As I put the final touches on my new report and what it means to businesses of all industries -- online and offline -- there are several things which have hit my inbox this week as great examples of how NOT to market your business and I want to share a few of them here.

1. I received 3 emails from someone whose list I've been on for well over a year and received so few communications that I completely forgot I was on her list (okay, that's a mistake in itself, but not the one I'm focusing on). The 1st email mentioned that she's been busy and asked how I was (that's it...just a few words). I forget what the second was and the 3rd is to sell me a $700 program. Seriously? No contact in "forever" and then sell me a $700 program after asking how I am? There are no words.

2. Another program offer/sales page talking about how "in demand" the coach is and that she isn't often able to include 1-on-1 time with her clients, but will for a limited time as part of a larger program (limited time and number of people not included in her sales page) and ending with how much she cares about my success and always overdelivers. There's no doubt that she and I differ on the definition of "overdeliver".

3. The following is an excerpt from an email sent to me yesterday (name withheld for privacy reasons): "Hi Sandra, I have been in a couple of programs recently. One at a platinum level that I still could not talk directly to my coach unless in a small group 1 hour call once per month. . .I am currently trying to leave a program that is not delivering what it sold and certainly not giving me the real information I need to move forward to a profitable business model." The concerns here are obvious: 1/ This individual will likely never invest in anything else offered by either of the two program hosts she's currently involved with, 2/ She may have shared her poor experiences with her friends/colleagues who will have less than overwhelming respect for the program hosts and 3/ Others in the same programs are likely feeling/experiencing the same lack of happiness/results -- all of which have longer term impact for the programs' hosts.

Marketing our businesses isn't just the promotion/launching of new programs, products and services. Or posting on social media and our blogs. Or sending out a consistent ezine.

Marketing our businesses takes places every day in every action and interaction -- with current clients, former clients and aquaintances. It's how we show up in everything we do.

In other words. . ."Ordinary things, done consistently, create extraordinary AND consistent results."