They expect business to grow steadily over time and when it fails to do so, they give up. But consulting practices seldom grow at a steady rate and the first six months' to a year's marketing often results in little business. During this period, you may feel as if you're in a leaky boat, bailing madly with a sieve while waiting for the next big wave to swamp you. Only after a long struggle will your effort pay off. All at once, two or three clients will call and business will pick up from there.
Success tends to be cumulative.
Not knowing this, I almost gave up in exhaustion six months into my new venture. I had been marketing my services steadily with little result. One afternoon, I sat in my home office, deciding whether to quit. I didn't realize he knew I was so discouraged. After his show of support, I wouldn't allow myself to fail or lose heart.