If you imagine that marketing is a ball game, what are the rules of the game and what practices separate the pros from the amateurs?

1.) Show up for the game -- the practices, the drills, and the out of town games. Make marketing a #1 priority, and develop consistency about marketing activities. This is the way to best develop your talent and perfect your skills.

2.) Play "full out" and stay in the game. "Sitting on the bench" will do nothing for your marketing, your business or your bottom line.

3.) Suit up professionally with clothing and gear that contributes to your success. Dress the part of a winner and potential clients will see you as a winner.

4.) Adopt a "team" attitude. Be thinking about how you contribute to those you meet while marketing. Can you pass their card along to someone who needs their services? Can you recommend a potential client they could call? Could you give them ideas about where or how they might market? Expect nothing in return and your generosity will pay off.

5.) Know the rules of the game. Know that you're playing a game. Most businesses don't approach marketing like it's a game with "rules" for what works. Take the time to study marketing and discover the rules of the game. There are definitely practices that work to bring results, and those that cause us to fail miserably.

6.) Take the time to refine your skills and practice, practice, practice. As you learn what works, commit to doing more of that. Professionalism is the result of hours, weeks, months and years of practicing your skills.

7.) Pay attention to your mental habits. Winning pros have winner's mental habits. Believe in yourself. See yourself winning. Eliminate doubt and negative self talk. Associate with winners. Give up self sabotage.

8.) Plan to win. Obviously in a game, planning is not what happens during the heat of play. Winners, though, do plan in advance. They plan the logistics of getting to practices and games. They plan ahead to be sure all their uniform clothing and gear is clean and in first class shape. They plan mentally, repetitively acting plays in their mind. They plan by keeping in tip top physical shape. They know what to do and how to do it -- and they do it.

9.) They have a professional coach, or several coaches who help them in different skills of the game. They listen to the coach. They realize that the coach has years of training and experience behind their advice. Winning players don't take the coach's comments or recommendations personally. They realize the coach is thinking of the good of the team and they get OK with that.

10.) Professionals understand that sometimes there will be disappointments, but they don't let their beliefs take them out of the game. There will be times they don't make the score, they are taken out of play, or get hurt and cannot play. Professionals always end up with their love of playing the game overriding the emotional impacts of any of those circumstances. They are unstinting in doing whatever it takes so that they can play the game. Take the same attitude with your marketing. Pick yourself back up from disappointments, keep taking action and keep moving forward.

Decide that you are going to market like a professional. Learn the rules of the game. Play with all your heart and all your ability. Know what you're doing and remain committed to your success.