Marketing makes me sick — Kelford Labs Daily

You know that sinking feeling in your gut that tells you to avoid attention? That warns you that you’re not doing what everyone else is doing? That tells you to hide, slink back into the shadows, and blend in?

That’s the tough part of marketing that can easily make us sick.

Because everything innate tells us to fit in, blend in, avoid making waves.

We want to operate under the cover of someone else’s decisions, doing the same things they’re doing. Following their lead and drafting off of their success.

It’s like we’re hiding under the literal covers, afraid we’ll get the monsters’ attention if our foot drifts over the edge.

And, look, attention has a cost. It’s not all upside, and there are lots of jerks out there who’ll let you know what they really think (because they’ve got nothing better to do).

But we’ve got to remember that our best prospects, our ideal customers, are looking for us—but if we hide, if we blend, if we fit, they’ll never find us.

And, wouldn’t you know it, the monsters tend to find us whether we step outside the covers or not. Because they were always in our mind.

What we’re really afraid of, I think, is letting ourselves down. Of not living up to our own expectations. Of embarrassing ourselves, in front of ourselves.

And we’re afraid of realizing we could have done what we did even better—and that makes us avoid doing it at all.

But here’s the thing: The way to get better at marketing is to do more of it.

To get more comfortable standing out, shining brightly, and being noticed by the people who value us most.

That feeling in your gut that tells you to step back into the shadows? That’s the sign that you’re about to stand out. That’s your signal that you’re making the right call, not the wrong one.

I’ve spent my career in marketing, telling other people how to get noticed. And I still feel a little woozy sometimes, when I’m about to do something to get me or my business attention.

So here’s my secret: Use that feeling as a homing beacon, helping you identify what you’re afraid of.

So you can know what you need to do more of.

If you missed my appearance on All Hands on Tech (which I was a little anxious about!), you can watch or listen here.

Kelford Inc. provides finely crafted value propositions and marketing messages for hands-on entrepreneurs and founders.

We’ll show you the way to always knowing what to say.