Words of Wisdom by Chris Cardell

One thing I've noticed about business owners over the years is how they fall into two camps: those who think this marketing thing is a good idea; and those who think this marketing thing is a good idea... and then actually DO something with it.

Many people spend so much time thinking about and Analyzing what they should and shouldn’t do, they replace ‘Action’ with ‘Analysis.’

You can get away with this in a normal economy. We can’t get away with it now. We need to fight the Recession with massive Action.

So here's a foolproof system you can use to kick-start your marketing and avoid the "analysis paralysis". Believe me, no matter how many good ideas you have swirling around inside your head, not a one of them is worth a penny to you until you actually take action on it.

1. Make a list of your top 7 marketing ideas. These are the 7 different things you think have the best chance of working for you. Bear in mind you cannot possibly KNOW for sure until you test, so let go of any fear of "failure" you might have.

In marketing there is no such thing as "failure". There is only a result. And this is why we test small – no more than 1000 mailed pieces to a list and only one run of an ad (and make it a small one), until we have some actual statistics on how it performs.

2. Start working on the first idea and stick with it until you've either completed it or you can go no further. Then move onto number 2.

The trick here is not to get into the situation where you're getting diminishing returns. The 80/20 rule applies here.

For example, if you think it's going to take you 20 hours at the keyboard to write the perfect copy for your website, the truth is you're going to have it roughly 80% "right" after the first 4 hours.

The remaining 16 hours you work on it are largely a waste of your time, because they're responsible for such a small return.

So, decide how long you think it's going to take you, and then whatever you've got after, say, 25% of the time, you run with it. Get a kitchen timer, set it, and be strict with yourself.

3. Don’t waste time working out whether something will or will not work.

When I used to do consulting work, I would sit around board tables with business owners and their managers and listen to hours of mass debate about whether a certain strategy I had recommended would work. I can assure you that many years on,some of these companies are still having the same discussion. Being great at Marketing is not about trying to predict the future.

It’s about testing new methods and finding what works best. And wealthy business owners know it’s also about finding out what does not work so you can move on to the next approach.

4. Don’t do things one at a time.

If there are three new things you want to try to get more customers, do them all at the same time. It will triple your effectiveness because you’ll get the results so much faster. We’ve been conditioned to do things one at a time. That’s boring. Life’s too short.

So take action. Take massive action and do it all at the same time. That will make you so much more effective than the competition, it’s breathtaking.

Best wishes

Chris Cardell

Cardell Media LLC 5755 Oberlin Drive San Diego CA 92121