The rap artist Jay-Z’s song is absolutely right, “I Got 99 Problems But My …. Ain’t One.” Like you, as a business owners I have many problems and lot of issues. Yet this one is bigger than self-employment tax. Taller than trying to control maintenance cost.
This problem is like a shin splits– despite all efforts to grow our businesses, it gives us massive pain when we try to run profitable business.
No, it’s not only employee labor cost.
That problem is… A schizophrenic focus on marketing and delivering your message to customers and clients.
For those of you from St. Louis, schizophrenia can seem like bizarre delusions, disorganized speech and unclear thinking.
Here’s some real world examples of powerful people who may show signs of…
Bizarre Delusions:
“640K ought to be enough for anybody.” Bill Gates said in 1981, who is now former owner of Microsoft and according to Forbes Magazine one of the top 3 wealthiest men in the world
Disorganized Speech:
“I stand by all the misstatements I have made.” Dan Quayle, former vice president of the United State.
Unclear Thinking #1:
“I promise you I will listen to what was said here, even though I wasn’t here.” George W. Bush, former president of the United states.
Unclear Thinking #2:
“My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you’ll join with me as we try to change it.” Barack Obama, President of the United States.
Do you want to make real money with your business online or offline? OK, then answer this:
- Do you think that online marketers are mostly new-age snake-oil salesmen or Brooklyn Bridge Dealers?
- Do you spend months creating a 83-page marketing plan or every 8 days come up with a new marketing scheme?
If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, you’re doomed. You’re just doomed. I’m not even going to bother to sugar-coat it.
Marketing is simple. It’s not the practice of getting other people to agree with you… that’s sales. Let me repeat, it is not the trying to get people to agree with you.
Marketing is the art of getting your message in front of those people who can and may want to say yes to your service, product, or offer.
If you are doing anything else you are wasting your time.
Let me take a bit further…
The reality is that ALL small business owners, investors, are marketers, whether they sell something or not. You want people to think your website is pretty good and keep coming right?
That takes marketing.
But, you said you want to make Lil’ Wayne duffel bags amounts of money every month. So, what about that?
If you answered yes to either of those questions above, then you come try to sell something, how’s that going to work?
Well, it won’t work. What it leads to is owing a huge IRS tax bill that you put on your zero percent interest credit card until November then the rate goes up to interest rate to high for even pole vaulter leap over, but that’s not you…
You sit there and GROVEL at the feet of prospective buyers. You try to convince them that you’re OK… you’re not one of those “bad” business owners with high prices and bad customer service. Not so unsure of yourself, you low-ball the price to some insanely low figure.
Instead of actually marketing your wares, you GROVEL like a little boy with your low price and hope people will feel enough compassion (because you’re not the evil marketer) to take a roll the dice with a few bucks on you.
SKIP LOGIC: Make Them Drool With Desire
You don’t make sales by lowering your price. You don’t feed your family by trying to tell people what a good person you are for not trying to sell it to them. That’s d e l u s i o n a l. That’s a 100% fool-proof way to never make any money online or offline.
The “buy it if you want it, and if not, whatever” approach doesn’t work. I tried.
The “buy it because it is so cheap” approach is failure. I tried that too.
Do you want people to buy because they feel sorry for you or because they think you actually have something worth buying?
Nobody is going to buy from you because you’re the anti-marketer or the “old-dog that can’t learn
execute new tricks.” They’re going to go buy from the people who DO market.
Why? Because people respond to great marketing. Always have and always will. Who says, “Taste The Rainbow? What melts in your mouth and not in your hand? “Remember, “Taste Great, Less Filling”?
While you rock back-and-forth in your schizophrenic dream world, thinking you’re above the tactics of internet marketing tactics, making phone calls, constant repetition, and kissing babies like a politician, I hope you enjoy not realizing the income you could make and filing for payment plans to pay your back-taxes.
You CAN be a fair and balanced business owner and a unabashed marketer at the same time. All the successful business owners are… ie. Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Magic Johnson. The keys to good marketing are:
- Authenticity
- Interesting
- Clarity
- Perceived value.
Do that as a business owner/marketer and you will still have 99 problems, but marketing won’t be one.
Happy Investing!
Kendall Matthews
Official Sponsor of Making Things Happen