Marketing Is Something You Never Get Good At

I was digging through The Stranger last week when I stumbled on an article about a martial arts studio up in Greenlake.

Now the article was just puffery (it was part of the paper’s “Strangercrombie” promotion where they sell articles, features and columns for a good cause) but there was one quote right near the end that made my me sit up and take notice.

It was about the guy who runs the place being a lifelong student of martial arts, and It said “Martial arts is something you never get good at.”

Now, this is a guy who can do monkey flips, run up walls and do crescent kicks so beautiful they make grown men weep.

But he doesn’t think he’s “good” at martial arts.

He knows that there’s always more to learn, there’s always more to do and there’s always one more step he can take down his chosen path.

Now, What Does This Have To Do With Copywriting And Marketing?

I bet you can guess.

Like martial arts, learning good, effective, powerful marketing is an impossibly tall mountain. It’s a ridiculously long road.

There’s *always* a new technique, there’s *always* a new technological toy, there’s *always* a stunning new insight into why customers act the way they do, there’s *always* new way to get someone to take out their wallet and buy, buy, buy.

And if you sit down and think about it, it’s kind of overwhelming.

I mean, no matter how many books you read, courses you take or gurus you supplicate yourself in front of, you’ll never be *Good* at marketing.

Heck, the most successful, talented and savvy marketers I know will usually admit that, in the grand scheme of things, they barely know what they’re doing.

And as much knowledge and experience as I’ve personally crammed into my brain, I know that I’ll be climbing the marketing mountain and learning more and more and more for as long as I live.

Luckily, To Be Successful, To Make Sales And To Make Money, You Don’t Have To Get *Good* Marketing. You Just Have To Get *Better* At It

*Better* than your competition, *better* than your friends, *better* than you were yesterday.

Now, when I consult with business owners and entrepreneurs, or when I meet newbie marketers at seminars, I run into a lot of folks who are in “learning paralysis.”

They spend all their time digging through books and courses and long, rambling blog posts and refuse to take action and start *selling* until they get *good.*

But like I just said, you’ll never get *good.*

You’ll just get *better.*

And the only way to get *better* is to put down the books, take the headphones out of your ears and take all those bits of theory and technique that you suck up and *actually do something with them.*

Which means you’ve got to stop *thinking* about putting up a website, running an ad or crafting your new sales pitch.

And actually, start doing it.

It’s scary, I know. But here’s a way to make it easier. Pop open your text editor and write the following in big bold letters:

“Marketing Is Something You Never Get Good At.”

Now print it up and paste it above your desk.

And every time you feel that paralysis and worry creeping in, just mumble that little mantra.

I promise, it’ll make you feel better, it’ll make your marketing better and it’ll help you make more sales.

And that’s been your marketing theory and affirmation of the day.

Later.