Why participating in democracy helps your photo business.

If you overcame cynicism, laziness, or an excuse that
you were “too busy with work” to go stand in line to
vote, you’ve already demonstrated some of the skills
necessary to your help your photo business thrive.
Being proactive is essential to any business
success-but it is critical to surviving in a down
economy.

The drama of the November 4th National Election Day
provides a real-world lesson in the value of
pro-activity. Any time it’s easier for you not to act,
and yet you go ahead and take action, you’re actually
build your photo marketing muscles.

Many of my clients told me they stood in line–some
for hours– to cast their ballots because they were
emotionally involved in this presidential race. They
overcame the gravitational pull of staying comfortably
inside and watching others do the work of civic duty.
Those who don’t usually vote in every election voted
this time because of an emotional involvement in
the outcome. Some are voting because they imagine, and
want to help usher in, a brighter future. Some are
voting because they’re afraid of what might happen if
too many people also fail to vote. Hope and fear are
powerful tools used to make someone act.

You’ve watched the politicians use this technique to
get out the vote. Why not use the same technique on
yourself?

Recognize the power of emotion to overcome inertia.
Use the energy of emotion to jump start your marketing
plans: imagine where you’d be this time next year if
you only market when the mood strikes or when you’re
slow. Not a rosy picture? Now imagine the result in
your business if you spent a year engaging in small,
but daily, marketing actions. Overcome your doubts,
confusion, hesitation and sheer procrastination by
whichever emotion motivates you the most. My personal
preference is to use hope, but “your mileage may
vary.”

Even though some voters recognize that one
vote might not make that much of a difference, a larger part of
them argues “yes… but many small actions (votes) DO
add up to a result that I’d like to see happen.” So
they take action.

That same belief is an essential part of any
successful business. It’s easy to stay at home and
just react to what other people’s votes create. Opt
out of acting long enough and regularly enough and
pretty soon your life is being created for you–
instead of you participating in its creation.

If you regularly choose action over reaction, you’re in a much
better position to get new business when the economic
cycles rebound. Take time now to actively engage in
building your marketing muscles. Keep your brand in
front of your clients.

Just like the vote you cast today contributes to a
change our presidential leadership, small actions
added together create a completely different business
result than inaction. Commit to do one action each day
that you’d always slacked off on before.

Need a suggestion? Here are some powerful actions you
can take to create positive change in your business’s
bottom line: clean-up and update your mailing list,
reconnect with clients you’ve not spoken to in months,
update your web site; update your search engine
optimization strategies; research new client’s contact
info; build and data enter that information into a
database to effectively track your marketing calls and
the results; etc., etc.

I hope today you’ll use the power of taking
action: first by voting and then by strengthening your
marketing habits.

All the Best,
Carolyn
P.S. Note to my subscribers in the Charlotte, NC
area: In case you’ve not already heard, on
Friday, Nov. 7th, I’m presenting my latest
marketing talk: “Rebooting your Business Brain:
21st-century Marketing Strategies for
photographers who weren’t born yesterday” to the
local chapter of the APA. I’ll also be offering
portfolio reviews. Info is posted in the “UPCOMING EVENTS”