Marketing. What's the point?
Until you get it clear in your mind/head/heart why you're doing it, it'll remain a struggle.
Here are my thoughts on the matter. Hope you find them helpful.
Zig Ziglar once said that 'if you help enough people get what they want, you will have all you want'.
It's the perfect win-win scenario: you help others meet their needs and in doing so you meet your own needs. Your level of wealth is a reflection of the level of service you've provided (and no, inherited riches do not constitute 'wealth' in the true sense of the word).
That's where marketing comes in: your business will succeed if your products or services meet real needs - the more people you help through your business, the more income you attract for yourself, see.
Marketing then becomes about making people aware that help is available to them. If they're not aware of the help that is available to them through your widget, they'll remain in need of it. If you have no customers, you'll remain in need of income.
Nature has so designed things that the only way for you to get ahead and enjoy the abundance that's freely available to you, is by helping others get ahead one way or another.
You can only prosper by focusing on outbound thinking - the kind that says 'what can I do for you?', or 'how can I help you'? or 'what do you need/what are you looking for?', as opposed to saying 'what's in it for me?' (inbound thinking).
So get with the program. See marketing for what it really is - a vital service that benefits humanity (including you ;) ). It's not about you, although you stand to benefit greatly from it at the end of the day.
Have a fantastic one!
'Kem
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Monday, September 18, 2006
2 Powerful Marketing Insights...
from the book of 1 Corinthians of all places!
These principles will make your marketing efforts joyful, fun and stress-free.
1) Know that those who are meant to purchase your products or services, will do so. Market with the belief that your efforts are attracting the people intended for the business. For those who are called, will come. The same message will have no effect on someone it's not intended for, whereas it will have the right person clamouring for more.
2) All increase is from God. Your marketing is you sowing and watering what you've sown. When you've sown and watered, you gotta let go and let God be God and bring about your increase (results). Notice that this implies you've got to sow something in the first place. Meaning, you must do something to market your business. When you've done so, be glad that you've planted something for God to work on and bring about increase in.
Think about these two concepts. They're very important and have one thing in common: they imply that you should remain detached from the outcome of your marketing efforts.
Therein lies your peace and joy as you go about your daily marketing business.
Have a fantastic day and God bless ya!
Kem
These principles will make your marketing efforts joyful, fun and stress-free.
1) Know that those who are meant to purchase your products or services, will do so. Market with the belief that your efforts are attracting the people intended for the business. For those who are called, will come. The same message will have no effect on someone it's not intended for, whereas it will have the right person clamouring for more.
2) All increase is from God. Your marketing is you sowing and watering what you've sown. When you've sown and watered, you gotta let go and let God be God and bring about your increase (results). Notice that this implies you've got to sow something in the first place. Meaning, you must do something to market your business. When you've done so, be glad that you've planted something for God to work on and bring about increase in.
Think about these two concepts. They're very important and have one thing in common: they imply that you should remain detached from the outcome of your marketing efforts.
Therein lies your peace and joy as you go about your daily marketing business.
Have a fantastic day and God bless ya!
Kem
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Has it been a month already?!
Goodness, how time flies!
It's been a great month so far, and busy! I have returned to full time medical practice (according to my plan 6 years ago, when I took that career break) - and am having a blast! It's been tricky re-establishing a routine that comfortably allows me to successfully 'lead 2 parallel lives': one as a doctor in the A&E/ER department, another as an entrepreneur :) .
I have finally found my groove though, so all systems are go from here on!
It's working out superbly - so don't nobody tell me that your 'j.o.b' is your reason for not being able to start a home-based business! Where there is a will, there is a way. I have a strong will (desire) to make this work, and I have an even stronger reason (my 'why') for doing this. So naturally the 'way' has revealed itself and it's coming together effortlessly and easily.
Because marketing is the business I'm really in (not really the Speaking and Training/Coaching or Health Products/ Healthy Lifestyle business), that's what takes up most of my 'business time'.
Makes sense when you think about it: without marketing nobody knows you exist, so it doesn't matter if you've got the best products or services on earth - no clients = no business.
I encourage you to make marketing your priority today. Spend sometime each day, doing something to market your business. It's a seed you're planting when you do that, see, and it's bound to grow.
Have a superb day and God bless ya!
Kem
It's been a great month so far, and busy! I have returned to full time medical practice (according to my plan 6 years ago, when I took that career break) - and am having a blast! It's been tricky re-establishing a routine that comfortably allows me to successfully 'lead 2 parallel lives': one as a doctor in the A&E/ER department, another as an entrepreneur :) .
I have finally found my groove though, so all systems are go from here on!
It's working out superbly - so don't nobody tell me that your 'j.o.b' is your reason for not being able to start a home-based business! Where there is a will, there is a way. I have a strong will (desire) to make this work, and I have an even stronger reason (my 'why') for doing this. So naturally the 'way' has revealed itself and it's coming together effortlessly and easily.
Because marketing is the business I'm really in (not really the Speaking and Training/Coaching or Health Products/ Healthy Lifestyle business), that's what takes up most of my 'business time'.
Makes sense when you think about it: without marketing nobody knows you exist, so it doesn't matter if you've got the best products or services on earth - no clients = no business.
I encourage you to make marketing your priority today. Spend sometime each day, doing something to market your business. It's a seed you're planting when you do that, see, and it's bound to grow.
Have a superb day and God bless ya!
Kem
Monday, July 31, 2006
The 'Inner Game' of Marketing
There is an inner game to marketing (I first heard the phrase 'inner game' from Tim Galloway, author of the best-selling book, Inner Game of Tennis
), as indeed there is to life iteslf.
The inner game of marketing has to do with your thoughts and beliefs. No matter how much of a marketing expert you are, no matter how good you are at what you do in your business, if your inner game is poor, you will not succeed.
I continue to be fascinated as I grow in my understanding and application of the human mind and its wondrous ways. Truly we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
In life, as in business, you win or lose your battles in your mind before you take the first (outward) step. This is good news because it means you're responsible (to a large extent) for the results you achieve in any endeavour you undertake.
Continue reading this blog as I will expand on this important concept in future entries.
Meanwhile, I am currently looking for 2 business partners to team up with me in my Marketing Business. As you can imagine, you've got to be big on your 'inner game' or at least be willing to learn how to play and win your inner game in this business, for right there (in your 'inner man') is where your success or failure gets decided.
If you'd like me to consider you for this exciting journey (growth and prosperity in the inner game, which gets reflected on the outside as Business Success), then visit this site and watch the 2 educational movies on there. When you're done, send me a message using the 'contact me' link.
Whatever you decide to do, decide now to ace your life's inner game - the journey is fun in itself, albeit challenging at times. Come back here to learn ways to play this game and win.
Have a fantastic day, and God bless ya!
Kem
PS: Here are the links referred to in this entry.
a) Tim Galloway's Inner Game of Tennis
b) Website to visit if you wish to be my Business/Growth Partner
c) Movies to watch (financial education/intelligence is key in any business)
), as indeed there is to life iteslf.The inner game of marketing has to do with your thoughts and beliefs. No matter how much of a marketing expert you are, no matter how good you are at what you do in your business, if your inner game is poor, you will not succeed.
I continue to be fascinated as I grow in my understanding and application of the human mind and its wondrous ways. Truly we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
In life, as in business, you win or lose your battles in your mind before you take the first (outward) step. This is good news because it means you're responsible (to a large extent) for the results you achieve in any endeavour you undertake.
Continue reading this blog as I will expand on this important concept in future entries.
Meanwhile, I am currently looking for 2 business partners to team up with me in my Marketing Business. As you can imagine, you've got to be big on your 'inner game' or at least be willing to learn how to play and win your inner game in this business, for right there (in your 'inner man') is where your success or failure gets decided.
If you'd like me to consider you for this exciting journey (growth and prosperity in the inner game, which gets reflected on the outside as Business Success), then visit this site and watch the 2 educational movies on there. When you're done, send me a message using the 'contact me' link.
Whatever you decide to do, decide now to ace your life's inner game - the journey is fun in itself, albeit challenging at times. Come back here to learn ways to play this game and win.
Have a fantastic day, and God bless ya!
Kem
PS: Here are the links referred to in this entry.
a) Tim Galloway's Inner Game of Tennis
b) Website to visit if you wish to be my Business/Growth Partner
c) Movies to watch (financial education/intelligence is key in any business)
Monday, July 10, 2006
The 2 Most Important Skills...
If you desire to succeed in marketing, there are 2 main skills you need to master:
a) People skills
b) Communication skils
People are the ones you're marketing to, and if you don't understand how to relate to people your marketing efforts will be frustrated - you'll find them not yielding the results you'd expect.
Life is one big school of marketing.
You are surrounded by people and you need to communicate with them effectively. The skills you need to get on well with people in life are the same ones you need to become effective in marketing.
Even your marketing copy reflects how good (or not) your people and communication skills are.
Here a couple of related tips to help you improve your people skills today:
a) Be genuinely interested in people. People are truly fascinating! Every one you meet has a story to tell. Seek to learn more about people. Ask questions to do this, then shut up and listen to the answers.
b) Seek first to understand others - their points of view or paradigms, their reasons for doing what they do, etc. - before seeking to be understood.
c) Smile more.
2 books that could help you become better at these 2 important skills are:
a) How To Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie)
b) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Steven Covey)
Buy them from the amazon link on this site or get them from your local library and get reading! Remember to practice what you read or else you'd be wasting time.
Have a great day and God bless ya!
a) People skills
b) Communication skils
People are the ones you're marketing to, and if you don't understand how to relate to people your marketing efforts will be frustrated - you'll find them not yielding the results you'd expect.
Life is one big school of marketing.
You are surrounded by people and you need to communicate with them effectively. The skills you need to get on well with people in life are the same ones you need to become effective in marketing.
Even your marketing copy reflects how good (or not) your people and communication skills are.
Here a couple of related tips to help you improve your people skills today:
a) Be genuinely interested in people. People are truly fascinating! Every one you meet has a story to tell. Seek to learn more about people. Ask questions to do this, then shut up and listen to the answers.
b) Seek first to understand others - their points of view or paradigms, their reasons for doing what they do, etc. - before seeking to be understood.
c) Smile more.
2 books that could help you become better at these 2 important skills are:
a) How To Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie)
b) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Steven Covey)
Buy them from the amazon link on this site or get them from your local library and get reading! Remember to practice what you read or else you'd be wasting time.
Have a great day and God bless ya!
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Marketing Is Perception Game
Where 'perception' means 'how you are seen' - first by yourself, then by others.
If you wish to win this game, see yourself as a problem solver. Think in terms of the value you have to offer your customers.
Quit seeing yourself as the needy one. Quit begging in your marketing. That's repulsive.
Position yourself as a giver, not a taker. You are in the marketplace to give. Givers are attractive. See yourself as being in a place of abundance. See yourself as a channel through which abundance flows and blesses those you serve via your products/services.
Chance your perception and you will win the marketing game.
Here's a neat tool to help you begin to change your perception today: The Million Pound Note.
If you wish to win this game, see yourself as a problem solver. Think in terms of the value you have to offer your customers.
Quit seeing yourself as the needy one. Quit begging in your marketing. That's repulsive.
Position yourself as a giver, not a taker. You are in the marketplace to give. Givers are attractive. See yourself as being in a place of abundance. See yourself as a channel through which abundance flows and blesses those you serve via your products/services.
Chance your perception and you will win the marketing game.
Here's a neat tool to help you begin to change your perception today: The Million Pound Note.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
How Do You See Yourself?
Marketing is largely about perception.
You know the 'know-like-trust' factor?
Well, people feel they know you, like you or can trust you based on how they perceive you.
The way people perceive you depends on how you see yourself.
Do you see yourself as a salesperson or as an advisor? Which would you rather be seen as?
The term 'sales person' conjures images of a pushy used car salesman or telemarketer, who insensitively pushes their products at you without asking questions to find out your needs. It makes me think of someone 'out to close a sale' whether or not the product would benefit you, the customer. It's like going to a doctor's clinic and having him start prescribing medication for you without first asking you what you're there for in the first place.
An advisor on the other hand, is a problem solver. She first seeks to understand you, where you're coming from, what your needs and wants are. She can't offer you any valuable advice without being armed with the right information anyway. She's like a good doctor who first asks you questions to ascertain your reason for visiting the clinic, in order to enable her offer you relevant, helpful solutions (which may include referring you to someone better able to help you solve your problems.).
In your marketing, if you wish to succeed and have fun while you're at it, see yourself as an advisor. Genuinely become interested in people. Genuinely desire to help them solve their problems. This makes you feel good, and sends out good vibes to those you meet in the course of your day.
See yourself this way and you will attract more customers than you ever thought possible (because your marketing activities will reflect this new perception of yourself, see.).
Have a great day and God bless ya!
Remember to stop over here and sign up for my FREE Success Coaching newsletter, 'Days of Success'.
One more thing: feel free to comment on anything I've written so far on this blog. I'd love to hear from you.
Kem
You know the 'know-like-trust' factor?
Well, people feel they know you, like you or can trust you based on how they perceive you.
The way people perceive you depends on how you see yourself.
Do you see yourself as a salesperson or as an advisor? Which would you rather be seen as?
The term 'sales person' conjures images of a pushy used car salesman or telemarketer, who insensitively pushes their products at you without asking questions to find out your needs. It makes me think of someone 'out to close a sale' whether or not the product would benefit you, the customer. It's like going to a doctor's clinic and having him start prescribing medication for you without first asking you what you're there for in the first place.
An advisor on the other hand, is a problem solver. She first seeks to understand you, where you're coming from, what your needs and wants are. She can't offer you any valuable advice without being armed with the right information anyway. She's like a good doctor who first asks you questions to ascertain your reason for visiting the clinic, in order to enable her offer you relevant, helpful solutions (which may include referring you to someone better able to help you solve your problems.).
In your marketing, if you wish to succeed and have fun while you're at it, see yourself as an advisor. Genuinely become interested in people. Genuinely desire to help them solve their problems. This makes you feel good, and sends out good vibes to those you meet in the course of your day.
See yourself this way and you will attract more customers than you ever thought possible (because your marketing activities will reflect this new perception of yourself, see.).
Have a great day and God bless ya!
Remember to stop over here and sign up for my FREE Success Coaching newsletter, 'Days of Success'.
One more thing: feel free to comment on anything I've written so far on this blog. I'd love to hear from you.
Kem
Monday, June 05, 2006
What A Week!
I've finally caught up on all the sleep I missed last week!
Last week I attended the Magnetic Freedom Seminar with Bob Proctor, MarketingMakeoverGenerator.Com co-creator Rick Raddatz and Bob Dignard Fung. The event occured every day of the week from 9p.m. Eastern (2a.m. at my end - hence the lost sleep!).
Boy was it well worth it! I gotta tell you, the messages in those daily sessions were truly profound, and you could see what sets these guys apart from the masses. Talk about enlightened marketing!
If you desire to make the 2nd half of this year better than your 1st half, I suggest you invest a whole $1 for the Magnetic Freedom Seminar today (I think the $1 promo is still on - if it's not, you'll get refunded. If it's still on and you listen to all the MP3s and don't like what you hear you'll get your $1 refunded so there's no risk on your part.).
Okay I'm off for now. Nuff said - don't say I didn't tell you :).
Before I go, here are some related products and services I recommend to you:
1) Magnetic Freedom Seminar
2) FREE Session from Bob Dignard-Fung: "The Magnetic Secret"
3) MarketingMakeoverGenerator.Com
4) Bob Proctor's best seller: "You Were Born Rich
"
Have a great day and God bless ya!
Last week I attended the Magnetic Freedom Seminar with Bob Proctor, MarketingMakeoverGenerator.Com co-creator Rick Raddatz and Bob Dignard Fung. The event occured every day of the week from 9p.m. Eastern (2a.m. at my end - hence the lost sleep!).
Boy was it well worth it! I gotta tell you, the messages in those daily sessions were truly profound, and you could see what sets these guys apart from the masses. Talk about enlightened marketing!
If you desire to make the 2nd half of this year better than your 1st half, I suggest you invest a whole $1 for the Magnetic Freedom Seminar today (I think the $1 promo is still on - if it's not, you'll get refunded. If it's still on and you listen to all the MP3s and don't like what you hear you'll get your $1 refunded so there's no risk on your part.).
Okay I'm off for now. Nuff said - don't say I didn't tell you :).
Before I go, here are some related products and services I recommend to you:
1) Magnetic Freedom Seminar
2) FREE Session from Bob Dignard-Fung: "The Magnetic Secret"
3) MarketingMakeoverGenerator.Com
4) Bob Proctor's best seller: "You Were Born Rich
"Have a great day and God bless ya!
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Enlightened Marketing...
Some friends and I are working on a project. To give you an idea of the project, visit This Site.
One thing I'm learning while working on this project is the importance of having a mastermind team to work with. You get to accomplish so much more when you're working with other like-minded individuals towards the same goal.
Why the word 'enlightened'? Because it means that in all we do, we are looking out for the best interests of everyone involved. We base all our actions on integrity (both as individuals and as a group). We seek to ensure that everyone involved in any way with our project benefits greatly. We seek to serve others with our project. We ask 'who needs this stuff, how can we reach them, how can we help them?'.
In short, we discover people's needs and offer them solutions.
And we're having a blast doing so!
By the way, the idea for our project, and how to make things happen in an enlightened way, came from this book: - I suggest you get a copy and read it.
Incidentally, my friends and I met here:
, and they are some of the most wonderful people I've had the priviledge to associate with (love you guys!).
If you are in business, you simply must plug into the network.
More on that in another post.
Blessings to ya!
One thing I'm learning while working on this project is the importance of having a mastermind team to work with. You get to accomplish so much more when you're working with other like-minded individuals towards the same goal.
Why the word 'enlightened'? Because it means that in all we do, we are looking out for the best interests of everyone involved. We base all our actions on integrity (both as individuals and as a group). We seek to ensure that everyone involved in any way with our project benefits greatly. We seek to serve others with our project. We ask 'who needs this stuff, how can we reach them, how can we help them?'.
In short, we discover people's needs and offer them solutions.
And we're having a blast doing so!
By the way, the idea for our project, and how to make things happen in an enlightened way, came from this book: - I suggest you get a copy and read it.
Incidentally, my friends and I met here:
, and they are some of the most wonderful people I've had the priviledge to associate with (love you guys!).If you are in business, you simply must plug into the
network. More on that in another post.
Blessings to ya!
Marketing At Its Finest
Hope you had a great weekend. I had the most fabulous weekend I've had yet - spent a day at a Safari park with family, then spent another day trying out clothes for an upcoming wedding. What fun!
Anyhoo, back to business. Last night (well actually it was in the wee hours of this morning - 2a.m.) I 'attended' ('participated in' more like) a webinar hosted by Bob Dignard-Fung, with Bob Proctor delivering the (close to) 2 hr session.
The session was on creating Multiple Sources of Income (aka MSI), which Bob Proctor is a master at (heck, he even 'coined' the phrase back in the 60s), and more importantly, it was about Personal Development and the mindset of a successful wealth 'creator'.
For some reason, these guys are offering this week-long training program for just $1!
Lord knows it's priceless in value. Here, go sign up for it now (you'll get mp3 recordings of all sessions, so don't worry, you don't have to sit up late like I did :) ).
Sign up here: Magnetic Freedom Training Seminar
Hope to see you there! Blessings to ya.
By the way, if you don't know who Bob Proctor is, read You Were Born Rich or go watch 'The Secret' right now.
If you desire success in your business or personal life, download the FREE report entitled 'How To Activate Your Success Genes' by signing up for my FREE Success Coaching newsletter here.
Have a great day!
Anyhoo, back to business. Last night (well actually it was in the wee hours of this morning - 2a.m.) I 'attended' ('participated in' more like) a webinar hosted by Bob Dignard-Fung, with Bob Proctor delivering the (close to) 2 hr session.
The session was on creating Multiple Sources of Income (aka MSI), which Bob Proctor is a master at (heck, he even 'coined' the phrase back in the 60s), and more importantly, it was about Personal Development and the mindset of a successful wealth 'creator'.
For some reason, these guys are offering this week-long training program for just $1!
Lord knows it's priceless in value. Here, go sign up for it now (you'll get mp3 recordings of all sessions, so don't worry, you don't have to sit up late like I did :) ).
Sign up here: Magnetic Freedom Training Seminar
Hope to see you there! Blessings to ya.
By the way, if you don't know who Bob Proctor is, read You Were Born Rich
or go watch 'The Secret' right now.If you desire success in your business or personal life, download the FREE report entitled 'How To Activate Your Success Genes' by signing up for my FREE Success Coaching newsletter here.
Have a great day!
Friday, May 26, 2006
The Single Daily Activity
One good thing about marketing is this: if you are consistent, you will see results.
Someone once said that 'lousy marketing beats no marketing anyday'.
This is encouraging because it means you don't have to be a marketing expert in order to see results. You simply have to choose a few marketing strategies and do them consistently, repeatedly. The results will come.
An expert marketer who does nothing gets nothing in return.
Course it helps if the strategies are things you enjoy doing. For instance, I enjoy writing. Since I learned recently that blogging was a good marketing tool, I've committed to post something useful (which will benefit you, my reader) on my blog at least once each day. 5 minutes or more is all I need to do this.
Results take varying lengths of time to show up (everything has a gestation/incubation period anyway), though I got a prospect within 24 hours of starting this blog! He'd come across it while doing a search for something else online, liked what he read and contacted me. Neato.
More to come.
I encourage you therefore: do something. Have at least One Daily Activity which you do to market your business.
Next time I'll talk about 'The Persistence Effect' and 'The Power of Detachment' in marketing. These tools will turbocharge your efforts, big time.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
God bless ya!
Someone once said that 'lousy marketing beats no marketing anyday'.
This is encouraging because it means you don't have to be a marketing expert in order to see results. You simply have to choose a few marketing strategies and do them consistently, repeatedly. The results will come.
An expert marketer who does nothing gets nothing in return.
Course it helps if the strategies are things you enjoy doing. For instance, I enjoy writing. Since I learned recently that blogging was a good marketing tool, I've committed to post something useful (which will benefit you, my reader) on my blog at least once each day. 5 minutes or more is all I need to do this.
Results take varying lengths of time to show up (everything has a gestation/incubation period anyway), though I got a prospect within 24 hours of starting this blog! He'd come across it while doing a search for something else online, liked what he read and contacted me. Neato.
More to come.
I encourage you therefore: do something. Have at least One Daily Activity which you do to market your business.
Next time I'll talk about 'The Persistence Effect' and 'The Power of Detachment' in marketing. These tools will turbocharge your efforts, big time.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
God bless ya!
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Speaking of Questions...
I was chatting with a friend of mine yesterday - Frank D. Kanu, founder of Genius One Inc and author of Stop Telling...Start Leading! and we discussed, among other things, this issue of asking questions.
It occured to me that each of us could benefit greatly from asking *ourselves* great questions too. Questions are simply excellent tools that help move things forward.
Just as, when you ask others questions, you have to listen with full attention to their answers, in the same way, when you ask yourself questions, pay attention to the thoughts that come up in response.
Good communication with others is not possible until you've mastered good communication with yourself ('know thyself...').
I suggest you read Frank's book. Learn about questions from a Master of the art. Though it talks a lot about managers, remember that you cannot be a good manager of others until you have become a good manager of yourself.
Grab your copy here today:
Have a great day!
and we discussed, among other things, this issue of asking questions.It occured to me that each of us could benefit greatly from asking *ourselves* great questions too. Questions are simply excellent tools that help move things forward.
Just as, when you ask others questions, you have to listen with full attention to their answers, in the same way, when you ask yourself questions, pay attention to the thoughts that come up in response.
Good communication with others is not possible until you've mastered good communication with yourself ('know thyself...').
I suggest you read Frank's book. Learn about questions from a Master of the art. Though it talks a lot about managers, remember that you cannot be a good manager of others until you have become a good manager of yourself.
Grab your copy here today:
Have a great day!
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Marketing - It's All About The Customers...
Once you grasp this principle, your marketing efforts become fun.
It's not about you, the marketer. Nobody is interested in you (except your mom, maybe). Everyone is interested in himself/herself. So if you want people to listen to you, ask them about themselves.
It's funny what happens when you do this. When you focus on listening to the other person (with full concentration, not with a view to letting them finish so you can jump in with your own comments already), when the other person has done most of the talking about themselves, at the end of the conversation, they often tell you how good at conversations you are!
Another thing that happens is that the one who's been doing all the talking now becomes curious about you and asks you questions along the lines of 'so what do you do'?
This is not your cue to pitch your business though - more on this later. Right now your aim is to build rapport with the person, establish a relationship, discover what their needs and wants are, with a view to offering a possible solution. So when asked what you do, give your 'elevator speech' then go back to asking questions to learn more about the other person.
Marketing, when done properly, aims to establish win-win relationships with people. To succeed as a marketer in any type of business, you must always think in terms of what's best for the other person. Think of ways to arrive at 'win-win' situations. This means being open to the possibility that you may not be the one to provide the person's needs (in which case it helps to be a resource - if you can't help, refer them to someone who can. As surely as the Universal Laws stand, you will be well catered for if you think and act this way).
Notice how this principle applies in any relationship, business or personal.
Here's an article I wrote some years ago on this topic and here's a great little book that teaches you more about asking great questions:
It's not about you, the marketer. Nobody is interested in you (except your mom, maybe). Everyone is interested in himself/herself. So if you want people to listen to you, ask them about themselves.
It's funny what happens when you do this. When you focus on listening to the other person (with full concentration, not with a view to letting them finish so you can jump in with your own comments already), when the other person has done most of the talking about themselves, at the end of the conversation, they often tell you how good at conversations you are!
Another thing that happens is that the one who's been doing all the talking now becomes curious about you and asks you questions along the lines of 'so what do you do'?
This is not your cue to pitch your business though - more on this later. Right now your aim is to build rapport with the person, establish a relationship, discover what their needs and wants are, with a view to offering a possible solution. So when asked what you do, give your 'elevator speech' then go back to asking questions to learn more about the other person.
Marketing, when done properly, aims to establish win-win relationships with people. To succeed as a marketer in any type of business, you must always think in terms of what's best for the other person. Think of ways to arrive at 'win-win' situations. This means being open to the possibility that you may not be the one to provide the person's needs (in which case it helps to be a resource - if you can't help, refer them to someone who can. As surely as the Universal Laws stand, you will be well catered for if you think and act this way).
Notice how this principle applies in any relationship, business or personal.
Here's an article I wrote some years ago on this topic and here's a great little book that teaches you more about asking great questions:
The Story Continues...
Did you watch the educational movies on this site? If you did, you should know the answers to these questions:
a) What do the Wealthy, Middle class and Poor buy on payday?
b) What (according to Robert Kiyosaki) are the definitions of 'Asset' and 'Liability'?
c) What criteria should you use to evaluate a business?
d) Why it is important to be aware of trends in business?
e) Who is the Harvard Business School-trained Professor interviewed in the 'Brilliant Compensation' presentation, and why does he teach Network Marketing as part of the Business Education curriculum in his current Uni?
If you couldn't answer those questions easily, go back and watch those movies. They're short - one is 11 mins and the other one is 27 mins. Go educate yourself - there's nothing blissful about ignorance.
Anyway, here's what I found about network marketing: it is a great opportunity to learn how to run a business ethically (and get paid while you learn). The training in the industry is simply phenomenal, and while you learn, you have the chance to apply what you learn to your business. In addition, the marketing principles you learn are the exact same principles you can use to launch and market any other type of business. I'll share some of them with you in future posts.
I also made another pleasant discovery about the industry: it is huge on Personal Development. In fact, the company I work with (as many other companies in the industry do, I presume) has a recommended reading list of Personal Development books, and encourages us to spend at least 15 mins each day studying Personal growth material. I've found this focus to be very important - I'm becoming a better person as a result of my experience in this industry. I'm learning more, how to always think in terms of others and how best to serve them.
Steven Covey, author of 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' says 'Network marketing has come of age...' and Robert Kiyosaki, author of the 'Rich Dad' series, calls it 'The Business School For People Who Like Helping People'. These are independent voices from respectable individuals who've become open-minded enough to investigate the industry in its own right.
Now I know there are some bad eggs in the industry - which industry doesn't have its scammers? But that's no reason to disregard the entire industry, is it? You don't stop eating at Chinese restaurants just because you had a bad experience at one of them, do you?
The marketing skills I'm learning from this business are helping me promote my Coaching business more effectively. If you're in any way interested in starting a business, you can get real-life training as an Associate in a network marketing company.
Network Marketing Professionals are 'The New Professionals'. Don't say I didn't tell you :)
Here are some of the books I mentioned in this post (and some I didn't:) )
a) What do the Wealthy, Middle class and Poor buy on payday?
b) What (according to Robert Kiyosaki) are the definitions of 'Asset' and 'Liability'?
c) What criteria should you use to evaluate a business?
d) Why it is important to be aware of trends in business?
e) Who is the Harvard Business School-trained Professor interviewed in the 'Brilliant Compensation' presentation, and why does he teach Network Marketing as part of the Business Education curriculum in his current Uni?
If you couldn't answer those questions easily, go back and watch those movies. They're short - one is 11 mins and the other one is 27 mins. Go educate yourself - there's nothing blissful about ignorance.
Anyway, here's what I found about network marketing: it is a great opportunity to learn how to run a business ethically (and get paid while you learn). The training in the industry is simply phenomenal, and while you learn, you have the chance to apply what you learn to your business. In addition, the marketing principles you learn are the exact same principles you can use to launch and market any other type of business. I'll share some of them with you in future posts.
I also made another pleasant discovery about the industry: it is huge on Personal Development. In fact, the company I work with (as many other companies in the industry do, I presume) has a recommended reading list of Personal Development books, and encourages us to spend at least 15 mins each day studying Personal growth material. I've found this focus to be very important - I'm becoming a better person as a result of my experience in this industry. I'm learning more, how to always think in terms of others and how best to serve them.
Steven Covey, author of 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' says 'Network marketing has come of age...' and Robert Kiyosaki, author of the 'Rich Dad' series, calls it 'The Business School For People Who Like Helping People'. These are independent voices from respectable individuals who've become open-minded enough to investigate the industry in its own right.
Now I know there are some bad eggs in the industry - which industry doesn't have its scammers? But that's no reason to disregard the entire industry, is it? You don't stop eating at Chinese restaurants just because you had a bad experience at one of them, do you?
The marketing skills I'm learning from this business are helping me promote my Coaching business more effectively. If you're in any way interested in starting a business, you can get real-life training as an Associate in a network marketing company.
Network Marketing Professionals are 'The New Professionals'. Don't say I didn't tell you :)
Here are some of the books I mentioned in this post (and some I didn't:) )
Sunday, May 21, 2006
My other income stream...
In my previous post I mentioned how I was a firm believer in the wisdom of having Multiple Streams of Income. When I return to medical practice in August that stream will be revived. However, because I've already established 2 other streams of income, my return to medicine is more a labour of love than a financial move. Plus there's a part of me that wishes to complete what I started when I attended med. school all those years. So I'm going back to do that in August.
My other income stream is a Network Marketing business.
Now don't get all squeamish on me. I too was skeptical of the industry at first - I'd heard so many horrible stories and cries of 'scam'! that I was totally closed to the idea. However, when a colleague (doctor working in Australia) told me about it, (she's someone I respect - very intelligent and savvy), I began to wonder...
I was still very skeptical though and didn't bother doing any research of my own. But that niggling thought never left, and at last my curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to do some due diligence (lesson: never write off something without getting all the facts yourself: don't rely on hear-say. If you do, you could be missing out on some really good opportunities to improve things for yourself and the ones you love).
It helps to think for yourself, I tell ya. Form your own opinions rather than being driven by what 'the masses' think.
I started my 'due diligence' by watching this movie called 'Brilliant Compensation'. It's about 27 minutes long and it explains the business model in very simple terms.
Go watch it now and we'll continue our chat later :)
My other income stream is a Network Marketing business.
Now don't get all squeamish on me. I too was skeptical of the industry at first - I'd heard so many horrible stories and cries of 'scam'! that I was totally closed to the idea. However, when a colleague (doctor working in Australia) told me about it, (she's someone I respect - very intelligent and savvy), I began to wonder...
I was still very skeptical though and didn't bother doing any research of my own. But that niggling thought never left, and at last my curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to do some due diligence (lesson: never write off something without getting all the facts yourself: don't rely on hear-say. If you do, you could be missing out on some really good opportunities to improve things for yourself and the ones you love).
It helps to think for yourself, I tell ya. Form your own opinions rather than being driven by what 'the masses' think.
I started my 'due diligence' by watching this movie called 'Brilliant Compensation'. It's about 27 minutes long and it explains the business model in very simple terms.
Go watch it now and we'll continue our chat later :)
My story...
Thanks for stopping by. Welcome to my blog.
Okay, here's the deal. I'm a doctor - you know, the type that works in hospitals :), and I am an entrepreneur. I believe in creating multiple streams of income - that way, when one stream dries up, you've still got several streams flowing. Besides, life is much more fun that way.
The first (second) income stream I created was my Performance Coaching Practice. This happened while I was on a career break from medicine. I've always believed in the greatness in each individual, and have always desired to help people release or express their individual greatness. I believe in excellence, and I know there's plenty of room at the top for those who desire to get there. This is what made me decide to create an avenue through which I could help people be the successes they were on the inside. Hence my Coaching practice was born. To get an idea of what I'm about, visit my sites and sign up for the free ezines there. Here are their links:
a) For Success Coaching
b) For Health Coaching
Okay, here's the deal. I'm a doctor - you know, the type that works in hospitals :), and I am an entrepreneur. I believe in creating multiple streams of income - that way, when one stream dries up, you've still got several streams flowing. Besides, life is much more fun that way.
The first (second) income stream I created was my Performance Coaching Practice. This happened while I was on a career break from medicine. I've always believed in the greatness in each individual, and have always desired to help people release or express their individual greatness. I believe in excellence, and I know there's plenty of room at the top for those who desire to get there. This is what made me decide to create an avenue through which I could help people be the successes they were on the inside. Hence my Coaching practice was born. To get an idea of what I'm about, visit my sites and sign up for the free ezines there. Here are their links:
a) For Success Coaching
b) For Health Coaching
Though this business is about Coaching, I've learnt that I'm really in the business of marketing my Coaching practice. Makes sense when you think about it: if I don't let people know how I can serve them and meet their needs/solve their problems (ie if I don't market my services), I don't get clients. Without clients, I'm outta work.
I love the concept and subject of marketing. Marketing really is all about effective communication. That's why I'm keen to master this skill - it'll benefit me in other areas of my life.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)