Avoid procrastination and get marketing

We set goals and even make plans, but then put off the actual work. Let's talk about overcoming the underlying problems of procrastination and find ways to motivate you to press on and do the deeds.

We all have different commitments. I have five children and five grandchildren. I plan time to visit and yet I must also plan time to write and market. Before I started this blog I emailed back to a radio host giving some of my available dates for an interview and thought about a speaking engagement I have for tomorrow. I'll spend some time this morning preparing for that talk, but I already have the supplies packed to go.

The big reasons most people procrastinate are:

Task is not in comfort zone
Fear and worry (especially of failure or rejection)
Task is not fun
Disorganization

I’ll talk a little about each of these problems and give some ideas to overcome them.

1. Task out of comfort zone
    This has to do with your personality type and your skills.

Outgoing personalities (popular sanguine and powerful choleric) enjoy making cold calls because they are people oriented. But introverts, especially a melancholy, find this difficult.
    To make it easier, an introvert can write a script to use when calling and practice it on a friend.

    An organized person, like a melancholy or choleric, has the right information accessible, but a sanguine or a phlegmatic might not have the information handy. A sanguine loses calendars and information easily unless they set up and keep a good system (not in their nature but it can be done).     A sanguine can make it more fun by using colorful folders (or even a portable bag) to hold a notebook, list of contacts with phone numbers, pen, and list of pitches) or doing it on a laptop.
A phlegmatic needs to make it easy by having a simple file on the computer (a spread sheet) that holds the needed info (contact list and columns to type in information for interviews that get scheduled). They don’t tend to carry pad and pencil, so just plan to type into the computer.
These people must keep track of scheduled interviews and get the important details: who calls at time of interview (you or station); phone number of station, time and date of interview, slant of interview if it was discussed.

2. Fear and worry
    Fear of failure or rejection stops many people. And not every station will book you. Not every church or group will choose you to speak.
    Reframe the concept of success. Don’t consider the no a failure. Consider each call you complete as a success regardless of the outcome. You can only control your actions and your goal is to make the calls. Set a goal (such as: to make 5 calls one day a week) and meet that goal.
Or set a realistic goal of calling places until you get a yes or trying for two scheduled promotional opportunities per month. And be sure to include opportunities that have a high probability of success (a local station or small station if you have little or no experience).

Give yourself rewards and motivations to counter the feeling of failure. If you make x number of calls you can call a friend, take a break, or do something fun. Post some positive mottos in your office as a reminder that you can do it. Post favorite quotes or Bible verses that motivate you. Read them before making calls.

Avoid worry by being prepared when you call. Have some good practiced pitches and responses. If a station says they can’t fit you in now, ask them when you should call back. If they don’t think your topic fits their audience, ask what their audience needs and note that (later you might think of a way to connect to those needs). If you don’t have a quick response simply thank the person for their time and let them know you are available if they discover they need an expert on your topic.

3. Task is not fun
    An outgoing person will probably be bored searching for radio contacts online or get distracted listening in on each station as they click on the station’s web site. Post a picture of the person you want to help in reaching them via radio and do it for that person. Remind yourself of the reason you are doing all this marketing.
    A phlegmatic may find it all sounds like too much work and takes too much energy. This person should break things into smaller tasks, such as creating the spreadsheet one day or filling in ten stations at a time.
    A choleric likes to be in control and not be kept waiting on a phone line or spend too much time searching and not finding the information. Check with others to see what search engines worked for them and have other tasks to do while on hold (be sure to have a phone you can put on speaker while waiting).

4. Disorganization
    I touched on this a bit already. Use technology to help you.
It’s important to actually set up files (on the computer or in file folders) to market. If you lose papers, then do it on the computer and save the updates.
    If you tend to forget dates/calendars, then email yourself a message and also use a calendar within your email that will send you a message (turn on the bells and whistles if needed).

You also need to actually have a press kit and have it accessible. It’s good to have a press kit file in your computer with all the material ready to be printed (photo, bio, suggested questions, scanned in copies of published articles or book reviews).

    Slush piles are hard to dig through. One little directional switch makes it easier and that’s to get things vertical (upright) instead of horizontal (piled). But a file holder that gets your material standing up.

Comments

[Kristi Holl]

Great post, Karen! About half-way through the article, I got the nudge that I was procrastinating by reading another article! Yours was filled with practical tips, however, so I finished it with the promise to stop procrastinating and get to work!

[Karen Whiting]

Well, that's a good thought. If we are reading blogs to waste time we need to stop that. If we are using information and applying it and it's helpful, then we are using that time somewhat wisely. The best use of marketing time is to simply do what can most helpful to promote your books or yourself/message. Sometimes that does require being informed.

[Shelly Burke]

Hi Karen-

I've been procrastinating on a project and can't figure out why . . . your article helped.

I've also read that a deep-seated reason for procrastinating is often fear of SUCCESS, which is an interesting concept.

Thanks for your suggestions! I"m ready to get my project done, now, no matter what.

[Shelly Burke]

Hi Karen-

I've been procrastinating on a project and can't figure out why . . . your article helped.

I've also read that a deep-seated reason for procrastinating is often fear of SUCCESS, which is an interesting concept.

Thanks for your suggestions! I"m ready to get my project done, now, no matter what.