By its very nature, marketing feels awkward. We hear this from small and medium-sized business owners all the time.

“I don’t want to sound pushy.”

“I feel weird emailing people too often.”

“I’m just not comfortable directly asking people to buy.”

But here’s the thing: if you’re not willing to push through that initial discomfort, your business will stay stuck.

And you know what’s more awkward than putting yourself out there? Not having any new leads.

So, how can you stop fighting against the awkward and embrace it?

Marketing Is (Sometimes a Hard) Conversation

Let’s be honest: reaching out to people, asking for time or attention, trying to explain why they should care about what you do – it doesn’t feel natural. In life, we’re not used to engaging with people in this kind of way, so it seems like we’re being annoying.

However, often those worries are just in your head. A recent survey measuring desired email frequency found that 59% of people were okay with being notified about promotions either immediately or once a day. For newsletters with updates or tips, the preferred cadence (netting 40% of respondents) was weekly.

The point? You might feel like you’re pushing too hard and going to lose people, but this kind of communication is also the doorway to the outcomes you actually want: interest, connection, and conversion.

Want to Grow? Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Great marketing doesn’t mean shouting “Buy Now!” 10 times a day. It means showing up consistently, being honest about the problems you solve, making the ask, and even directly telling people what to do next.

Yes, it might feel awkward at first.

So does every first. And if you avoid the awkward moments, you also avoid the positive results that come on the other side. You can either deal with the discomfort of showing up and promoting yourself… or the nastier kind that comes with wondering where your next customer will come from.

Want to get over that “awkward” hurdle and into systems that work? Start with messaging, strategies, content, and campaigns that feel good because they connect, convert, and reflect who you are.  Get in touch.