by Nikki Devereux, Director of Account Management
Our next zodiac sign is Libra: birthdays between September 23 – October 22.
Libra is an air sign with the strengths: cooperative, diplomatic, social. Libra weaknesses are indecisiveness and self-pity. We’ll explore ways these positive and negative traits can be applied or avoided in marketing and business practices.
Cooperation in Marketing
Most creative practices are collaborative by nature, so cooperation is key. Cooperation between colleagues, clients, and other stakeholders in the design process leads to a smoother process. However, in marketing for any business, don’t let cooperation be an obstacle to unique, off-the-wall ideas that lead to innovation.
Think of incorporating cooperation in group settings, such as communicating with clients, and with your team, but go rogue with new ideas, brainstorming, and challenging the status quo when appropriate. You don’t always have to be an angel, and you don’t always have to be a rebel! Cooperating and abiding by the rules can hamper creativity, so keep this in mind.
Diplomacy in Marketing
You’ll find that relationships with some clients and colleagues will be more challenging than others. You probably won’t naturally “mesh” with everyone. When you find yourself working with someone who rubs you the wrong way (or vice versa), opt for diplomacy.
Think of diplomacy as neutrality, a happy medium, or peace-making. It may be up to you to do the peace-making, which could mean putting your opinions and passions aside for the sake of the relationship or the sake of the project. When you face a situation in which diplomacy is necessary, keep the big picture in mind and set aside your ego. This is where the phrase “be the bigger person” really comes into play and will make your life easier to help move things along without the drama.
Being Social in Marketing
To be successful at many businesses and in life, it’s important to be social, to expand your network. This can be very difficult for some people, especially those who consider themselves introverts. Introverts build energy by spending time alone, the classic “me time.” They need lots of it to recharge! I know this well. I am an introvert! But as with anything, practice makes perfect, even for networking.
The more you force yourself to go to networking events, the more you’ll realize several things:
- There are many people who feel the same way that you do (you’re not alone!)
- Just relax, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, and TRY TO HAVE FUN!
- Yes, you can have a lot of fun at networking events – as I’ve become more social professionally, I’ve built a network of not just business contacts but good friends!
Being social will do many things for you, personally and professionally. I recommend it to even the shyest of people. In fact, I recommend it especially to the shyest of people, because once you overcome the challenge of networking, you will feel empowered, and that alone will help you grow as a person.
Avoid: Indecisiveness in Marketing
Indecision kills many a timeline and budget. If you’re working on a client project, you’ll need to find methods of guiding the client towards decision-making and away from indecision. If you’re working on your project, be confident in your decisions, and stick with them.
This leads to a good point. Indecisiveness is the product of lack of confidence. If you are unsure of yourself and your ability to make the right decision, you will certainly fall into indecision. Practice with mundane things like clothes shopping or picking out an outfit for the day. If you’re pulling out every shirt in your closet every morning, you’re suffering from indecisiveness, and you need to put an end to it so you can spend your valuable time on more important things.
Avoid: Self-Pity in Marketing
Self-pity should stay out of marketing, out of business, and out of your personal life! There are fewer things in life as counterproductive as self-pity. This is an obvious one, but many people fall into self-pity when a perceived wrong has been committed against them, sometimes without even knowing it.
Self-pity often leads to seeking pity from others as well, which could result in a circle of gossip and hard feelings. Check your sensitivity at the office door, and if you’re feeling attacked or slighted, examine your intentions and try to reframe the situation more positively, or, as discussed previously in this article, choose to be diplomatic and just let it go. These negative feelings aren’t hurting anyone but you!
Have you ever experienced any of the above traits in your marketing campaigns or business? We’d love to hear your stories!
