Analysis Paralysis: What to Do When You Have No Idea What to Do

I just hung up the phone with a client of mine who was struggling to come up with the approach and branding ideas for his new website.  He was scared to pull the trigger on the branding aspect as he was not entirely confident on how to communicate his message.  He was also nervous about creating a website that targeted one particular target market in case he could support others.

We talked through a game plan and I felt that it was one of those things that had to be shared.  A lot of entrepreneurs struggle when it comes to nailing down their message.  As someone who is on the implementation side of these projects a lot, I see entrepreneurs get scared about launching their websites, starting their business and putting themselves out there.  Often, that fear gets in the way of creating something amazing and in a few cases, causes the entrepreneur to pull their project back altogether and freeze up.

So, what do you do when you have no idea what to do?

Start with the Process

One of the things that entrepreneurs often do is try to put a title on what they are doing before they know what the content is.  They struggle to come up with that catchy, memorable marketing hook when they have no idea what they even want to offer their clients.  I usually encourage my clients to start with the big picture process.

What this means is taking a step back and asking yourself, “How do I want to take my customer / client from PROBLEM to SOLUTION?”  You are not asking yourself, “What should I call my signature coaching program?” or, “What is the name of my freebie / e-book / video course / audio course?” because how can you possibly know what that is yet?

Sit down with a piece of paper or open up your mind mapping software (I use Mind Node on my Mac) and let your thoughts spill out.  Don’t get caught up in the details yet.  Focus on the BIG picture.  Start with the PROBLEM and work toward the SOLUTION.

I’ll use an example throughout this post to strengthen the concept.

Break It Down Into Steps

Once you have the process down for taking your client from PROBLEM to SOLUTION, you want to then break each of the steps down into smaller, more easily digestible steps.  What this means is looking at what you, or your client, need to do in order to make each step happen.

The beauty of doing this is that you will be able to more clearly think through the process as you work through it on paper so that duplication can be spotted and you can combine your efforts where possible.

As you are doing this, you are going to become clearer on what you need to have happen and where you have the ability to use upsells, information products and the possibility of pulling in extra resources or affiliate links.

At this stage, you are STILL not concerned about fancy titles or branding.  That will come.

Break the Steps Down into Needs

Once you’ve broken the steps down into a clear and concise process, you then want to break each of these steps down so you can see what you need for each phase.  I usually move off of the mind mapping software for this and use a good ol’ to-do list (check out Teux Deux if you need an awesome, free, online to-do list app!)  I usually use pen and paper for these brainstorming lists but for the purposes of this post, I’ve used my Text Edit app.

When you are breaking down all of these individual to-dos, don’t worry about the how because it isn’t important.  You can hire people to manage and look after the how.  All you need to know is the what.  WHAT do you need to have in place to make every step happen seamlessly and with ease?  If you still aren’t sure, take these mind maps to a strategist and have them help you break down your to-dos.

Here is an example:

Once you have the needs down on paper, you can then pass this off to your virtual team for implementation and execution.  If you work with a team who has experience with online entrepreneurs, they can also review the strategy and see if there is anything they would add or anything missing from the list.

Have the Process, Get Creative

Now that you have your process on paper and the steps needed broken down, it is now time to have a little fun with it.

This is where you want to brainstorm ideas for the title of your process / program / service / product.  Personally, I like to name my offerings pretty simplistically in that I don’t get so overly creative that the essence of what I am offering is lost.  If I were naming the service that I used in the example above, I’d probably call it something like “Makeover Your Marketing Funnel” or something similar.

The key here is to seek out help if you are not the creative type or if you struggle with writing copy.  Someone else could look at the process and find a way to title it so that it educates your potential customers and lends itself to your brand.  So, if that is not a strong area for you, outsource it.

Bringing it All Together

As you develop each of the smaller areas of your business and hone in on your product and service offerings, the bigger picture brand and concept will make itself appear.  I often find that to avoid analysis paralysis and information overload, it is best to just start with the smaller chunks and focus on each process as a whole so that you can see what you need to include in your business and what you don’t.

Most of all, have fun with the process and don’t over think it.  You may find that some of your most brilliant ideas come out of these chunking down exercises.

Lastly, if you struggle with the process of creating information products and multiple streams of revenue, we just launched a new e-book called, “How to Become a Passive Revenue Powerhouse: The Online Entrepreneur’s Guide to Creating Viable Revenue Streams“, which you can check out here.

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