Marketing mindset
Monday, May 12th, 2008I am reading a great book by Carol Dweck, called “Mindset - the new psychology of success” The main thesis is that there are two types of folks out there (OK, I know that is simplistic but let’s go with it for a minute) - fixed mindset thinking: All talents are fixed and can’t really be developed - they are gifts in other words. Growth mindset: all talents including intelligence can be learned and developed.
What does this have to do with small business marketing? Well, it is possible to hear a lot of these mindsets in business. “I am not a natural salesman” is perhaps the most common that I come across.
It seems to me that these skills can be developed. We perhaps all know people we consider to be “naturals” - someone with the gift of the gab for example. The danger of this thinking is that we don’t bother to think more deeply and it gives us an excuse. In other words - I wasn’t given that gift therefore I can’t develop it, so why try?
What to do? Personally I try to catch myself saying these things either out loud or (more commonly) in my head and then think whether that is an excuse for inaction. So, if you are inclined to think you are not a marketing person or a sales person I encourage you to think instead - how am I going to develop the skills in this area?