It is a new day, with new leadership, preparing to get us all back on the right track. Whether they introduce progress or not will be determined in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead. But that being said, here is something you need to come to grips with sooner rather than later.
The politicians, regardless of the label they place on themselves, their style or their beliefs, will not make you a winner as far as your business is concerned. YOU are driving YOUR bus. YOU. And it is time that YOU slide into the driver’s seat and put the “pedal to the metal.” It is time to accelerate your forward progress and for YOU to get back on the road.
I am not implying that you drive recklessly, or that you speed to make up for lost time. A single mistake at the wrong time could quickly destroy your progress to date. Spinning your wheels will get you no place. The first step is to recognize a mistake as being a mistake.
Marketing Mistake #1
You don’t know to whom you are marketing.
It is true that a blind squirrel manages to find a nut now and then. It is too easy, however, to fall into the trap of simply hanging your shingle that reads “Open for Business,” and hoping something good will come from it. The vast majority of agents I have met over the years had a genuine desire to succeed. Their “want” was right up there with the best of them. Their “do” however, was a bit lack-luster.
Yes. Selling is a numbers game.
Yes. There are millions of people who want and/or need your services.
Yes. No matter what you do, some mud will stick now and then – if you sling enough of it resulting in a few business transactions. But if you don’t have all the time in the world, then it is far more prudent to focus on a tightly specified area of interest.
Quite frankly, I don’t care what this focus involves or who it involves. I am simply reminding you that the tighter your focus, the more successful you will be in the long run. Know whom you want to do business with.
If you tell me to “go meet somebody,” I won’t know where to turn. If you tell me to “go meet that woman with the brown handbag standing next to the red car, the task becomes clear.
Harley bikers? Bus groups for seasoned people? School trips? Golf outings? Sporting events? Small businesses? Large businesses? Trips to Italy? Cruises? Home-based businesses? Owners of one-eyed dogs? These are only a few examples of focusing in on your target audience.
There are only four hundred million examples I could use. If you want a lesson in reality, as it relates to interest groups, take a field trip to your local Barnes & Noble book emporium and walk the magazine rack. Yes, there still is something known as a bookstore. (Visit one and you will instantly become refreshed and enthused.)
There is a magazine for virtually every hobby, trend, or whim in the universe… and there are hundreds of them… and more on the way.
As our planet continues to fill with people, they tend to hang with others who exhibit similar tastes. These are the groups I am asking you to identify. Once you know who you are going to market to, your life becomes instantly more enjoyable.
Don’t take my word for it. Try it and see for yourself. Keep in mind however, you will find that this to be easier said than done. Most worthwhile things are.
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club. Send for details.
