I was on a teleconference today with some very bright business owners, and the message I heard loud and clear was that marketing can really suck. As in – suck you dry. But also, of course, it can be an awfully unpleasant thing (that you keep procrastinating) on your to-do list.

I personally have encountered marketing becoming a daunting and unpleasant activity, but I can also say that it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are three things you can do to improve how you feel about your marketing:

1. Remember that it’s like exercise – it’s critical that you do it, but sometimes it takes about 10 minutes to “warm up,” but, even still, you might be counting the minutes until it’s finished.

2. Remember that what feels like “rejection” or “being ignored” isn’t personal. It’s not about you – it’s really about the person you’re trying to reach not thinking they need what you’re marketing right now. Regroup and try again.

3. Remember that the marketing activities with the greatest impact are not the expensive ones. Remember what I said about exercise? Well, a lot of us try to motivate ourselves to exercise by spending a lot of money on fancy outfits and tools. In the end, you could put on a decent pair of shoes and just go for a walk. Marketing is the same way. Just get out and do it – you don’t need a lot of money to succeed!

Virginia Ginsburg is an entrepreneur and business & marketing consultant who delivers strategic, affordable marketing services through her company accordionmarketing. She also writes a blog called Body > Mind > Business, which discuses the connection between business health and personal health, and the struggles she faces in pursuit of work-life balance. Virginia has an MBA from the University of Southern California and is currently (slowly) pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology at UCLA. She has more than 12 years of experience as a senior marketing consultant, and has served as a trusted partner, coach and consultant to more than 100 sole proprietors, partnerships and corporations. 
Virginia lives in Santa Monica, CA with her husband and daughter. As part of her passion for working with entrepreneurs, Virginia is actively involved in small business development projects in the U.S. and in developing countries.

We all remember how on Seinfeld, George would break up with a lady and use the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ line. While that was funny on a sitcom, in real life no one appreciates rejection. Whether it’s from dating, job hunting or a relationship with a friend, no one enjoys rejection. Here are 4tips on dealing with rejection that will end up making you stronger.

Fruitfultime wants you to look at the future. “But instead of concentrating on how bad it feels when someone rejects you think of new possibilities, new doors that will open soon. The new opportunities might be better than what you have aimed before. Having such a mindset helps you handle rejection and keep on going in life.”

Pickthebrain has a list of ways to deal with rejection. The site says that there are a lot of people in the world and rejection is inevitable. ” There are six billion people on this earth. We are all beautiful, unique and different. There are times we are in demand and times we may get rejected. Knowing that rejection is an emotion that many people go through is a reality check! So get over your victim mentality and move on!”

Sometimes, if you handle the rejection well, you may just get rewarded. Lealea’s BlogBlog has a great story of someone passed over for a job, and a few months later received another offer from the company that rejected her in the first place. ” In fact, she revealed that she applied for the same job a few months previous but she was passed over for someone else. Even though she didn’t get that job, she wrote a personal thank-you note to the people involved for considering her and even personally arrived at the office to give them some cookies. The person at reception thought she actually got the job because she was being so nice, when the opposite was true. She was gracious through and through.

… and a few months later, when a contract position opened up in this place, she was immediately called back and subsequently hired. They didn’t have to waste money or time interviewing her all over again — they knew who she was. She didn’t let them forget her because when the first opportunity passed her by, she didn’t hold any grudges and was also very clever in leaving a great impression. ”

That’s awesome.

Dramaquill says that rejection doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a bad person. “ Rejection isn’t a reason to give up. If you get personal comments from an editor, read them and really evaluate if what they say can help you improve the piece before you send it out again.  And rejoice in the fact that the editor took the time to actually comment – that’s a good sign.

Keep your chin up. We all get rejected at one time or another, but pick yourself right back up and get out there and I’m sure that something good will come your way.