Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Something to keep in mind

Derek Gehl mailed this to me. I think you need to have a share of it. The Internet is but a media, or, actually, a media toolbox. But it is no more than that. It is not a panacea, not an end-all, be-all for the entrepreneur seeking real, solid financial independence. To establish real wealth, there's more than one piece in the puzzle box! There are three big secrets to the success that I believe a lot of people miss or learn only slowly, expensively, and late. * SECRET #1: Diversity Equals Stability. Conversely, relying on any one thing excessively equals vulnerability. The worst number in business is: one. One product, one service, one media, one key employee, one key client If more than 10% to 20% of your income is dependent on any one thing, you're a Titanic en route to an iceberg. The smartest pencils in the box think: multiple. Multiple sources of income. Multiple means of acquiring customers. Multi-media This is not always welcome advice, especially by people temporarily making lots of money easily and cheaply, from one cheap media like the Internet. But I've been marketer and entrepreneur for more than 30 years. I've seen lots of change, sudden upheaval, and lots of financial wipe-outs by relying on 'one.' I've also seen people grow and sustain giant incomes by 'multiple,' not 'one.' That's why I so strongly urge a broad understanding and application of direct marketing, using multiple media. If you restrict either your education or your implementation to any one media, you're making a huge mistake. * SECRET #2: Income vs. Equity. Most marketers think only in terms of Present Income, not in terms of locked-in Future Income or Equity. But income equals income, here today, gone tomorrow. You need to develop a business that provides both. * SECRET #3: Sequential vs. Simultaneous. Most people try to achieve whatever success they seek sequentially. First, get an education. Next, a job. Next, a business. Next, make a good income. Next, save. Next, invest. Etc. Entrepreneurs who get wealthy live simultaneously, not sequentially. This is both a different mindset and use of a different set of practical skills. Observe, for example, Donald Trump, who I was on a seminar program with last year. Trump didn't get a hit TV show, then next in order, do a book, then next in order, aggressively leverage his brand beyond real estate, then next in order, start and complete one real estate project before beginning another, then next start speaking for $250,000.00 and up per speech, then next launch a magazine. He put things into motion simultaneously. And if you give yourself the excuses of "he was already successful" or "easy for him –- he has lots of resources," you miss the point. Success is all about resourcefulness, not waiting until you have resources. You attract resources by being resourceful. You attract more faster by massive, simultaneous action than timid, slow, sequential action.

1 comment:

jensmoneyspot said...

Nicely written! Multi-tasking is the way to go.