You probably read my headline and thought, wait a minute, isn't that backwards? Isn't it supposed to be "Ready, Aim, Fire?"
Well, a year ago I might have agreed with you. But not anymore. What changed? I did! And boy am I glad I did.
Let me tell you a little story. Up until last year, I was one of those people who planned everything down to the smallest detail. I guess you could say I planned things to death!
Ever heard of "analysis paralysis?"
Well I had it big time! I just was not comfortable doing anything, especially in business, until I had done ALL my research and put all my ducks in a row. As a result, it often took a long time to get up and running with new ideas.
Then I experienced "Ready, Fire, Aim"
Last fall, I was first introduced to the concept of "Ready, Fire, Aim" at a seminar where I was thrown full bore into this way of thinking and acting. Talk about baptism by fire!
Not only did it change me, I learned something. That I could learn more and do more faster if I didn't get caught up in overanalyzing everything. I came home excited about adopting this new approach to my life.
What happened?
Well, my business and I have grown more in the last eight months than either had grown in the past seven years.
I've made some mistakes, but another funny thing happened along the way. I realized the mistakes DIDN'T KILL ME! In fact, I've learned more from my mistakes than from my successes.
I learned mistakes are a GOOD thing!
Suddenly everything I learned in school about NOT making mistakes just didn't fit anymore. Mistakes don't make you a bad person or even an unlucky person. They make you a smarter person!
They say Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before he successfully invented the light bulb. I hope we don't have to fail that many times before we find success, but what I do know is every mistake and every failure brings us one step closer to success.
Don't get stuck
You may be wondering why someone who advocates planning (The 10stepmarketing? System is ALL about creating a marketing PLAN for your business) is touting the virtues of "Ready, Fire, Aim," the seeming antithesis of planning.
It's because I don't want you to get stuck like I was for so many years.
Get into the game, even if you think you're not ready
Not getting out there and into the game because you're afraid you're not quite ready or might make a mistake, IS the mistake. Don't make it!
My advice? Take the time to create a marketing plan for your business but don't get bogged down if you still have questions or uncertainty about how to market effectively. Just start. Do the best you can and KNOW you will learn more every step of the way.
It's the only way to discover YOUR "magic marketing" formula
The longer you're out there actively marketing and tracking your success and your failures, the closer you'll be to finding your "magic marketing" formula.
Your "magic marketing" formula brings together exactly the right marketing activities with the right marketing message and the right audience in the right place at the right time for YOUR business to result in HUGE success!
While there are some basic marketing principles that will help you get to your magic formula quicker, nothing replaces good old testing and fine-tuning. After 20 years in the business, I still practice it regularly. Because I know there are certain things you can do to set yourself up for success, but at some point you just have to go for it.
Are you stuck?
If you're stuck without a marketing plan or you'd like to learn some simple steps you can take to position your business for marketing success, The 10stepmarketing? System can help. This simple system tells you exactly what you need to do, step-by-step, so you can uncover your "magic marketing" formula quicker. Don't get stuck trying to figure it out on your own. Get help at www.10stepmarketing.com.
Learn "Ready, Fire, Aim" the way I did
I can teach you how to market your business more effectively, but sometimes to find true success we also need to change ourselves. If you're committed to being healthier, happier and richer and you're willing to be pushed beyond your comfort zone to accomplish that, I highly recommend T. Harv Eker's Peak Potentials program. It's where I learned to live "Ready, Fire, Aim!" and I know I'll never go back to the way I used to be. You can learn more here.
(C) Copyright 2005 Debbie LaChusa
20-year marketing veteran Debbie LaChusa created The 10stepmarketing System to help small business owners and solo-preneurs successfully market their business, themselves without spending a fortune on marketing. To learn more about this simple, step-by-step program and to sign up for her FREE audio class and FREE weekly ezine featuring how-to articles, tips and advice, visit http://www.10stepmarketing.com
With promotional items there are standards: t-shirts, mugs, note cubes,... Read More
Have you clearly defined your target audience? These are the... Read More
The world is full... Read More
Many professional copywriters estimate that the headline contributes to 80%... Read More
35 Ideas to Spark Your Creativity:There are 3 ways to... Read More
I'm reading Seth Godin's Permission Marketing and he brings up... Read More
The most important, yet overlooked aspect of marketing is an... Read More
Here is a powerful tip on how to substantially increase... Read More
Multi-level marketing is the biggest growth industry in the 1980's.... Read More
1) People are buying in smaller quantities. Our busy lifestyle... Read More
So, you want to know what your competitors are up... Read More
If you're looking to drive more targeted traffic to your... Read More
Does your Web site talk about your company? Yes, I... Read More
Direct mail marketing is essential for a business to survive.Choosing... Read More
IntroductionMany businesses and organisations have a perception that marketing means... Read More
How do you answer the seemingly easy question, "What do... Read More
Business Systems that work for anyone, are a fundamental necessity... Read More
1.Evaluation of Existing Products / Therapies2.Assessment of New Products3.Market assessment... Read More
For any business to be successful whether on or offline... Read More
Developing the questionnaire is undoubtedly the most important part of... Read More
When I started my first business in 1981, I researched... Read More
Since the human brain seems to be able to focus... Read More
How often do you sit around and wonder how to... Read More
An important part of planning your business is to know... Read More
How to Take Your Law Firm to the Next Level... Read More
Jay Conrad Levinson coined the term guerrilla marketing, which I... Read More
Your marketing materials must grab your prospect's attention long enough... Read More
I have been designing Yellow Page ads for the past... Read More
Starting and managing a successful small business takes time, energy,... Read More
So, you´ve been around for a while, and maybe even... Read More
It seems nowadays every marketing guru and their brother-in-law has... Read More
Of all the web sites belonging to coaches, consultants and... Read More
Last week I received a very nice thank you gift... Read More
As a business professional, you probably realize the value of... Read More
Every business needs customers, but more importantly every business needs... Read More
Brochures have become vital in today's workplace, serving a wide... Read More
How many Hispanic people live in the US currently. Well... Read More
12/20/04According to a recent article by ComScore Networks, about three-quarters... Read More
More And MoreIt was notable that when I started my... Read More
As Freud cautioned, it's insanity to keep doing the same... Read More
Bridging the Chasm from Lead to Loyal Customer: A Step... Read More
Sometimes we loose site of the small things in life... Read More
So many of you have been telling us that you're... Read More
Today, more than ever, the success of meetings relies heavily... Read More
In Part 1 of this article, "Resistances to Marketing a... Read More
What is the single most important thing you can do... Read More
If you are operating a business from your home and... Read More
Many business owners do not understand the authenticity and validation... Read More
As best you can, answer the following twenty-five questions. There's... Read More
Ahh, the mission statement. For some companies it simply describes... Read More
Marketing Marketing |
|