We are living in the Age of the Amateur Invasion. With the gazillions of online marketing methods available today and the popularity of “reality” TV, anyone at any level can make a name for themselves. You don’t have to be an expert, a professional, or a guru. You can claim your status and portray yourself to be anything. And what you’ll notice is that those who take themselves to market the fastest claim the lion’s share of the profits. It doesn’t mean they are the best, it does mean they are the fastest and often the least perfect. Today, getting there first or at least close to it counts.
Speed to MarketPerfection is procrastination personified. Making excuses about why you aren’t farther along the path of success is all about procrastinating because you are stalling for perfection. I’m not suggesting you eliminate valuable market research. You need to know who your market is, what three (not 103) niches you serve and where to find them. You need to do your keyword research or hire someone to do it for you. This isn’t about winging it. That is a waste of time. This isn’t about throwing randomness into the marketplace to see what sticks. This is about executing your plan with all its imperfections and taking action instead of stalling out over imperfection.
What are you waiting for? Perfection is killing your profitability. I hear business people waiting for perfection constantly.
Some of my favorite lines are:
I can’t do video, I’m not photogenic enough.
This isn’t a beauty contest. Surely you remember Susan Boyle from American Idol? It isn’t her looks that got her a multi-million dollar contract, it is her voice and her courage to step up and stop waiting for when she might be perfect (never).
I don’t have a website, I don’t need one in my business.
Every business (except perhaps loan sharking or being a spy) needs a website today. Whether you sell wholesale or retail, business to business or business to consumer, to the trade or directly to the customer, you need a website. Yes, you can have just a page and not a full site, but you have to be found and a website legitimizes you and makes you findable.
I can’t blog, I don’t write well enough.
This has nothing to do with your ability to write. You can record and have your recordings transcribed and corrected. You can use transcription software like Dragon. This is about getting your thought leadership and your excellence into the marketplace to enhance your credibility and validate your expertise.
I don’t use social networks, my business is all word of mouth.
What do you think social networking is? It is WORLD OF MOUTH, as in word-of-mouth on steroids. No, you don’t have to be on every network, only those where your clients and customers are hanging out. And if they aren’t hanging out in a network, then I’m betting the have a private network or group they’ve set up to exchange ideas, contacts, and opportunities.
I can’t Facebook, I’m not interesting enough.
Being human and yourself is as interesting as it gets. Let down your guard, jump in, the conversation is fine.
Get over yourself and your quest for perfection or you will drive your business truly and really into the ground. Go for “As Good As It Gets” more than just the name of a great movie, instead a critical business success philosophy. In fact, I’m betting that you perfect is someone else’s unreachable. Strive for done to the best of your ability instead of some lofty unattainable and unnecessary goal of perfection.
We are each works in progress, life is a work in progress, and business is a work in progress. The progress in any of these is stopped cold when perfection kicks in. You will stop your growth, stall your life out, and kill your business. Let go and step into NOW and realize that you are way ahead of the amateurs who are invading but you’ll fall behind when you indulge in perfection. The amateurs don’t care about perfection, they care about speed to market. Don’t you?
Please tell me your stories of perfection and how it has held you back, or dish me how you dove into imperfect and trumped the marketplace!
As always find me on Facebook, tweet with me on Twitter, and connect to me on Linkedin!
Wow, Melissa! What a right on article. You are absolutely right!
With all of the online marketing, one can feel pressured to be better or the best before stepping forward. And yet time passes and nothing gets done. And those things left undone do nothing but create negative energy we are now having to carry around!
But on the flip side, what an emotional relief to let go of perfection, step forward and take care of that which we resist the most. Even if it is not perfect. Allow it to be a work in progress and be amazed as to how getting it done will effect your life in a positive way.
Thanks Karen,
Yes, just getting it done, goes a long way toward success!
Hugs, Melissa
This hit home for me. My business is a creative one, so I want everything I create, including video tutorials, profile pictures for my Facebook pages, and even FB posts to be ‘perfect’, which they still never quite are! I feel like I’m always running 2 steps behind everyone else, even though I get cutting edge ideas from you, my upline, Brian Moran, and others.
I know ‘good enough’ will serve me better, and get me out there ‘on time’. Thanks for the push forward.
Donna,
Glad to give that push forward always. You are very talented and getting it to market matters!
Hugs, Melissa
Thanks for the reminder again Melissa:)
It is the wild west out there but I’ve stopped trying to look like the biggest gun in the west.
So I have relinquished the perfectionism (-ish on certain subjects like video) and I’m on plan Y which only leaves Z to go! One thing that I’m struggling with is that ‘money loves speed’ and I am sooooo slow!! Or it feels like it! My brain and creativity work at a million miles an hour but the step-by-step, set it up and work it through, seems to take forever. Is it chronic?:) Hugs, Jenni
Jenni P,
The key is to focus on what you do best and delegate the rest. I know that can be difficult with tight budgets, but essential. Fiverr.com to the rescue.
Hugs, Melissa
Melissa, what you say is so true. It is always better to get something out there than nothing while waiting for perfection. Michael.
Thanks Michael,
Yes, it can be tough to let go and do, but necessary.
Hugs, Melissa
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