret... Read More

Always Sell To New Eyes And New Ears

One of the hardest things for you to do as... Read More

5 Ways to Upgrade Your Existing Marketing Materials for Practically Nothing!

In addition to direct marketing strategies you want to be... Read More