Offline Business Builder Series: "But I Don't Feel Like Cold-Calling, Direct Mail or Networking..."

Hey Offliners,

If you're serious about going to the next level in your offline business, I have a life-changing principle that I want to share with you today.

It's the second of the ongoing and regular conversations that I have with my wife. It has to do with what I've found to be one of the chief cornerstone's of success.

It has to do with waking up everyday and doing several things daily that you don't want to do, but you know you should do.

For example, here's a list of things that many offliners don't "want" to do to grow their offline business...

- Cold call: You may not "want" to cold call today, but when you know you don't have any other marketing strategy that's working for you right now, why not invest at least 2 hours per day doing it?

- Direct mail: You may feel that it's too expensive, but a 5x8 full color postcard plus postage is only 89 cents. You probably already own two or three wso's with postcard templates included. Why not just get a campaign started today and run it all the time?

- Networking: Real, meaningful relationships are so important, that by just networking and connecting with potential referral partners and your target market, you could build a million dollar business. Why would you be in offline marketing if you're not willing to overcome your issues with dealing with people?

- Meet clients in person: Seriously...why would you be in offline marketing if you're not willing to overcome your issues with dealing with people? Go do something where you never have to meet or talk to anyone.

After thinking it through, I also realized that there are several variations of "I don't feel like it." For example...

- "I don't want to do it, right now."
- "It's too hard, so I'll wait until it may be easier."
- "I don't feel like doing that."
- "I've never done that before."

The fact of the matter is that in order to get to your next level in any area of your life, you must embrace decisions, habits and choices that are different that what you feel like doing and what you're actually doing right now.

Some may not be dramatically different, but I guarantee you that some of them will be almost the opposite of what you currently "feel" like doing.

Also, with that being said, I realize that there is a philosophy out there that says you should only do what you like and are good at and everything else will take care of itself.

Here's my problem with the philosophy: It doesn't hold up when adversity hits or when you're trying to get to the next level in a area of your life.

Plus, if that was true why does America have tens of thousands of starving talented artists, broke but gifted musicians and passionate but bankrupt business owners who are doing what they love?

Of course passion, talent and passion are part of the formula, but alone they are not the only things that are required.

Being successful in business or your career requires you to actually master a set of skills and principles that align your goals with the principles of the universe that actually lead to those goals.

If you don't currently have those skills or habits, then you must do something different. Chances are that you probably won't feel like doing the new stuff, but you and I both know that you must do those things in order to accomplish your goals.

Hope this helps,

Chris