by Allie Alberigo
Brought to you by Member Solutions
About five years ago I traveled to Japan with a group from my schools and a
good friend. We spent 14 days traveling and sightseeing and I realized that
not all people have such an optimistic outlook on life as I do. In fact, one of
my friend’s students was so negative we actually named her the “Portal of
Doom.” I came to the realization that some people who are negative actually
get annoyed at people as cheery as I. I find this to be incredibly perplexing
but to say the least, I am who I am.
As you know I regularly consult with many school owners and business people
and even do a host of personal life coaching sessions. Imagine if I was the
voice of gloom and doom while speaking with clients: I would have many
people who were depressed or stuck in a rut. Quite often talk of our economy,
the war in Iraq, the change of presidency, and scandal upon scandal fills our
ears day in and day out. We are realizing a diminished return on our
marketing investments as well as a much more jaded client base. This is true
especially in my neck of the woods.
What do we do? First I must say that times are changing. Just recently I read
that direct mail numbers have actually doubled in the last seven years. For
example, seven years ago it was recommended that you mail eight times
before you could expect the proper response to your advertisement. Not long
ago I was told by a professional mailing house this number is now up to
twelve to fifteen times for market penetration. What we once achieved is now
taking twice the amount of effort. As discouraging as this may be, there is
some sun shining through the clouds.
For professional school owners it is a cleansing process. As difficult as it may
be to accept, the stars are always going to shine. The question is, are you a
star or just a shimmering light? If you are consistent in your approach to
marketing, you will find that even though the results may be smaller than in
the past, they will certainly be there. Our goal is to continually encourage our
school owners to outshine the rest: to stick to a program when most others
have failed, to continually work on your image, your marketing, your unique
selling proposition. What is it that makes you shine above the rest – why are
you a shining star? When is your quit time? Or are you the one who never
gives up?
To help me stay positive, I have my own daily mantra to share with you.
It includes:
- Live each day stress-free no matter what life has to offer.
- Never let the little things make a difference in your life.
- Never hold a grudge or put too much thought into what other do. While you are upset they are out tap dancing.
- Always ask yourself, what will it mean in a few months or a few years.
- No matter how bad it is, there are always others out there who have it ten times worse.
- Stay focused on the positive and the negative will seem so small.
- Always look for the sun on a cloudy day or look for the reason why the clouds are so nice.
I look at this e-mail as a way to motivate you to stick to your guns. Of
course, I am here to help you with methods and ideas as well as to help you
reach your goals.
If you are having a hard time staying focused or need assistance in setting up
the correct marketing campaign and mastering follow up and follow through,
do not hesitate to e-mail me. If you are interested in a copy of my marketing
action worksheet, just e-mail renshilininja@aol.com.