We're back looking into the deep, dark (and vitally important) recesses of why it is most of us struggle in the implementation phase of marketing rather than the ideas phase.

Here's one I'm sure you've heard before: “fear of rejection”.

In theory, what's holding us back from approaching potential clients is our fear of them saying no.

I'm not so sure.

I think that's too simplistic a view.

What on earth is “fear of rejection” really? We get rejected all the time. What are we really afraid of?

My experience is that we don't mind “secret” rejection. What we worry about is what other people think.

We're worried that by “selling” we might come across as desperate.

We're worried that people might think less of us if we have to ask for work.

We're worried we'll seem like some Ricky Roma, Willy Loman or “Del Boy” type.

We have a self-image of a highly successful professional we want everyone to buy into. Ourselves included.

Of course, we make all sorts of excuses and rationalisations. The time isn't right to call. A direct mail sales letter is “unprofessional”. Clients don't respond well to being asked for referrals.

But underneath it all, the reason we don't act is that we care more about what people might think of us than the consequences (as we see them) of inaction.

We're none of us immune to this. I sometimes find myself second-guessing my own marketing. Writing to project an image I want to portray instead of writing as the real me.

How do you fix this?

One way is to “turn the tables”. Imagine the thing it is you're hesitant to do is being done to you.

So imagine you were being asked for a referral by someone who'd done some great work for you. Would that seem unprofessional or pushy? Not usually. Not if they did it in the right way at the right time.

Or how about if you received a letter from a business laying out how you could benefit from their services. Desperate? Or just normal everyday commerce.

Nine times out of ten you'll see that you wouldn't be put off by being on the receiving end, so there's no reason why you should be worried about being the sender.

And that one time out of ten? That's the time to rethink what you were planning to do.

A second, powerful way is to use the Value in Advance strategy I've talked about before. If your lead generation always gives valuable information or help to your potential clients (via a free report, and audio or seminar for example) then there's no way you could be seen as being a pushy salesperson.

The third method is harder to do – but probably better for you in the long run.

It's to get over yourself.

Stop caring so much about what others think and focus on what needs to be done to build a future for you and the people you care about.

Because at the end of the day, it's your effectiveness at marketing that will do more to impact your success than anything else.