I have a mindset that brings me down when something I try doesn't work. I immediately assume some combination of the following:
1) I'm not good enough
2) Something I said, or the way I said it, or something about me made ______ not work
3) I might as well just give up now because I'm not going to be successful with _____.
4) look at that person...they seem to just 'get it.' I don't 'get it,' and never will
Now, I'm not all negative, and over the last few years, I've become a lot more positive than I've been in my past, but this line of thinking is still there. My positive side keeps me going forward, but my negative side slows that down to a snail's pace.
For example, I'm trying to figure out Google adwords for my MS Access programming business. I know that there still is demand out there for Access programming because I know of certain Access developers who are pretty successful doing what they do. Not extravagantly successful, but they run million-dollar businesses, and they get a lot of business from google adwords.
I posted a particular landing page on the INSIDERS's forum, and got a lot of great feedback, which I implemented. I still have yet to get any response from it, though.
I also have a Access development landing page with its own set of Google Adwords ads.
So, now I'm wondering if people actually want what I'm selling, and that question, instead of driving me to figure out how to sell this thing, makes me spend 20-30 hours last week fussing with wording on my ads, reading about Adwords, reading this forum, etc.
Same thing with cold calling - I am good for about 3 cold calls, and then my emotions bring me down - even though I usually can get people on the other end of the phone talking.
Where I have been successful is when I'm actually talking to people that have a need. For example, I met with a company that does managed IT services in July about a potential partnership. I was offered a job at this company about 10 years ago, and turned it down in favor of another job that I took. I used that personal experience to form a personal connection with the CEO. As he and I were talking, I showed him an example of software that I write. Its a pretty nice piece of software. He said, 'you know, there's this report that I've wanted to automate, and I can't find anyone that can do it for me. Can you? (I happen to love that stuff because of the value it brings to a company) I said, 'yes, I'd love to.' He wrote me a check right there to get started.
Now, someone will probably say, 'well why don't you do that with other businesses?' Great idea! But ... here's my negative mindset, and it paralyzes me:
"I only got that contract because I had an 'in' with that company because of the fact that they'd offered me a job years ago." "I don't know how to come up with similar stories with other companies."
So, instead of brainstorming about various ways I could connect with a company on a personal level, I sit there and write out this post hoping that someone could 'fix me.'
Arg.
I'm hoping that some of you have been there, and have some wise words. I'm truly tired of this way of thinking.
1) I'm not good enough
2) Something I said, or the way I said it, or something about me made ______ not work
3) I might as well just give up now because I'm not going to be successful with _____.
4) look at that person...they seem to just 'get it.' I don't 'get it,' and never will
Now, I'm not all negative, and over the last few years, I've become a lot more positive than I've been in my past, but this line of thinking is still there. My positive side keeps me going forward, but my negative side slows that down to a snail's pace.
For example, I'm trying to figure out Google adwords for my MS Access programming business. I know that there still is demand out there for Access programming because I know of certain Access developers who are pretty successful doing what they do. Not extravagantly successful, but they run million-dollar businesses, and they get a lot of business from google adwords.
I posted a particular landing page on the INSIDERS's forum, and got a lot of great feedback, which I implemented. I still have yet to get any response from it, though.
I also have a Access development landing page with its own set of Google Adwords ads.
So, now I'm wondering if people actually want what I'm selling, and that question, instead of driving me to figure out how to sell this thing, makes me spend 20-30 hours last week fussing with wording on my ads, reading about Adwords, reading this forum, etc.
Same thing with cold calling - I am good for about 3 cold calls, and then my emotions bring me down - even though I usually can get people on the other end of the phone talking.
Where I have been successful is when I'm actually talking to people that have a need. For example, I met with a company that does managed IT services in July about a potential partnership. I was offered a job at this company about 10 years ago, and turned it down in favor of another job that I took. I used that personal experience to form a personal connection with the CEO. As he and I were talking, I showed him an example of software that I write. Its a pretty nice piece of software. He said, 'you know, there's this report that I've wanted to automate, and I can't find anyone that can do it for me. Can you? (I happen to love that stuff because of the value it brings to a company) I said, 'yes, I'd love to.' He wrote me a check right there to get started.
Now, someone will probably say, 'well why don't you do that with other businesses?' Great idea! But ... here's my negative mindset, and it paralyzes me:
"I only got that contract because I had an 'in' with that company because of the fact that they'd offered me a job years ago." "I don't know how to come up with similar stories with other companies."
So, instead of brainstorming about various ways I could connect with a company on a personal level, I sit there and write out this post hoping that someone could 'fix me.'
Arg.
I'm hoping that some of you have been there, and have some wise words. I'm truly tired of this way of thinking.
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