It took me a few days to think about until my rich successful internet marketing friend gave me his answer. It's a good answer and after reading this and you'll understand what business you are really in.
The first thing that probably comes to your mind is that you are in the internet business or the online business. And that is how the average person answers, nothing wrong with that. But how do you produce income from working in your industry?
You probably need customers coming in to your store, responding to your letter, or visiting your website and purchase something. And how do customers hear about your business and keep sending you their money? You've probably already figured it out the answer, it's something called marketing.
Of course salesmanship iss important to the process, but it is mainly marketing that is going to be the key to your riches. It helps that your customers like you, but what happens when your pool of customers dry up? Your salesmanship won't do SQUAT if you don't have a customer base to sell to!
I have a friend who works in a very reputable and established insurance company for about 5 years and he is a GREAT salesman. He's good looking and he knows all the sales strategies like establishing rapport and having people like him, closing the sale, etc.
So one day I saw him with a client and I commented, 'Wow, you sold that guy just like that, it must be natural and easy for you to make a fortune in selling!'
However, he responded, 'No, not really, let me tell you something. In selling, it depends on how 'good' the month is. If you're 'lucky', some months you can have steak with lobster but some months you starve!'
After a brief conversation, he looked at his computer screen and told me that he'll talk to me later because he needs to grab a walk-in customer before the other customer-starved sales agents steal the customer from him.
I walked out the door and saw him drooling all over the walk-in customer. Obviously, that confirmed his belief that everything depended on getting lucky. That experience revealed three valuable observations:
1. It doesn't matter how good a salesman (or woman) you are because...
2. Selling is almost useless without a flow of customers, so you need to...
3. Set up a marketing system so that you have a flow of customers so that you can eat steak
with lobster every month!
If the main reason you are in business is to make money and the way to make real money for your business is to market your service, product, or business, wouldn't it make sense for you to concentrate on marketing and promoting your business?
Think about it. To get any prospects at all you have to find them by going through a phone list, depend for walk in business (like my friend), or network your way to find a prospect. Even if you are just a salesperson, these are the results of marketing!
This is the same for any industry. Bakeries need people to know they exist so that customers can buy their cakes. Insurance agencies need people to know where they are located so that they can sell insurance. And you and I as internet marketers need more people to buy our products!
So what business are you really in? Your answer should be, 'I'm in the business of marketing my business, product, or service.' Now that you know what business you are really in, concentrate most of your efforts in marketing your business! |
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