Have you ever seen those sensational, exciting headlines?  People who tell you they’ve created massive success easily and offer to give you the secret that will allow you to do the same?  Generally these claims are made as a way to get our attention on the road to trying to sell us something.  But, in the process, claims like this often make us doubt ourselves.  Don’t let them.  Let’s talk about why you shouldn’t let these claims get you down.

Before I deconstruct this type of headline, I want you to know why I’m writing this.  I have had many conversations about pitches like this, and I am frustrated by the impact they have.   I want to take this opportunity to publicly reframe how we look at them.

As small business owners, we try to project success and a strong reputation as much as we can.  We try to prove our value as much as we can.  This is how we make our businesses look good, strong, and attractive to potential partners and clients.  It’s smart marketing.

But it’s only half the story.  In fact, I would say it’s about 1/4 of the story.  Because a day in the life of a small business owner is NOT one success after another.  It’s the occasional success that picks us up after a period of patiently waiting, implementing, tracking, working.  It’s the occasional highlight after a period of anxiety, frustration, or uncertainty.  We all have the lows.   All of us.  We might feel them more intensely at times.  Some are wired to cope with them better.  But we all have them.

Overnight success is rare.  Sustainable overnight success is rarer still.  Show me someone who has built their success from the ground up, developed key learnings and processes to replicate that success, and who knows the pitfalls to avoid, and THAT is someone I can more reasonably aspire to model.

Overnight success is rare. Sustainable overnight success is rarer still. #business #smallbiz #smb Share on X

Business is hard.  It tests you and takes persistence.  Your great ideas will take effort, hustle, and time to get traction.  Opportunities may come unexpectedly, but are often a result of plugging away and continuing to put yourself in the right place at the right time in front of the right people.  Quick success with no learning curve isn’t a realistic dream to have.  And it would not be a business model worth banking on for continued success.

Your great ideas will take effort, hustle, and time to get traction. #business #smallbiz #smb Share on X

When people make sensational claims about overnight success – a high volume of new leads or sales secured while they slept or on no budget – we really can’t confirm the claim.  We certainly don’t know the whole story.  New leads have no reason to come to you if you have done nothing at all to attract them.

As business owners, we are constantly learning.  Is there something to learn from people who have had success?  There is.  Is there something to learn from people’s experiences using different tools, systems, and approaches?  There is.  But then it is up to us to decide which tools, systems, and approaches make sense with our business model and marketing plan.  No one solution is right for every business.  As a business owner, you make decisions about what belongs in your plan.

What worked for one person is not a determining factor on what will work for you.  If you have a strategy in place, run any new ideas through that lens to see if there is value for you.

What worked for one person is not a determining factor on what will work for you. #business #smb Share on X

People use sensational headlines like this to position their expertise and add credibility for themselves.  A side effect that often comes of that is making the reader question their own credibility.  But just because someone else is credible doesn’t mean you’re not.

The fact that the person who found the secret to success overnight is continuing to market themselves to you means that they still have to work at it.  They haven’t stopped positioning themselves.  Use it as inspiration that you should keep marketing your business too.

So, next time you see a claim about someone else’s overnight success, remember that they are still on a journey, just like you are.  If their experience is truly relevant to your business model, learn from it.  And keep stepping forward with confidence to your own success.

 

If you related to this marketing tip, I recommend you check out this tip on Why Impostor Syndrome Isn’t Fair to Your Clients.  You deserve to have confidence in your own expertise…and your clients deserve it from you, too!