When freelance writers, artists, and business owners attend events to sell their product or service, they don’t greet everyone who walks by their table. Yet, business owners, freelance writers, and artists often complain about the little or lack of income they make. How do you treat people when you’re at an event? Do you greet them? Are you interested in speaking with them? Part of your job is to market you and your business. No one else will do it for you, unless you hire a marketing firm!
Here’s a test you can do the next time you’re at an event. Walk by tables and notice how many people take an interest in potential customers. You’d be surprised how many business owners, freelance writers, and artists have selective customer radar. It’s interesting because they complain to others that business is slow and they can’t find leads or customers. Perhaps the reason has to do with how bad you want to be noticed. How important is it for you to support yourself with your work? Maybe you secretly desire not to be successful. You could be sending the universe mixed messages!
Most successful people surround themselves with successful people. No wealthy person has made it on his or her own. Take a look at the people in your life and gauge how successful they are in their life. Of course, everyone has different meanings for success, but most people equate a healthy income stream with success. If your income stream is a slow trickle, you could be sabotaging yourself by hanging around with people who don’t share your beliefs about success. They may not have a desire to be monetarily successful. If your contacts and friends are broke, how will you learn to rise to a higher level? It may be time to change your circle of friends and contacts.
Freelance writers and artists often hear “the starving artist” remark from family and friends. In fact, you may have heard this as a child. It has been programmed into your mind that you can’t make money from your work. This is nonsense. You have the power to delete any negative or self-defeating thoughts and create new ones. There are artists and writers around the world who make a living from their work — they just know how to do it. Plus, they have other streams of income.
Take inventory of the messages you send on a daily basis. What are you thinking? How do you think? If you constantly think, “…I want success, but it will be difficult,” you just cancelled your desire for success. You can’t have a “positive, ambitious thought” and expect to receive your desire if you replace it with a negative thought. The universe doesn’t work that way!
Freelance writers, artists, and business owners, the next time you’re at an event, acknowledge the people who walk and stop by your table. You never know who you’ll meet. You could blow an opportunity of lifetime because of your communication skills. Perhaps it’s time to strengthen those skills with a class or two. It couldn’t hurt!
Rebecca
What mixed signals have you sent? Share your thoughts.