Many times the stress of a deadline looms like a dark cloud. Whether you feel pressured to get a workshop filled or to add clients to your practice before the end of the month, the continual need for marketing can be a drain, leading you to ask, “When will I just get there and not have to worry about all this marketing stuff?”

The question reminds me of a story.

My neighbor was pregnant with her second child and got some bad advice from her sister. The advice: just ignore what the doctor says about not pushing until you’re fully dilated. Instead, she advised, push early and push hard and the labor will be short.

Well, my neighbor followed that bad advice. In the end, she was exhausted from pushing so long. The baby had a big cone head and was bruised from being rammed up against the cervix.

Marketing can feel just as ineffective and painful at times.

The natural rhythms of life are just that: natural. And marketing follows the same rules found in nature. Whatever timeline is on your mind for your marketing is strictly manmade. And it may be just plain wrong.

There are two things to consider when your marketing seems like it’s failing.

First, have patience.

Have you ever noticed when you first go on a diet, the pounds shed relatively easy? Then a plateau hits, and your motivation wanes. If you stay patient, though, you’ll break through and continue to lose weight. When it seems like marketing has hit a plateau, it’s not the time to throw in the towel. Keep at it and your attention will pay off.

The second thing to consider persistence.

According to the statistics from the Association of Professional Salesmen and the National Sales Executive Association:

• 2% of sales are made on the 1st contact
• 3% of sales are made on the 2nd contact
• 5% of sales are made on the 3rd contact
• 10% of sales are made on the 4th contact
80% of sales are made on the 5th-12th contact

So, if you’re not following up on potential or existing clients, they have probably forgotten all about you and your service. If you are stressed about a deadline, simply ask yourself, “Who else can I contact to help move this project along?” You may feel stressed about your marketing because each time you have a workshop or try to grow your business you start from scratch without contacting those people that will be most likely to buy from you.

When driving in the car, my kids always ask, “When will we get there, Mom?” My answer, “We’ll get there when we get there, and not a moment before.”

It’s like that with marketing.

Stay persistent, patient and build those relationships. Sooner or later you’ll get there.