Motion equals Emotion!
In our previous newsletter, we talked about the 7 proven strategies to improve your sales and marketing efforts. Now, we would like to take it to another level.
Prior to starting I would like to confirm one thing.. haphazard decision making is not something we encourage. Contemplation can stem incredible ideas and deep insights into business success. However, in business, MOTION defeats contemplation everyday and twice on Friday nights.
You know what to do.. but are you going to do it?
Turn a 'should' into a 'must' and you will be well on your way.. at the very least you will at least not 'should' yourself out of business. Common, and a shame, from people that other wise know exactly what needs to be complete in the interest of success.
You have to create 'action' and just about any kind of action is better than doing nothing at all. Leadership can be defined as 'turning vision into reality'.. business owners able to do so have something very powerful called an 'entrepreneurial mindset'.
Passive business owners develop ideas as quickly and easily as the successful ones but unfortunately they do not act upon them. They are dreamers developing a mile long list of 'shoulds' and basically remain at a stand still. If you are under the illusion you can continue to develop great ideas and leave the development to somebody else you will unfortunately spend your life 'sitting on the bench' watching others playing the business game and in many cases developing riches/freedom.
The entrepreneurial mindset combines an idea with business building. This person understands that in order to become a success in business they must become an accomplished marketing mind, an accomplished sales mind, an accomplished negotiator and ultimately an accomplished entrepreneur. It unequivocally takes focus in these areas to 'make things happen' and what's more, YOU are the master of your own cause; your product or service! In my capacity as a mentor/coach, I can be the greatest help to the person that recognizes this.
Now lets dispel some popular myths about business. How about the 'building a better mousetrap' for instance. It has been said that if someone can write a better book/complete the task more proficiently/build a better mousetrap than his competitor the word will beat a path to his front door. Once upon a time that might have been true - not anymore!
The myth suggests that if you develop a better range of products, then success is guaranteed with little to no effort required. On the subject of the mousetrap.. it is an actual fact that in North America there are more than 4000 patented mouse traps?! Roughly forty are patented ach year and ten times that are rejected. And of the over 4000 only 22 have ever made a red cent for the owner of the patent.
Another myth is all you need to do is simply fill a need.. and subsequently make millions. Find a need and then sell it basically. Well business success today requires a WHOLE lot more than identifying needs for prospective clients and filling the need with a product or service.
If you want to be financially successful in business in 2007, you must develop and create MARKET potential. You MUST make strategic sales and marketing your primary focus; you must create a sales model/strategy for your product or service. A patent for your mousetrap is useless if you cannot sell it nor create a demand. Stated differently - it is the marketing of your product and service, not the product itself, that will dictate the success and subsequent remuneration.
The reality looks like this, there are two breakthroughs possible in business; the first one is an excellent product. Product developments are difficult, rare expensive and time consuming. Unless, of course, you have a million dollars to tip into R & D. The other breakthrough is of course MARKETING!!! This is easy to achieve by those who are provided the right guidance and as a result 'take action'! There is a science behind this and my experiences state conclusively that business owners have their marketing performing at a level close to 10% of it's capabilities.
Stated differently, the opportunity for a marketing 'breakthrough' in your category of business is enormous because your competition is daydreaming at the wheel.
