Icky Trickery Part 2

Friday, I went to a fitness shoe store, called Fleet Feet, and picked up a race bib for the 5k I was in on Saturday.

Even though I have been here before, I am not comfortable in this store. I get a little anxious seeing “sophisticated” running shoes and other garb, because I am NO runner. But, I stopped at the table, had a brief conversation about parking at the race and was informed that there are only 50 runners in this 5K and as such, “You should do really well.”

What? I explained that I run so slowly that spectators often think I am standing still! I also stated that if there is a chance for them to open the race course to traffic they should be sure to “sweep” me off the course before I get turned into a pancake. A few giggles later, I walked out, feeling OH so confident that I had faced my fears and was heading to another race finish line…my 7th one, since I started running a year ago.

When I started last year, it was hard…I couldn’t even run a mile. Each day, I set out to run a continuous mile, then after a couple of months, l it was two continuous miles, then three, and my first 5K, then I actually finished a 10K in February.

I am still no runner, but training for races is now a habit, and I feel grouchy when I don’t run.

I started to think about how habits are formed (the good ones, not the bad ones like smoking or binge watching Grey’s Anatomy). Are there things we can do to strengthen our resolve when it comes to creating a habit? Are there helpful hints to habit-forming, that can lead us to success rather than failure? Why are some people successful at creating a habit and others are not?

My last newsletter talked about creating content, being helpful, answering questions for your clients, your prospects and your artists. (Stop Selling and Start Helping) Being a resource, even before they ask for help. But what exactly, does that mean? It means, communicating with your audience on a frequent basis to GIVE them information that helps make their lives easier. Making it a habit!

“But what if I can’t write,” you say. But you can! You just don’t do it religiously, or for this purpose. If you can text, you can write. If you can email, you can write. If you can share helpful hints for a fabulous party on the phone with someone, you can write them down as a list and send it out on Facebook.

Here are my hints for making this type of customer communication a habit. For making “content marketing,” a habit.

• Work on it every day. A paragraph here, a paragraph there, until you have about 400 words.
• Keep notes on the frequently asked questions in your business and start answering them…one question, one answer per page.
• Little bits of time spent on the task is better than no time at all. So just set the timer for 10-15 minutes and write little bit. Consistency is better than greatness. Just put it down on paper, get going.
• Perfection is overrated…if I had wanted to be a natural, perfect running machine, I never would have started, since we all know THAT AIN’T going to happen, no matter how much I train.
• Have a goal to work towards: a monthly newsletter? Weekly blog post? Monday morning video? Free PDF you can share with every quote so you become known as the expert?
• Share your material with someone you trust. Let your mom read it, or your spouse, or a trusted friend. Let them proof your work and suggest changes. I read recently that the #1 habit in order to successfully lose weight, is have a community of people on the same “road” as you. We all know how hard it is to lose weight! Writing FAQs and posting them to your customers is a cake walk by comparison. Pun totally intended.

Most importantly: Don’t make it about you or getting the gig.