You've got to hand it to Rhonda Byrne, creator of the DVD movie and author of the book, "The Secret." She's gotten tremendous PR, including two Oprah programs dedicated to The Secret. (Some would "kill" for that kind of exposure!)
Everyone seems to be talking about it.
The downside is that when you get a lot of PR, you get a lot of flack as well. "Is it real or is it hype?" Well, in promoting something like this, there's inevitably going to be some hype, but the important question for me is "Does this stuff work and how does it relate to attracting clients?"
Here's how I look at The Secret or what many call "The Law of Attraction."
What you focus on tends to expand.
If you put more focus on things that bring you joy, fulfillment and success, you'll tend to get more of those things. However, if you put your focus on complaint, struggle and failure you'll tend get more of those things.
People sometimes read some pretty wild things into the law of attraction: "If I get cancer, does it mean that I attracted it?" Well, I don't know, but when I'm sick I certainly know I don't make myself any better if I obsess on how bad I feel.
The classic metaphor for the law of attraction is when you plan to buy a new car - say a blue Honda. And then you start to notice blue Hondas everywhere you go, when before you didn't used to notice them at all.
Did you manifest blue Hondas showing up? I really doubt it, but with a shift of focus on blue Hondas you simply notice them more. You're tuned into blue Hondas and there they are.
When we focus on something, such as a goal, a plan, a wish, we start noticing things that start to lead us towards our focus.
When I teach people about marketing, they start to notice distinctions about marketing they weren't aware of before. For instance, they begin to focus on marketing messages and how they work. Before long, they are creating marketing messages themselves that consistently attract more clients.
The law of attraction isn't a big mystery, yet it is true that we don't usually take full advantage of it. We can do simple, yet powerful things to increase our focus - on anything.
One of my favorite techniques is writing down your marketing plan. When you get it on paper, out of your head, clarity increases. You notice where you are now, where you're going, what you need in terms of resources and the next logical steps.
But how many people actually do this? Very few in my experience.
Another way to increase focus in your business is to both write and speak about your expertise. Again, clarity increases and as it does, new, related ideas tend to flow in effortlessly. Confidence increases and this also tends to attract more clients.
When was the last time you wrote or spoke?
Everyone's heard of visualization. But have you ever really applied it? Before a sales conversation, a presentation or workshop I always take a few minutes to visualize a positive and uplifting outcome.
Now I'm rarely surprised that things turn out so well.
And what if you want to buy something that you don't currently have the funds for? Make a commitment to buy it. Set a date. That's another kind of focus. In the wake of that commitment, I promise you that all kinds of ideas and plans will pop into your mind about how you can get the money together.
Most people say, "I can't afford it," and just give up.
As I see it, the secret about the law of attraction is that you actually need to do something to kick it into gear. It doesn't take a lot of struggle and effort but a simple understanding that what we focus on tends to expand.
What do you want to expand in your business? Start focusing!
Robert Middleton, the owner of Action Plan Marketing, has beeh helping Independent Professionals be better marketers since 1984. On his web site http://www.ActionPlan.com find valuable resources, products and programs for attracting more clients. Get a free copy of his Marketing Plan Sart-Up Kit.
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