DO WHAT WORKS ... AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.

I was reminded of this simple yet profound truth on a tele-seminar I was conducting just last week. This one is important my friends, and very deep. Tune in. And listen to what I am about to share with you.

As I always do, I asked my coaching students for their recent good news / bad news stories. I do this so we can all learn from each other, both good and bad.

The topic was distribution, and more specifically, how we can increase our service distribution path. I offered an idea and one “student” immediately shared the fact that she had done exactly what I was talking about ... and that it worked to perfection.

I applauded her positive efforts before asking her when she enjoyed her marketing success story. Remember, this was on a seminar conducted just last week. Her reply was met with disbelief and more than a modicum of chagrin. 

“1978” was the year she last performed this “successful” marketing gambit. 1978!

I suggested that she forget everything she has ever read about sales and marketing since that day in 1978 and simply do what she did back then. I meant it. 

People (you and me) study, read, buy books, go to seminars, attend conferences and go to church on Sundays to pray for ideas that just might work. Then, on a good day, something we do does work. Then, for some unexplained phenomenon, we sign up for another seminar. 

My mind drifted back to my days as a collegiate football quarterback. We had a play book with at least 3000 plays inside its three-inch girth. You have probably noticed on television one play being called after another ... seldom looking or unfolding in a similar fashion. 

This never made much sense to me. If I called a play and it worked for more than three and a half yards, I would call the same play until the defense wised up and stopped our forward motion. “Why try numerous plays when one worked?”

The same holds true for marketing. When you stumble across some idea, strategy, tactic or gambit that works, do it again ... and again ... and again.

I truly hope my coaching student returns to 1978 and do whatever it was she did back then. I doubt that she will. It appears to be more fun to fail at a new challenge than to benefit continuously from some old news.

A mistake that many sales professionals make is that they are shortsighted when it comes to evaluating their customers.

With the blame pointing toward a tough economy, too many sales people try to rush the sale to fatten their wallets ... prematurely I might add.

Try becoming the exception by seeing new customers as the potential annuity they truly represent.

Anybody can sell anything once to anybody.
It takes skill and a good product to sell a second time to the same person.
It takes real talent to pull off a third time sale.

If you want your future to change for the better, start looking at first time buyers as potential third time customers.

Treating first-time customers like they are third-timers will result in many more third-timers.
Think value. Think lifetime. Think lifetime value.

Although there may not be any "do-overs" or mulligans in business these days,
there is certainly time and rationale for "Do-Agains."

Let me explain.

I recently sent out a blast email promoting one of my books. In this case I
was featuring my 52-Week Sales Planner. I thought the timing was right since we were nearing the end of another year.
What better time to start planning for 2010, I thought.

I wrote a sales letter and hit the button which sent my words out to internet land.
As expected ... the orders began to flow in.
It is funny how when you ask somebody to buy something they actually buy something.
(I am talking to you, sales pro. Ask and see what happens. You may surprise yourself.
You can call it "closing;" I prefer to refer to it as "asking."

In any event, my mission was successful.

The following day, (and here is this year's final message) I sent the exact same email out
to the exact same list. (The nerve of me.)

Some might have thought me pushy. Others obnoxious. Some may even interpreted this
as aggressive behavior from somebody who was certainly going out of business. No. No. And no again.

When I hit the button on day two, experience and intelligence told me that I should expect a full 50% of the number
of orders I received on day 1. This is sound marketing intelligence. In my case, however, this did not happen.

What did happen was that I received MORE orders on day 2 than I received on day 1.  Fancy that?

In case you are dreaming about the falling ball tonight and the beginning of a NEW YEAR, allow me to fill in a few of the blanks.

Repetition is not a bad thing. People are inundated with communications today and in order for you to get through the noise in many instances, you might have to take a couple of swings.

Those you upset with gentle tenaciousness are the price of doing business. Sorry friend, regardless of how cool you are, you can't be all things to all people. The faster some people opt off your list the quicker you should be thanking them for the courtesy.

Repetition. Persistence. Diligence. These are the words that are going to see you through to the end of 2010.

And for you procrastinators, here is another chance to place a vote for you and your future.
My 52-Week Sales Planner is a simple system that is designed to take your budget, time constraints and personality and direct them all amicably toward a successful and profitable sales campaign. It works for others and it will work for you.

You can order your copy by clicking right here right now.

Order Now

Happy New Year.

Mike Marchev

Last night was the Kennedy Honors and it was very cool.

The highlight for me since I pride myself as being a Jersey Boy was the segment about the Boss. Obviously.

When Jon Stewart introduced Bruce Springstein he mentioned something I had personally observed for myself. Jon said, "When Bruce Springstein entertains he empties the tank."

I can't think of another four words that says it any better. As a matter of fact, I hope these exact four words are recited again when it is time to tie a bow on my life's work. I must admit, I have some work to do. I have some fuel to burn.

Are you emptying your tank at your work? In your home? With your kids and with your significant other? Are you putting your pedal to the metal?

If not, tomorrow is a brand new day.

When my son's fiance announced that she was pursuing a real estate license in Florida I remember my exact words. "What the world does not need," I said to her (Amanda) "is another real estate agent. What the world DOES need," I added, "is another GOOD one."

And so it is with whatever you have chosen to do for a living.

We have enough of everything. We are hungry for good ones. Be a good one.
Chances are that you will not retire doing what you do for a livingn today.
But as long as you do, do it well.

How? Trial. Error. Success. Failure. Study. Research. Reading. And by hanging out with other good ones.

Be a good one.

FUHGEDABOUDIT!

Let's face it. You've tried. You read about it. You went to seminars and workshops.

You did everything you could think of and what came of it?

Bupcus.

Here is all you need to know about time management.

Forget about it.

Focus on what is important NOW.
Then do it.

Now go do something.

MM

My guess is ...sometimes ... and that depends.

I was brought to my attention recently ... by me ... that I may be getting tired of playing the politically correct card in fear of getting a few of my readers upset.

I have given this more than just a little thought over the past few days, and I am leaning toward "opening up" my Blog posts just a tad.

I am not planning on going overboard or getting too edgy, but I think I might raise a few eye brows in the days to come. We'll see as they say. The proof will be in Blog.

Stay tuned, and if at all possible, keep your sense of humor as I attempt to keep things real.

Mike Marchev

Download | Duration: 00:00:56

Tom Rush was a favorite of mine back in my UMASS days.
He came from New Hampshire and his opening act
once upon a time was a guy named Clip James Taylor.

I love acoustic guitar.

Enjoy.

Big Ideas:

December 2nd, 2009 . by Mike Marchev