Here's something you might enjoy

"GET THE ORDER FIRST! THEN WORRY ABOUT HOW TO FILL IT!"

I've done the same thing with the Manuals and Reports I've produced and sold over the years.

1) SEE if there's a market for what you are selling and
2) SEE whether or not you have the ability to sell it

Because...I have known people who spent LOTS of time and money putting together products or programs and when they FINALLY got the thing produced they found that;
1) there was NO Market for it
2) they did NOT KNOW how to sell it

Thus...you get an idea for a manual, report, book, or whatever....create an "outline" or a "sample"....then creat the sales materials for it and start running ads or try to sell it "as if the product was finished!"

IF you start getting orders and you decide it's a "GO"...work day and night to finish it or tell your customers there will be a delay...or return their money.

I've found if you advise your customers of any delays they will understand.

A coal miner buddy in Colorado once showed me an Outline of a book he was thinking about writing which had to do with training new coal miners.

The Outline and Table of Contents were great. I came up with a Title for him called, "The Great Black Hope"...with the "O" in HOPE a round piece of coal.

My buddy told me there was a coal miner's convention being held in Vegas the next weekend. I told him, "Let's go to it and see if there's any interest in the book!"

We made up some "dummy" books with a GREAT COVER, beautiful artwork a friend created. Put in the Table of Contents and filled the rest with blank pages.

When we got to the convention I talked a guy into letting us have a space on his table to display our books.

We were taking "Pre-Publication" orders from mine managers around the country.

At the end of the 4 days...we had collected orders for 6,000 books ($28 x 6000 = $168,000) and deposits of $30,000 ($5 x 6,000)

NOW...on the way back my buddy got panicky. He did NOT know whether he could finish the book.

I told him if that was true...he'd better NOT spend one dime of the advances he collected.

So...he gave it a try but...after 6 weeks or so, I told him to forget it and return the money. Which he did, thank God.

It sure was exciting selling the thing though.

But...when I "spoke without thinking" and told the realtor I could provide him with aerial photos....I had an "inkling" that I could hire a small plane to take me up and my trusty Minolta Zoom and "basic photo knowledge" could get me thru....when I had never been in a small plane
before.

The next day I phoned the office of the small airport in Glenwood Springs and asked if anyone was available to take me up in a small plane to take aerial photos.

The woman on the phone told me to, "Call Murray!"

I called "Murray" and he told me he had a 152 Cessna with 2 seats and I could open the window and the wind would hold the window open while I leaned out to take my shots. $65 an hour.

Then I visited a camera shop and asked the owner if he could give me some tips on taking aerials...which he did...so I was set.

The first flight my stomach was up around my nose most of the time and Murray had forgotten to tell me one small detail about a high-wing Cessna...the wheels stick out from the body of the plane...so that in order to get a decent shot down...you had to remove your seatbelt and hang out the window so the camera lens would be beyond the wheels.

So...when it cam time to take my first shots, I undid my seatbelt...Murray grabbed the back of my belt with his left hand while holding the wheel with his right...so I could "hang out the window" with the wind blasting at my face and upper body.

It's a wonder I got any decent shots at all. But I did and it was a wonderful experience I can sit back and tell my great grand kids about some day.

Also...some "side" stuff to this adventure was I got to meet Lawrence Welk, Jack Nicholson, Jill St. John, Robert Wagner, Robert Conrad, Buddy Hacket, George Hamilton, Michael Douglas and a few other celebs who had properties in the Aspen area.

"Ya Never Knows Unlessn Ya Tries!"

Don ALm

> Hi Don,

> Thanks, this is a great idea (along with
> your other posts too)....

> What I like about your "aerial
> photos" biz was you spotted a need, and
> then figured out a way to do it.

> What most people would do is first say
> "Oh I don't know how to do that"
> and let the opportunity go to someone
> else.... Whereas in your case you said,
> "sure, I can do it" -- then did
> it!

> It's a great lesson.... Thanks! :)

> I think people's wants and needs are being
> made clear to us each and every day.... It's
> just a matter of keeping our eyes and ears
> open to the opportunities, and then
> attacking them with a "can do"
> attitude!

> Not only did you find a good opportunity....
> I bet it was an exciting adventure as well.
> :)

> - Dien




My Unique money-makers

Don,

That's a brilliant philosophy! NOW I can see some of the reasons you've been such a success....

Man, when you think about it, it MAKES SO MUCH SENSE. Get the order first (which ensures there's a market for what you're selling)....

Thanks Don! This is a great piece of advice, particularly for those of us who are still a bit "green" in our business experience (like I am)....

And there's nothing wrong with getting pre-orders using a mock-up.... In fact, it really is a great idea. In a sense, you are asking people to "reserve" the product for them when it's ready. It's a great strategy, and I'm sure it will quickly tell you if you have a market or not....

Thanks Don, I'm learning a lot from your posts.... :)

- Dien