... but there's nothing quite like attending a seminar or lecture.
Not only does your brain get new knowledge, but your body gets out of the office and exposed to new stimuli.
And your network gets a boost when you meet other like-minded people.
Win-win-win.
That happened to me today in spades at Seth Godin's lecture at The Pantages Theatre, part of his road show to cities across America. (That's Seth, at left, chatting with a woman after his talk.)
Here are 3 new ideas I took away from Seth, any one of which can build your business. Which will you try first?
1. "If your goal is to be perfect, it's hard to be remarkable."
People don't rave about a watch that keeps time or a taxi driver who doesn't get lost. If perfection is expected in your business, consider changing how you do business.
Action Step: Seek out new activities where there is no perfect and you can go off the charts -- because there are no charts. You can start by doing the unexpected for your clients.
Like Will Gorashi, the airport taxi driver who asked me a crazy question: "What kind of music would you like to hear on the radio?" After 20 years of flying to places like London, Tokyo, New York, and Saskatoon, this was a first.
Cost to him: $0. Rewards to him? He gets my business every time I go to the airport.
2. "People who haven't bought from you either know you're no good or they're afraid."
Since 99% of first-time visitors to your web site won't buy, and you probably are good at what you do, the vast majority of people who don't buy from you are simply afraid of making a mistake.
Action Step: Remember that we buy from people that we like.
So, try to make a friend before you make a sale. Don't be like the insurance guy who tried to sell me a policy on his first email contact last week -- doh!
3. "The iPod is good at some things, bad at others. The Zune is a big pile of compromise."
You can't be all things to all clients.
Action Step: Define your ideal client. Then, speak directly to them. Define your nightmare client. Ignore them.
Test: If your marketing is not turning off -- even offending -- at least one group of people, you're doing it wrong.
I learned way more than just 3 new things, of course, but I'm on a tight deadline for a copywriting project, so stay tuned for the other ideas in the coming days.
Meanwhile, do this: Visit The Learning Annex or a similar resource and find a seminar to attend in the next 30 days. Your brain, your body, and your bank account will thank you.
Great post! I loved the talk, although I wish chose the full day ticket.
ReplyDeleteI think my brain would have overloaded after a full day of Seth. That's a compliment to him, of course.
ReplyDeleteInstead, I did something oddly effective ....
I checked into a hotel downtown after the seminar and spent the rest of the day implementing as many of his ideas as I could. It worked out very well.
Ideas are nice, but actions are how we get paid.