Seth Godin posted
a timely reminder that
success takes time.
Very few businesses, products, people
are successful
right away.
Success takes months, years, decades.
This is beneficial
as every rung on the ladder of success
comes with its own challenges.
It would be difficult to tackle them
all at once.
Be patient.
Concentrate on
delivering a consistently great product,
marketing, promoting, and selling daily.
I don’t watch much television.
I get my news from the internet,
including the latest commercials,
local or global
(thank you YouTube).
I’ll watch an episode or two
of the hottest shows
to stay current
(crucial in new business development)
but other than that,
I’m too busy doing other things.
What other things?
Well, Seth Godin and Clay Shirky
have a theory
that the building of sites
such as Wikipedia
corresponds directly to
the decrease in television viewing.
What could you be doing
with your television time?
Duct Tape Marketing has a post
on upselling to current customers.
It can be as easy as
including a flyer with additional
products or services
in with a delivery or mailing.
I do this with my private mailings also.
Whenever I send a letter,
I’ll enclose a couple of
business cards with my novel cover
and website information.
I’ll also put a sticker
with my cover and website
on the envelope.
My mom says she gets
at least one comment
every time there’s a letter
from me in her mail.
She happily gives the person
the enclosed business card.
What is one way to differentiate
your business?
Sure, sell the product everyone else is
but make it easy for the customer,
for an additional charge,
to alter the product.
Consulting companies do this with software.
Authors do this at booksignings.
You can do it with your product also.
Info Marketing Blog has a great post
on Paul Michael,
the mail order tycoon.
All of it is worth reading
but my favorite part is his quote
“I am only valuable when I am creating.”
Why is that?
Because he outsourced
almost everything else,
including the writing of his books.
It allowed him to build wealth
and his business quickly.
Spend time creating.
I got sucked into a project
in July
and did not commit the marketing time
I should have
to promoting my novel.
My sales sunk like a stone.
Marketing for a fledging venture
is NOT a nice-to-do,
it is a must-do.
Don’t do it
and you’ll see the reflection
in sales.
Make time for marketing.
Tackling challenges are a have-to-do
for all entrepreneurs
but some love it.
“Every time we have had a serious challenge,
looking back,
it was an opportunity for great growth
that would not have happened
had we not had that challenge.
So I welcome challenges today.
I really do.
Consider it pure joy,
that’s how I feel about challenges.
They give us character.
They help refine us and give us strength
and make us better.
And if we’re not having challenges,
we’re not trying hard enough.
We’re not pushing.
We’re not growing.”
Are you having challenges?
On one of the big romance blogs,
there was a recent round of posts
on why the bloggers
(often publicity seeking authors)
are no longer interested
in reading romance.
Did I mention this was a romance blog?
A blog where romance lovers gather?
The response was not favorable.
Yes, being in your face
and confrontational
is a way to sell products.
However, this approach works best
with young males,
not female romance readers.
Don’t fight with female fans.
I held a contest
promoting my novel.
Some of the winners
were contest hounds.
Do I mind?
Not at all.
Yes, they enter any contest.
Yes, they don’t care particularly about my novel.
However, when they win,
they like to boast about it.
They post my book title with author name
on websites and forums.
They tell their friends.
They show off their win.
Great advertising.
I received an email today
with To: line
one hundred emails long.
I was ticked.
Why?
Because my email was sent to 99 strangers.
Because my connection to this person
was broadcast to 99 strangers.
Because I felt she disrespected our relationship.
She immediately got dropped from my contact list.
I will hesitate to do business with her again.
Contacts are fragile.
Protect them.