Most people want to know everything they can before they feel ready to put themselves out there. But don’t wait to start marketing until after you’ve finished reading the latest book by the marketing guru du jour. There will always be another book to read…and another…and another.

Also, do not put marketing aside because you think you don’t have enough time for it. You have to make time now, because you will never have more free time. If you don’t make time for marketing, you will waste a lot of time perfecting products that nobody knows about. Then you will waste even more time creating a different product, because the first one didn’t sell.

And most important of all, you don’t need a product to start marketing. Go back to section two and read where it says:

“First create the market, and then create the sales.”

There are several advantages to building an audience before you have a product to sell: You establish trust, understand what problems they have that you can solve, and you learn to speak their language.

Start building an audience through your website and mailing list, gathering expressions of interest through your marketing, then refine your product based on that information. Those connections will become precious once you do have a product or service.

Also, don’t think of marketing and sales as dirty words and sleazy jobs. They’re an integral part of every successful business.

If you think you have something of value, you must sell it, because that is how you provide a service to those who need it. You are doing them a disservice if you don’t sell to them. You owe it to yourself and to those who depend on you, like your family. But you also owe it to your customers.

This is only, of course, if you think you have something of value to offer. If you believe it is of no value, I suggest you find another business, because selling something of no value would be dishonest.

So, what are you waiting for? You now have five simple strategies that you can start putting into action today!