The Wisdom of Buddha and Chevy Chase?

I ran across a quote from Buddha a little while back:

                                                           The mind is everything, when you think you become.

It's a heavy concept, but now take the same thought and listen to Chevy Chase from one my favorite movies, Caddyshack, "Be the ball!"

I'm sitting here as I'm writing this today and I'm laughing. It's pretty bizarre that Chevy Chase and Buddha are on the same page, but they're helping me make a point or two about marketing. Don't give up on me, because there really is a strong message here! 

There are some of you who are simply trying too hard.  You're jumping from one marketing concept to another because you're not seeing results fast enough. You're planting the seeds, but not waiting for them to take hold and grow.  You're analyzing so many different aspects of your business without having a marketing plan. 

Take some time and just stop what you're doing and dissect your business into the various components necessary to succeed.

1) Do you really understand photography?  In other words, are your images good enough to stand on their own, right out of the can, or are you spending hours and hours cleaning them up and creating on your monitor?

2) Do people know who you are?  Are you involved in your community?  Are you working on building your reputation?

3) Do people know your work?  There's a big difference between knowing who you are and people admiring your images.

4) What are you doing to market your business?  This is about everything from generating publicity,  to creating marketing promotions that get people in the door, to being involved in your community.

5) What are your short and long range plans?  How do you want your business to look a year from now?  And what about five years out?

6) Is your website all it could be?  Do your brochures and ads represent the look and feel you want to portray?

7) Along with your website what are you doing in social media? Is there logical continuity in your blog or did you start it and then simply stop keeping it up to date? Are you consistent in your timing for new posts and tweets? What are you doing on Facebook and Twitter? (This is a whole blog post on its own!)

Each one of these questions touches on a component of your business.  Each one requires that "force in the universe" that Chevy Chase is calling upon. I'm not suggesting you go after the challenges blindfolded, but to get in touch with the energy to focus on just one thing at a time.

Okay, so it's a little stretch this morning, but it sure was fun to write!  And, if you haven't seen Caddyshack, go rent it this weekend...it's a classic!

Just Be the ball!