The other night my wife (a relatively new tennis player) had the opportunity to practice with one of the best tennis instructors in the WORLD. HIs name is Ajay Pant and he is an amazing tennis geek.
She shared this story with me. He was talking to them about losing on the tennis court, and he related that when he loses he is absolutely torn up. He is angry, depressed and not fun to be around. This is not really surprising coming from a person who is clearly very competitive, successful, and driven.
His point was that it it OK to be really upset about losing. It is ok to be driven and then upset when you don't win. Go home, be upset and get it out of your system.
THEN - get back on the court, learn from your loss and let the losing motivate you more.
Try it with work!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Marketing in Bits and Pieces
Most people these days have a website. (It is not hard to get a website, unless you want a really hard website to get.)
Here is a post from Earnie's Blog...one of my favorite interactive marketing bloggers. His points about multiple waves of marketing, and that online marketing is not about finding a silver bullet, are really applicable to business and marketing today.
Here is the link: Multiple Waves
Here is a post from Earnie's Blog...one of my favorite interactive marketing bloggers. His points about multiple waves of marketing, and that online marketing is not about finding a silver bullet, are really applicable to business and marketing today.
Here is the link: Multiple Waves
Monday, August 27, 2007
Scarcity as Strategy
I have attended a number of networking groups for small business owners over the past year. Many of the organizers of these groups create scarcity by not allowing duplication...that is, you can't ever be the second web developer, plumber, real estate agent, in these groups. I like this idea because it forces you to truly define what you do that is different.
For example, I went to a meeting a week ago and there were three coaches attending...each one was unique.
The other thing that many of these groups have done is to ban the ever-present financial advisor. There are so many of these people preying on these networking groups, that they have been banned. Not only are there too many of these folks, they don't participate in the mutual referrals that are the cornerstone of these groups.
This is what Seth Godin is writing about in a recent blog post from FOUR years ago.
The Scarcity Shortage
I believe these ideas are more appropriate today than they were four years ago.
For example, I went to a meeting a week ago and there were three coaches attending...each one was unique.
The other thing that many of these groups have done is to ban the ever-present financial advisor. There are so many of these people preying on these networking groups, that they have been banned. Not only are there too many of these folks, they don't participate in the mutual referrals that are the cornerstone of these groups.
This is what Seth Godin is writing about in a recent blog post from FOUR years ago.
The Scarcity Shortage
I believe these ideas are more appropriate today than they were four years ago.
...Continuing with the Sports Theme
I play tennis. I love tennis, and even though I am fast closing in on 40, I work hard each week to get better. There is always something to work on. I like playing with other people who are working hard to get better. I like playing with them even when they beat me!
I do not like playing with people who really aren't trying to improve. In tennis, often these are people who are called "pushers." They push the ball back over the net, without really making a shot, and without really taking a true swing. Tennis instructors will tell you, "you can play like that, but you will never get any better." Pushers have no follow through...which leads me to this post from Seth Godin.
Follow through is another sports training idea that is completely applicable to business.
I do not like playing with people who really aren't trying to improve. In tennis, often these are people who are called "pushers." They push the ball back over the net, without really making a shot, and without really taking a true swing. Tennis instructors will tell you, "you can play like that, but you will never get any better." Pushers have no follow through...which leads me to this post from Seth Godin.
Follow through is another sports training idea that is completely applicable to business.
Talk to yourself
Jerry Smith is a personal coach, and I read his blog when he does it!
Here is his latest post:Excuses, excuses
It made me think of another crossover between sports training and "training" for running your business.
There is an idea in training that if you know you are going to have to miss a day of training, then you should drop your hardest day that week. The idea is that you should not skip a recovery day, as those are the days that your body must have in order to grow stronger.
This, of course, runs counter to what most people would do.
To take this idea into the business realm, give yourself time to recover. Often you CAN push through a little fatigue and go to that networking group. However, if you are honestly out of energy, instead of dropping your recovery time, drop your "hard day." Then the next time that "hard day" comes around, realize it ahead of time, schedule it better, and execute.
By the way, Jerry, do you still want me to cover for you this Wednesday at that networking group?
Here is his latest post:Excuses, excuses
It made me think of another crossover between sports training and "training" for running your business.
There is an idea in training that if you know you are going to have to miss a day of training, then you should drop your hardest day that week. The idea is that you should not skip a recovery day, as those are the days that your body must have in order to grow stronger.
This, of course, runs counter to what most people would do.
To take this idea into the business realm, give yourself time to recover. Often you CAN push through a little fatigue and go to that networking group. However, if you are honestly out of energy, instead of dropping your recovery time, drop your "hard day." Then the next time that "hard day" comes around, realize it ahead of time, schedule it better, and execute.
By the way, Jerry, do you still want me to cover for you this Wednesday at that networking group?
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Your Marketing Community
Marketing is about connecting with a community ... your community.
Seth Godin (again!) blogs about this concept in his post: No Business Model.
The concept I have found myself trying to convince people of is that authentic content that is really relevant to a key group of people within your target market is much, much more valuable than a huge email blast spam campaign.
The problem is that people are comfortable with buying a list and sending a bunch of postcards... or emails...ugh. It's all about instant gratification..."we sent the emails on Tuesday, so then we should start seeing their effectiveness today..."
Instead, connecting to your community is a longer process, it takes a commitment to that group, it takes authentic content...stuff people really want to know.
It is slower, harder work...and a much more sustainable approach to growing your business.
I know it seems weird to embark on a project that won't give you immediate ROI numbers this week...but in six months...well, in six months you won't know where you will be either because if you are REALLY committed to authentic interaction with a group, they will take you places you never knew you would go.
Want to give it a try?
Seth Godin (again!) blogs about this concept in his post: No Business Model.
The concept I have found myself trying to convince people of is that authentic content that is really relevant to a key group of people within your target market is much, much more valuable than a huge email blast spam campaign.
The problem is that people are comfortable with buying a list and sending a bunch of postcards... or emails...ugh. It's all about instant gratification..."we sent the emails on Tuesday, so then we should start seeing their effectiveness today..."
Instead, connecting to your community is a longer process, it takes a commitment to that group, it takes authentic content...stuff people really want to know.
It is slower, harder work...and a much more sustainable approach to growing your business.
I know it seems weird to embark on a project that won't give you immediate ROI numbers this week...but in six months...well, in six months you won't know where you will be either because if you are REALLY committed to authentic interaction with a group, they will take you places you never knew you would go.
Want to give it a try?
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