Secret #1

Secret #1: Marketing Is Everything...Here's Why! From the first day you got into business, you were taught that knowledge about what you do was what you needed to become successful. That your "professionalism" will be the key to success. That people will come to you once they hear about how "good" you are. You were probably given the age old "wisdom" that says if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door! "Yeah, right!" Let's speak honestly to each other.

Which brings me to my first, and possibly, most important point: Knowing how to get customers, clients or patients is infinitely more important than any other knowledge you may attain! I've never known any way to make my business (and thus, my personal life) better unless I have a constant, never-ending flow of prospects and customers (or clients/patients) who've all called me, wanting to do business! I know that this statement gets some people upset. That's not my intention. All I'm trying to do is make the point that until you grasp the fact that you are not in whatever business you’re in ..but rather in the: MARKETING OF WHATEVER BUSINESS YOU’RE IN! That's the bottom line. In fact, no matter what business anyone is in, they are really not in that business! They are always in the marketing of that business! And you're no different. Until you change your psychology to accept the fact that you are a marketer first, and a provider of whatever you sell second...you'll never make the kind of money you want to make! This acceptance as your role of a marketer is paramount to changing the size of your bankbook and gaining a measure of success otherwise unattainable. Let's face it, in any business...the best marketer wins! Period. End of story.

And, of course, I am not implying that you should just market better and deliver substandard products or services. No way. Not only must you be the best marketer, but you must also be the best at what you do as well. People deserve the best. But, and this is the big but... it doesn't matter if you're the best at what you do if you have no one to talk to except your coworkers and your family! They're nice enough, I'm sure...but they aren't a substitute for people who buy whatever you sell! Getting customers, clients or patients is the name of the game, and marketing is the mechanism that gets them! As you read through this tip sheet and learn the marketing techniques we'll be discussing...you'll find out that there are two ways to market: A. Sickeningly wasteful and pushy ways. B. Inexpensive and response-oriented ways. We'll focus on type # 2, if that's OK with you.