Having the right mindset in business isn’t just important – it is absolutely crucial. This is particularly true for marketing entrepreneurs, whose success depends to a great extent on how well they present themselves and their business. In fact, if you as a marketer don’t represent your brand in the best possible way, chances are high that people just won’t want to buy into what you have to sell.
But what exactly does “the right mindset” even mean? Well, as someone who has managed to make an impressive name for himself in the five years he’s been in marketing, Stefan Ciancio has learned that it really boils down to trusting your gut, staying professional, and constantly striving to learn. These three principles are at the core of his ethos, and have helped him to make a splash in a crowded market.
After realising that the 9-to-5 grind just wasn’t for him, he threw away the stability and security of his mechanical engineering job in order to pursue a life as a solopreneur. It was a risky decision, which is something he was very well aware of. But he trusted that he was making the right choice, and channelled his energies into making the very best of himself and his ideas. Ultimately, his gamble paid off – but that was certainly not by accident.
His mindset has remained steadfast from the moment he embarked on his new direction, and has seen him through many of the inevitable ups and downs of running an online business. As a result, he has achieved his dreams; these days, Stefan is his own boss, makes his own money, and can work from wherever in the world he chooses.
Here, he explains how his attitude towards marketing (and to running a business more generally) has helped him continuously come out on top, in spite of the obstacles he has faced.
“Trust your gut”
Ultimately, Stefan’s story is about trusting your instincts and doing everything in your power to ensure that things go as well as possible. Because, really, he had no choice but to believe in himself and his ideas. As someone who can now proudly call himself a respected and trusted online business growth expert, he can look back and say with absolute certainty that he did the right thing, but this sense of security was hard-won.
Crucially, though, even when times got tough he held fast to his self-belief. If he hadn’t, it would have been all too easy for his lack of confidence to come through in his work. And, when you are working one-on-one with clients who are counting on you to deliver, uncertainty is never going to come across well. Think about it this way: why should a prospect invest in your offers over anyone else’s? And the answer is – because you know you can do the job better than them.
“Be professional, even behind the scenes”
This self-assured, forward-looking mindset has to come complete with another key ingredient: professionalism. You see, in the same way that people don’t take too kindly to an underconfident entrepreneur, they will be similarly unimpressed by one who refuses to be or stay professional. They want to know that you can be trusted and that you take what you do seriously.
So, don’t let your efficiency or competence slip, whether you’re in front of your clients or behind the scenes. Even if you are struggling in the face of an unexpected obstacle or a crisis of self-confidence, you have to present your best self at all times. Don’t let what’s going on in the background come to the fore, because this, too, will be all too obvious to your clients.
“Always aim to evolve”
The online landscape is constantly shifting and changing. To become successful and stay successful as a digital entrepreneur, it’s important that you keep evolving with it. So, adopt an attitude that always aims to prioritise learning and growth – that’s what Stefan did, and now he feels confident that he can adapt his business however and whenever he needs to.
Take, for example, the current climate of uncertainty and disruption. Many have been struggling due to dwindling sales and a drop off in interest from their target audiences. But Stefan has recently come to appreciate the power of webinars, which help him to reach greater numbers of people in a more time-efficient manner, without ever having to come face-to-face. But this wasn’t something he stumbled upon by coincidence. His determination to constantly learn new things helped him find his holy grail, and now he has taken it and is running with it.
“Learn from your mistakes”
Even as you resolve to always retain your confidence and keep on trying new things, as an entrepreneur it is more than likely that you will slip up from time to time. But your mindset should not stop you from accepting defeat. If anything, it should spur you on to take valuable lessons away from your failures, and apply them to each new client and business direction.
With this powerful combination of self-belief, professionalism and a dedication to keep on learning, your mindset can take you far. Both for entrepreneurs who are new to the game and ones who have been at it for a while, there are few things more important than an attitude that is geared towards success.
Find out more about Stefan at www.actiontakingblogger.com