Quote:
Originally Posted by Ankesh
Comparison between Harvey Brody and Ben Suarez.
I don't know all the tricks Harvey uses to find products and opportunities. But it seems like he finds it via various means and then engages the person and makes the deal.
On the other hand, there is Ben Suarez. He also does a little bit of scouting. But he writes a book "7 Steps of Freedom" - the book positions himself as the authority. And gives instructions to people on how they can approach SCI to market their products.
Harvey has to go and scout the market and engage people. Ben has people approach him and engage him.
So: how do you become Hefners of your industries? Maybe we could discuss it here... what goes into creating a magnetic lifestyle?
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Ankesh,
I love the thread, the idea...let's discuss it more. BUT, let me make a slight correction as to your perceptions...
after 54 years in the business, Harvey Brody has to beat off suitors with a stick...(staying with the Hugh Hefner thing here)...
They are lined up outside his "mansion" hoping to get into "bed" with him...he answers the door in his "pajamas"...Asks a few questions...then either invites them in or sends them packing.
Harvey does not have to "go out and scout the market"...he is like a Spielberg...who has ideas and scripts thrown at him while he's eating breakfast...
I think HE is the perfect example of the point you are making.
You are accurate about SCI and Ben Suarez, there is a whole pile of products in one room that people have sent in trying to get him to market.
NOW let me tell you the "inside" secret. The REASON both Ben and Harvey are like "Hugh" in your story, that is, they have people coming to them...is because of what they offer:...in a word:
DISTRIBUTION.
OK, I'll come back to this.
Even though it has been 20+ years, long before Ben ever wrote a word to establish himself as an expert, Harvey Brody was selling, for the time, expensive COURSES, and 99 dollar books. In fact, in one of Ben's earliest books, he does a "consult" with 4 wannabe Entrepreneurs, and one of them asks Ben why a certain "Harvey Brody" can get 100 bux for his book and Ben only charges 20.
And NO one (as Frank Kern points out) can escape the concept of "you get what you pay for", it is a difficult, if not impossible concept to overcome...the idea, if something costs MORE, it must be better. (AND a great marketing strategy too).
Here are a few of the people who attended Harvey Brody's seminars and/or classes or did business with him:
Gary Halbert, Ben Suarez, Jay Abraham, Dan Kennedy, Joe Karbo, Joe Sugarman, Howard Ruff, Bud Weckesser...and the list goes on and on.
My point is, that even though Ben "established" himself as an expert via his books...Mr. Brody WAS and IS an established expert that the "upper echelon" of today's marketers know about and have learned from.
He's just not that interested in doing any "self-promotion" because that comes with it's own price tag...and he's a very happy camper, and I think probably does less and makes more than most of these guys combined.
OK. I've probably overstated my case on that one.
But let's discuss your premise. I LOVE the idea of "them" coming to you.
I'll pick this up in a new post, OK.
Gordon Jay Alexander