Re: Companies that don't advertise or promote
 

I know of several businesses in my town that don't advertise. 100% of their business is by referral, or repeat business based on their product quality and reputation.

I told one of the owners that I'd given him a recommendation on a local chat board, and he groaned "I have more business now than I can handle".

If you have a high quality product that people desperately need, you'll have to get a stick to keep them away. It only takes one referral to get the ball rolling.

Bozo... Re: The Game & Lifestyle Epiphany
 

You said...

"I told one of the owners that I'd given him a recommendation on a local chat board, and he groaned "I have more business now than I can handle".

If you have a high quality product that people desperately need, you'll have to get a stick to keep them away. It only takes one referral to get the ball rolling."

That doesn't really prove anything. There's a big difference between having 'enough' -- or even 'more than enough' -- customers, and getting as many customer as you can.

There are plenty of biz's who have 'enough' customers. Most biz's have 'enough' customers. I run into them all the time.

That's is no indication of how many MORE customers they would/could get via using *active* marketing methods (soliciting, etc.). Just because they don't HAVE to expand, doesn't mean they shouldn't expand. Imo, if (even) THOSE types of biz's tried, they'd find they could increase their biz by a factor of 700-1,000% by using active methods.

Saying 'all the customers they can handle' is meaningless, really.

What they really mean (usually) is, 'all the customers they WANT.'

-- TW

Re: Bozo... Re: The Game & Lifestyle Epiphany
 

Sure it does. It proves that Joe's statement, about businesses that don't advertise, is false.


It means that an additional customer would have to wait in line to be served. Remember, I was talking about desperate need, not somebody wanting a hamburger.


The guy told me he had all the business he could handle. I took him at his word.

By way of further explanation, these businesses are technical trades businesses. Like air conditioner guys, roofers, and like that. Each of them decided to start their own shop to get rid of a boss. Each of them are highly skilled at their trades, nice guys who give good service, and have no idea how to run a business much less grow a business. They have just created their own jobs.

Even so, none of them advertise or promote in any way, and have all the business they can handle.

Not everybody wants to be rich and famous, or employ hundreds of workers while sitting on the beach. Some guys enjoy their work and as long as they can make a good living at it they're happy.

Re: Bozo... Re: The Game & Lifestyle Epiphany
 

Oh, I see what you mean -- one person operations who want to stay that way. Nothing wrong with that. To some, that's the ultimate.

All I'm saying is, if they DID want to expand, they could -- and the best way to do that (is / may be) to go the 'soliciting' route.

We may agree on that. I see your point was, it IS possible to have 'enough' work -- or even 'more than enough' work via the 'magnet' route. Yes, I'd agree with that. But that's no indicator of how much more work would or wouldn't come from going the 'outgoing' route (if they ever did do that).

Sorry if I misinterpreted what you were saying.

-- TW

Re: Bozo... Re: The Game & Lifestyle Epiphany
 

Just for the sake of conversation...

Your statement here could also be wrong.

I experienced this myself. Tiny niche business, less than 2,500 people active in it in the USA at any one time, highly skilled people, highly dangerous, extremely technical work. So my partner and I decided we'd had enough of 'their' way of doing things and started up our own operation.

We spent months visiting and talking to every potential customer in the area. We banged on doors, made phone calls, sent letters, offered cut rates, and let ourselves be seen and known.

Our service was one that nobody wanted, because it is so expensive, but when they needed it they desperately needed it.

All that, and we got zero work. Nothing.

And then, when the desperate need reached it's peak, a competitor stumbled and got behind in his work.

That's when we learned that we'd been soliciting the wrong people. The whole business was controlled by ONE person...who had a contract with all the people we'd been talking to.

HE didn't care if we lived or died, until HE needed us.

At that point, our quality of work proved itself and from then on we had more than we could handle safely.

Maybe your statement would be better as "and the best way to do that (is / may be) to go the properly targeted 'soliciting' route."

Re: The Game & Lifestyle Epiphany
 

I thought that went without saying (targeted).

The list, or 'universe' is the most important thing to get right (first).

Soliciting well to a bad list will produce nothing, yet soliciting (even) badly to a good list will produce SOME results.

The WHO is more important than the HOW.

Also, one can make a list of who qualifies, without their knowledge or consent.

-- TW

Re: The Game & Lifestyle Epiphany
 

McDonalds India does no advertising. Yet its doing better every year since it opened.

The reason is: location. In India (at least in Mumbai) they've opened McDonalds only near train stations (Mumbai has some of the worlds busiest local train stations). And one is near the expressway toll that you have to go through to go out of Mumbai by road.

I think Starbucks is another brand that doesn't advertise. (But I may be wrong.)

As I see it, good marketing = Impact * Repetition.

You're a big proponent of repetition and bugging people out. I say if you work on your impact, you don't have to repeat your message that often. If your message is not that impactful, you have to repeat. A lot.

But by lifestyle-ing - what I'm trying to say is: how do you become the ultimate authority in your field?

How do you make your message (and yourself) so impactful - that other people do the repetition for you?

If its your birthday - you just need 2-3 people to know about it. They will wish you - others will see them wish you - and these others will come and wish you too. And that will make you the focus of attention in the room - and more girls will come to you because of that social proof that they witness.

Hugh Hefner has created a life for him where everyday is his birthday.

Eg: Jay Abraham. He didn't have to come on this forum and talk about himself. Some one (Don) did it for him!

How do you become the Jay Abraham? Or Hugh Hefner? Or even Harvard University? Or -- Paddi Lund*?

Paddi Lund = the dentist who fired half his clients, stopped advertising completely, and takes on new clients only on referrals. Reduced his workload by half and doubled his revenue. And has a long list of people clamoring and contacting his current clients to refer them to him.

The question is: What can TW do so that when a question about USP arises on forums, people say: oh you should contact TW? Or what can TW do so that no one even thinks of ripping off an idea from him?

If you think sending out a million mail pieces is the answer, then please state that. I wouldn't disagree with that. I think that could work. It may not be the best way imho. But it definitely can work.

Lets not get into Push or Pull. Or Direct marketing or branding. Lets use the word and.

Then lets move on and discuss a few more answers / opinions.

(TW - I know you can find a 101 different things to argue about this post. But lets do that some other day. Please just state what do you think we should do to become the Hefners of our industry? If you think trying to become the Hefners of our industry is a bad idea, then please reserve that comment for some other day so that this thread doesn't get hijacked with that never ending argument.)

Don't worry Ankesh...
 

I'm with you on the 'and' part!

Also, I see what you're getting at, and it's not the same subject we've already been over. I just get a little excited (loopy?) when this topic comes up because I see so many people willingly jump on the 'magnet' idea as a CURE-ALL -- which we'd both agree it is not.

Cheers!

-- TW

PS: I'm not really a USP expert. What I *would* like to be known for is someone who touts the benefits of so-called 'intrusive' marketing -- instead of what most people do, which is to brand it as 'evil' then just run away from it, without thinking it through rationally. It's an area where being "PC" has crept into marketing -- and I'd like to see that bias overturned or REturned to where it should be. That is something I'm really passionate about -- can you tell?

Re: A discussion of being the "center" of the room and have people come to you.
 

Thanks Gordon. Excellent point about Distribution.

If you can get things done, people will come to you. Besides distribution, it could also mean having a better track record. People watch Warren Buffet carefully because of his immense track record. But setting up a track record takes time.

For better distribution, build a better network of contacts.

How else can some one who is just getting started build a better distribution network?

--

Deconstructing Harvard University. It is probably the most popular educational institution. How did it become one?

1. They have strong barriers in place: and allow only kids who show good promise to become students. As their students got famous, so did they.

2. They came up with their own Press. They published books that promoted them.

So... 3 Action points:

1. Have some kind of a qualifier, a barrier in place. So that you seem to be exclusive. (Eg: Paddi Lund.)

2. Work only with the cream. (Hefner will never take an ugly girlfriend.)

3. Have a tool to spread the word about you. (Like Ben Suarez and his book.)

This scene comes to mind...
 

In The Godfather.

The old lady's landlord. He yells at Don Corleone and thinks he's crazy.

Then something happens -- we're not sure exactly what.

He ends up coming to Corleone's 'office' and apologizing profusely -- eagerly agreeing to anything he says.

Corleone even seems amazed and BEMUSED by his own 'power' over this guy.

What made Corleone the 'center of the room?'

POWER.

The reputation of being a KILLER.

I guess that's ONE WAY to 'market' yourself.

"If you don't go along with my power, I will have someone hit you over the head with a baseball bat -- but I'll never come right out and say that. It's just 'understood' by everyone."

How can we relate that example to the real/business world?

How can we 'motivate' others to 'submit' to our 'power?' (without having to kill anyone first!)

-- TW