The Success Center

This is the age of amplification–where news, opinions, and reviews go further and faster than ever before. This is both good and bad for the Christian Entrepreneur.

It’s good because if what you’re selling is great, with just a little bit of communication, you can get it in to the hands of people quicker. But, if what you’re selling sucks [1], there isn’t enough PR out there to change the opinions of people. Because people are quicker to believe their friends than your ads.

And with all the changing marketing techniques there’s a need for changeless marketing principles that work regardless of product or service. And there’s one Person that’s been using these strategies for years–the greatest marketing phenom the world has ever seen:the Master Marketer Himself, Jesus.

Jesus was a Master Marketer!

He had no marketing budget and still gained such a following that most Chief Marketing Officer’s would’ve passed out from disbelief; He used no ads and still thousands showed up to hear Him speak!

In only three and a half years He preached a Message that still continues on to this day!

So its safe to say we could probably learn a few things from Him. So, here they are… some tips from the Master Marketer Himself:

Have a great product

Not a good product, not an ok product, not a status quo product…but a great product!

When the people of  Samaria heard a woman raving about Jesus–they ran to see for themselves. When they saw what He was offering themselves, they were impressed:

“Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard Him ourselves. Now we know that He is indeed the Savior of the world.’” [2]

I warn you: don’t make a big hype if what you’re offering doesn’t match the hype! You will regret it.

Let people try it for free

When getting His Message out there Jesus didn’t charge people.

He didn’t say,

“Ok, if you want Me to heal your eye that’s $50. What that’s a withered hand? Yeah that goes for $45. Raise your daughter from the dead? Whew…that ’s our special of the week…its gonna cost ya!”

If you want to get the word out about your great product, let people who need it try it.

• That’s what William P.Young did to get the word out about his book The Shack. He and two freelance editors–Wayne Jacobsen and Brad Cummings–were rejected by traditional publishers and decided to publish it themselves. They introduced it to the the Christian Community through a series of podcasts–described as “an ever expanding conversation among those thinking outside the box of organized religion.” With only $250 spent on marketing these unknowns, with no national platform,  had a book that has sold into the millions, and the rest is history (Faith Based Marketing, pgs 87 and 89)
• That’s what Rick Warren did for Purpose-Driven Life. Years before he wrote his first book, Purpose Driven Church and followed it up with a website: Pastors.Com. The membership of the website grew to 85,000 pastors who saw Warren as trusted advisor. He enlisted their help with the PDL book–asking them to conduct the “40 day campaign” in their churches. He gave away 400,000 copies of  the $20 book for $7 to churches and congregations that agreed. Within two months, those 400,000 spokespeople pushed sales to two million, and  the rest is history (Faith Based Marketing, pgs 85-86)
• That’s what Mel Gibson did to market The Passion of the Christ. When he approached movie executives about producing the movie nobody wanted to go near it. So Gibson decided to fund it himself using $30 million of his own money. Not having much money left to marketing (it usually costs $40 million for marketing, he only had $15 million) he tried an unconventional approach: letting pastors see it for free.  They started small–showing only a few pastors, but it grew exponentially. One of the final screenings was at Willow Creek Church. After the showing, Bill Hybels took the stage and spoke for the 5,000 pastors in attendance: “All right, what do you need us to do?” (Faith Based Marketing, pgs 87, 89) And with $611,899,420 in gross sales the rest is history.
• That’s what Timothy Ferriss did to promote his book The Four Hour Work Week. He called successful authors and asked them how they promoted their books. They gave him two answers: radios and bloggers. Since radio was losing its influence he decided to rely on bloggers. He went to a blogger event, met the ones he wanted to meet, established relationships, and then asked them to do a review. They did. And with the book becoming the #1 New Times, the #1 Wall Street Journal, and the #1 Businessweek bestseller the rest is history.
• That’s what Seth Godin did to promote his first best seller. He built a website, sent out an email asking people if they wanted to read 1/4 of his book for free, some did and some didn’t (most of the one’s that didn’t just plopped down money to buy the whole book!). And with multiple bestsellers under his belt, the rest is history!
• That’s what Rod Kirby did to promote his new E-book. And with hundreds of visits to the site, tons of downloads, and plenty of good reviews the rest is history!

The Bible says Jesus went all over Galilee, using synagogues for meeting places, teaching  people the truth of God.

And…

“He healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives.”

What happened next?

“Word got around the entire Roman province of Syria. People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical. Jesus healed them, one and all. More and more people came, the momentum gathering. Besides those from Galilee, crowds came from the ‘Ten Towns’ across the lake, others up from Jerusalem and Judea, still others from across the Jordan.” [3]

In other words, word about this Guy spread near and far!

Give it to people who want it…not to everybody.

In the middle of His ministry Jesus decided to stop by His hometown.

And “on the Sabbath, He gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. ‘We had no idea He was this good!’ they said. ‘How did He get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?’ But in the next breath they were cutting Him down: ‘He’s just a carpenter—Mary’s Boy. We’ve known Him since He was a kid. We know His brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and His sisters. Who does He think He is?’ They tripped over what little they knew about Him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further.” [4]

So because of their unbelief He didn’t do much miracles.

What He was selling was good, but they didn’t buy into Him and therefore couldn’t buy into His product (or Message).

So what did He do? Fight with them? Beg them to believe Him? Do more miracles in spite of their unbelief? Nope! He just left. Went somewhere else. He went other places where He’d be more receptive.

Stop fighting people who don’t believe you (or in you)…especially when there  are others that do. Stop wasting your time and go find those people. Rick Warren didn’t market to atheists, William P. Young didn’t market to people comfortable with religion, Gibson only showed screenings to conservative Christian and religious groups (even refusing to include those that initially criticized the film), Timothy Ferriss didn’t go after those interested in a 9-5 lifestyle, and Seth Godin gave books to those that wanted it!

Service Your  Best Customers

Not all customers are created equal. Remember: 20% of your customers will buy your stuff. That 20% will market you the best, talk about you the most, and defend you with all their strength.

Jesus spent time with thousands of people but He revealed Himself the most to the 12 disciples. When He left it was the 12 (Matthias replacing Judas) who spread the Gospel and turned the world upside down! Jesus spent His time with His best customers and as a result got His product into the hands (and hearts) of millions. Would He have received the same return spreading Himself to the masses?? Probably not.

Do whatever you have to do to keep in contact with your best customers!

Now do you see what I mean? Jesus was a Master Marketer. And if You follow Him, have a great product, and use His examples you’ll be one too…even in a market like this.

What are you thoughts?

1. By “sucks” I mean the dictionary definition: “To be objectionable or inadequate.”
2. John 4:42 (New Living Translation)
3. Matthew 4: 23-25 (The Message)
4. Mark 6: 2-3 (The Message)

Mike Holmes is the author of I Shall Raise Thee Up: Ancient Principles for Lasting Greatness. He’s also a blogger that writes on business and leadership development from a Biblical perspective. When he’s not writing blogs or speaking he can be found writing bios in the third person. Check out his website/blog here.

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Image by Joe Cannibal

There’s an organization out to stop your progress. It performs acts of sabotage covertly on your path to success to stop you from ever making it to your promised land. This group is called, FEAR.They are the reason you find it so hard to start a business, plan an event, write a book, or start the thing God has put in your heart to create. My friend and author, Paul Wilson, Jr., defines fear as thoughts or feelings that create a mental prison of anxiety & apprehension, preventing positive forward progress.

In order to combat this worthy opponent you first have to understand how FEAR operates. The group infiltrates your thoughts and tells you you’re too busy, you don’t have the right equipment, or it’s too hard to accomplish. Then they take over your eyes and when you look into the vision God wants to give you all you see are giants in the land. Lastly they monitor your hands and they make sure that you never reach or grasp the tools God already has for you to keep you idle.

But, there is a secret to defeating this black ops organization. It’s rooted in American’s favorite past-time, the game of baseball. What FEAR would have you to do is not even step up to the plate and take a swing at bat. FEAR wants to make sure that you forfeit the game even before the game starts. FEAR will put so much pressure on you to make a home-run that you’ll stare at the bat long before you even pick it up. What you have to realize is that the game is not won with one swing and one swing only . . . it’s won in innings!

Here are 5 sure fire ways to defeat FEAR, inning by inning, score home-runs, and win the big game;

1. Get to know your Umpire – God is the umpire of every game. He officiates the game, He calls the fouls, He’ll make sure you’ll have everything you need to win the game. I say it all the time, but it’s true, if God gave you the vision then He’ll provide you with everything you need to build it. Get to know Him and He’ll make sure you understand how to use the tools He provides.

2. Break the Game Down – Of course you want to win the game, but what’s your strategy for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings? If you’re going to start consulting, what’s your strategy for marketing, what’s your process for turning prospects into clients, and how are you going to generate leads? Don’t get so overwhelmed with the idea that you never start to work it. Take it a step at a time and break it down into “bite-sized” pieces instead of trying to swallow chunks at a time.

3. Create a Game Plan – no one ever went to war without a plan. Period. You don’t have to create the world’s most thorough and in-depth business plan; but you need to have an idea of where you want to go and how to get there.

4. Ask your teammates for help – Baseball isn’t won by the hands of one person, it’s a team sport so get together a team of advisers and ask for feedback on your business plan. When I started my first business which was a video game tournament company, I had just graduated high school. So, I went back to my favorite teachers and asked them to be on my advisers board and they gave me a wealth of advice and support for my business.

5. Hit the Ball! – You have to start somewhere, just hit the ball already. Don’t worry about making a home-run on your first hit. Let’s get to first base, make adjustments once we’re there, and figure out how to make it to second after that. It doesn’t matter if you go to the library to research whatever it is that you want to start, read up on blogs that pertain to your industry, or go to seminars and learn something new. Do something! Remember, fouling out is better than striking out!

Bonus: Write down 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

So, the next time you start thinking that your dream is to big to accomplish, remember the game of baseball. Don’t just stare at the bat . . . pick it up and do something with it! So, what are you afraid of? What part of your business appears to big to make it a reality? I’ll tell you mine: I want to make big budget Christian movies (rivaling Hollywood!). For the longest time I thought it was impossible, but now I find myself networking with producers, starting scripts, and other things to make this dream a reality. I’m not there yet, but at least I’ve stepped up to the plate.

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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Update: 2/15/2010 – Due to the overwhelming response to this article, an enhanced e-book version of the same name has been published. 20 pages will show you how to maximize Twitter for your business, blog, and brand. Download the FREE e-book here!

The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Twitter Success

Twitter is an excellent marketing platform for entrepreneurs to grow their business, blog traffic, or brand. You’ll find plenty of social media marketing gurus that want to sell you a system to get 500 new followers a day, make zillions of dollars in referrals, and increase your blog traffic by 2000% in 30 minutes. However, I’ve got an ultimate weapon that will guarantee you long-term business success on Twitter.

“Giving-to-get” is my ultimate weapon when it comes to marketing on Twitter. I touched on this concept in last week’s post, “The Biggest Marketing Secret – Ever, Finally Revealed”

What’s Twitter All About?

If you’ve been living under a digital rock for the past two years and you don’t know what Twitter is, then check out my article, Are you a Twitter Newbie or Power User? When you’re done, come back to this article and join the rest of us.

One thing to note about Twitter is that it’s a platform for engagement, sharing, and connecting – not just for marketing. Using it for marketing alone would dub it as a tool . . .

“A tool is typically used once and discarded (in other words, something useful but not valuable). A platform is something solid used to stand on. Something sturdy you can build something on top of.” – myself in an interview with @latarahamying for her blog. Check out the full interview here: Savvy Marketing Moments With Rod “the Success Coach” Kirby

If you want to successfully generate traffic to your blog, website, or grow your business on Twitter, here are a few things you should do;

Find Your Voice

Your Twitter voice is equal to what you share and how you brand yourself. If you’ve been on Twitter for a while, it’s easiest to figure out your voice by how people list you (or, how they categorize you). You can read more about Twitter lists from Twitter’s official blog. If you’re new to Twitter or aren’t listed then you need to find your voice.

It’s important to know exactly how you’re going to represent yourself on Twitter – this determines if people will relate to you and your Tweets. Take a look at the graphic on the right. From it we can see that “I am the voice of Business, Marketing, Social Media, and the Life Coach.”

Tips for Finding Your Voice;

• Know who you are
• Know what you want to achieve on Twitter
• Look within your industry
• Look at the popular people you follow

Update Consistently

Ever follow someone only to realize that they update maybe once a month? And when they update it’s never anything useful or cool, it’s just random like;

“Just woke up, about to get some breakfast . . .”

If this is you, please, quietly excuse yourself from Twitter . . . you’re hogging up my stream. Consistency will breed consistent followers and traffic. The key is to find the right balance and not post too much or too little, but get into the sweet spot of your flow.

Tips on Updating Consistently;

• At Home – find the best time of day when there are the least amount of distractions and go for it.
• On the Go – Use tools like, Ping.fm to update on the go, especially if you’re a busy person.

Organize or Participate in Twitter Activities

Remember, Twitter is a platform for connecting with like-minded people, so CONNECT! Get into Tweet chats whether they’re live streams or standard chats. I organized a short-lived event called the “Monday Morning Rockstar Challenge”

The idea was to kill the Monday blues by encouraging productivity. I would give the winner a shout-out in a “winner announcement” blog post which made people feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Plenty of people participated, but we just couldn’t keep the momentum going. It was definitely fun while it lasted.

Organize your own games or events on Twitter by using Tweetgrid for chats or Tweetchat for a live Q&A (at the time of this posting, the Tweetchat site was down). By taking the initiative you’ll position yourself as a leader and people will flock to you when they’re in need.

Share Useful links

Twitter is a platform for sharing which is critical to getting quality traffic, leads, and followers. When you jump into the ecosystem of sharing that’s when your level of success will rise. I share articles that I find on marketing, blogging, success, tech news, and more. Whatever I think someone will find useful and promote my Twitter voice/brand.

Here are a few tools you can use to share good stuff with good people on Twitter;

• Google Reader – I always shout this tool out because it’s such a big part of my social media strategy. Use it to follow, read, comment, and share your favorite blogs across multiple networks. You can find a bunch of the articles I share on Twitter on my Google Reader Shared Page.
• Feedly for Google Reader – This is an awesome plugin (compatible for Firefox and Chrome) for Google Reader that gives it a magazine-like interface. Best part of all, when you’re logged into feedly and visiting a website in another tab, you can save, favorite, or share that article while you’re browsing.
• Google Blog Search – This is by far the best way to look content, discover new blogs, and share it with your network.
• AllTop - This great service indexes the top headlines from different websites and blogs. It’s great for finding “what’s happening” in your industry.

Share Multimedia Content

The great thing about Twitter is the amount of diverse content you can find. Don’t just settle for 140 characters, show people the world around you, videos you find on the web, or other details. I do this through my Tumblr blog which is nothing more than great multimedia content that I find and share from around the web. I’ve got it to share on Twitter whenever I create a new post automatically so I don’t have to “double post.”

You can easily share multimedia content by using these services;

• Twitpic – great for photo sharing from your PC or mobile device
• Twitvid – excellent for sharing videos from your computer, mobile device, or even a webcam
• Many of your favorite websites like Youtube, Flickr, and Digg support sharing to Twitter (links take you to my profiles on each). It’s all a matter of finding quality content to share!

Don’t Talk to Yourself

The first thing I look at when deciding on who to follow is whether or not they actually engage in conversations or if they just talk to themselves. You’ve seen him/her before, they spew out link after link promoting their projects and never talk to anyone. Remember, it’s called, SOCIAL media for a reason. Don’t be afraid to start conversations, re-tweet, and engage with others.

Make an Offer

If you’ve done all of the above in some capacity then you will have earned the trust, loyalty, and admiration of those that follow you. You will have added value to their streams and they’ll love you for it. If this sounds like you then you have earned the opportunity to make an offer. Not to ask for a sale. But, to craft a tweet of significant importance to your business, blog, or brand and put it out there for everyone to click and share.

Note: Don’t abuse the opportunity by tweeting that offer too much. I like to promote blog posts at different times through the day but only after I’ve shared good content.

Lightning Round – My Quick Tips

Here are a few things that I do, personally, that gets me more traffic, followers, and business;

• Schedule Tweets During Peak Usage Times – I use Hootsuite to schedule quotes, new blog post announcements, calls to action, etc. Just be sure to check in and engage everyone once in a while!
• Address People by Their Real Name – Make your conversations more personable and direct. This reinforces trust and builds a genuine relationship between you and the other person.
• Ask Questions Give Answers – There’s a wealth of information waiting on you in the form of your followers and vice versa. Don’t let it go to waste!
• Offer Your Best Advice – I regularly give out information that I would typically charge people to get in my coaching sessions. However, giving your best advice puts you on people’s mind when a need arises.
• Accept Quality Followers, Not All - I have a low follow to follower percentage by choice. With my 200 followers I have a stream of people I can count on and that’s super valuable to me. I’m more capable of focusing on a few hundred than a few thousand.
• Be a Tease - Got a blog post you’re working on? Give out teasers throughout the day until you finish it. You’ll grow anticipation and people are more willing to share it if they’re waiting on it.
• Be Original - Sharing links is all fine and dandy, but don’t forget to share original wisdom, knowledge, or information that people can’t get anywhere else. It solidifies you as a quality person to follow.

Remember, Twitter is more than a marketing tool – it’s a platform for building, engaging, and sharing. If you take the time to maximize the tools presented in this article you’ll get more followers, blog traffic, and business. What would you add to this list? What tips would you offer to entrepreneurs looking to make it big on Twitter? Share your thoughts below.

Reminder: Please, rate this article by selecting the star system under my picture. Thanks!

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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According to Wikipedia there are around 38 specialized areas of marketing. They break it down by either the type of product you advertise or how you advertise your product. Today, I want to share with you the greatest marketing secret I learned a couple of years ago.

It’s called content creation marketing or the “give to get” model. Essentially you create content that educates, inspires, or empowers people and give it away for free in hopes of getting something in return. That could be information, sales leads, actual sales, or something else that’s valuable to your business.

This form of marketing is effective for the entrepreneur because it delivers value to the customer at the beginning of the relationship instead of at the end of a transaction. Social media marketing is only an extremely popular form of word-of-mouth advertising (idea being, if people like you they’ll eventually buy from you). Content creation marketing takes it a step further by giving people something to talk about.

How can you maximize this form of marketing for your business? Here are a few thoughts;

Start Writing: You can start a blog, write e-books, or create white papers (detailed studies). The key is to come up with something extremely valuable that you can give away. Out of all of these, blogging gives you the most return on investment. Sure, people can share an e-book or white paper once, but blog posts stay in a constant stream of sharing – especially if it’s good content. When it comes to blogging, the rule of thumb is, if you feel like you’re giving away too much . . . then you’re on the right track. Here’s my best advice on blogging;

• 8 Magazine Strategies that add Value to Your Blog

• 3 Magazine Advertising Strategies for Blogging Success

• How to Create an Editorial Calendar for Your Blog

• 5 Keys to Blogging Success

• How to Grow Your Blog’s Community in 3 Easy Steps

Start a Show: Youtube, Vimeo, and other video sites are absolutely huge right now. A video has more of a chance to “go viral” than almost any other form of content. Once you have someone’s attention and you’ve delivered something of value, you’ve earned the right to make an offer. Here are some ideas on what kind of videos to make;

• Interviews – set-up meetings with key people in your industry and ask them questions from a customer’s point of view.

• “How to’s” - show people “how to” use a specific product, service, or how to accomplish a task.

• Best Practices/Tips – I’m a big fan of learning how to do stuff better. Show people the best way to accomplish a goal or objective.

Video Blog: If you don’t have anything super important to share then share your everyday life. Video-blogging is still pretty engaging on a content level. People love to “go behind the scenes” of other people’s lives (that’s why reality TV is so popular). Want some advice on how to produce that A-list video blog? Here you go;

• Focus on a topic – No one wants to sit and watch you ramble on and on about nothing in particular. Gather your thoughts and drill down to the important stuff in your video.
• Spend a Little Money – I absolutely hate watching low quality videos on Youtube and so do you. If all you’re going to do is produce videos then spend a little money on a decent camera. You can get a Kodak Zi6 HD Pocket Video Camera (Amazon Aff link) for only $130 on Amazon right now. That’s what I use to produce my “Inside the Success” web show.
• Become a Production Engineer – Ok, not really. But, don’t forget the importance of good sound and lighting for your videos. Unfortunately, you won’t get the best audio from a Flip or Kodak pocket camera far away. But if you get right on your subject and stay in good light, your video will turn out awesome.

Get on the Radio: Before this whole internet thingy took off people used to listen to radio shows (come on, you know that’s funny). Why not start your own? I use Blogtalkradio to produce my “Inside the Success,” show. Here are a few suggestions on producing your best show;

• Plan Ahead – Don’t “jump in” the water without knowing which ocean you’re in. Get your solid show idea on paper first and plan for success.

• Pick a Niche – Don’t interview random people or discuss random topics. Just like blogging, choose an area of expertise that you can own, flesh out good topics, and choose guests based on those first.

• Have a Back-up Plan – Things don’t always go as planned, especially if you’re doing a live show. Have plan-b at the ready. That could be, having a second guest at your fingertips if your primary guest doesn’t call-in. Having a second phone to call-in with if your primary goes dead. Whatever you need to get the job done, just be prepared.

• Cancel Noise – I’ve done a couple of interviews where I was outside, in my car, and a firetruck drove by or my dog started barking because of a siren going off. Now, I run the show in-doors, put the dog up, turn off phone ringers, and etc. Do whatever it takes to make sure listeners can listen!

Content creation can be time consuming but it pays off in dividends! Unlike traditional marketing techniques you put the customer’s needs first instead of throwing them a sales pitch. If you don’t have their needs in-mind then your content will lack power and the influence you’ll need for them to eventually buy. Do you agree or disagree? How do you market your products and services? What works for you? Share your thoughts below.

Note: Enjoyed these tips? Subscribe to my Success Tips Newsletter 2.0 to explore marketing your business even more. I’ll be sending out the first issue for 2010 later today. Take a look at past issues in the Email Archive.

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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Welcome to “5 Free ways to market your business,” a series on entrepreneurial success.

I get asked a lot, “Rod, how in the world do I advertise my business when I can barely afford to pay my bills every month?”

Well, in this day and age there are many things you can do to “get the word out” about your business venture or company. And lucky for us, most of them are free!

5 Free Ways to Market your business: Introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

What is marketing?

Simply put, marketing is the answer to “how am I going to get the word out about my company, product, or service?” It’s the way new prospects find out about what your company has to offer. Advertising your product or service is extremely easy when you have a large budget set aside for it. But what happens when your marketing budget is whopping zero dollars? What do you do when you’re budget is tighter than a pair of pants bought at too small a size?

That’s when you get creative! God gave us creative minds to help us get out of tough situations in unique ways. Entrepreneurs are creative by nature. Before I share with you some great ways to market your business on a shoe-string budget lets confront some typical myths about marketing.

Myth #1 – “I have to hire a professional to help me get a maximum return on my marketing investment.”

Truth – Actually, a professional would be great to consider as your company grows. Marketing consultants usually have relationships built with marketing firms, media outlets, and the like. However, your greatest marketing investment is actually yourself. It’s easy to throw a few dollars at a consultant and tell them to get you a TV and radio spot. But, when every dollar counts, you have to put your own foot forward, set a plan in motion, and work it like you’re running for president.

Myth #2 – “It takes money to make money. If I want new clients I’ll have to spend a little to get them to patronize my business.”

Truth – Not at all! The techniques that I share will cost you nothing at all or very little if anything. The world teaches us that it costs more money to get new customers than it does to keep old ones. But if you follow the examples below, then you’ll be able to have your old customers sending you new customers absolutely free!

Myth #3 – “Email marketing is better than direct mail marketing, newspaper ads are better than radio ads, vice verse, and etc,”

Truth – No one form of marketing is better or more effective than the other. It really comes down to how the tool is used. Most would agree that television ads reach more people at one time than most forms of advertising. However, if I’m in the car selling business and I place my ad on a daytime cartoon show for kids, then my entire campaign is ineffective. A smart marketer knows that the different tools of marketing are to be combined in a creative and functional fashion that generates the results he or she wants.

That does it for the myths behind marketing today. Stay tuned because tomorrow I’ll show you how developing your own in-house marketing materials is one of the best ways to market your business for free!

What do you think are some other misconceptions or myths about marketing and advertising? Sound off in the comments below!

5 Free Ways to Market your business: Introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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Earlier this year I spoke at a business book camp hosted at a local community college. I was a guest business coach and my job was to help these small groups of participants create a business plan in under 5 hours. One participant asked me a question that I still get asked pretty frequently,

“How will you know when it’s time to quit your job and start your business?”

The honest truth is, no one can tell you when it’s time to quit your job and pursue your passions. That’s between you, God, and how well prepared you are to step out on your own. Everything I do here at The Success Center, Inside the Success, and coaching is part-time. I work a full-time job and you better believe that I’m beyond ready to quit, but . . . in the right season. However, until that season arrives I’m still going to do my job to the best of my abilities no matter how bad I’m ready to give it up and take SBLS Media (the parent company to all of my media properties) full-time.

With that said, here are a few things that I’m going to make sure are in place before I quit my day job. (And, of course, I would suggest you do the same!)

1. Work your vision like a full-time job – That way, when it starts bringing in full-time money you can quit. Pretty simple right? But it’s really the key to getting your briefcase out of your bosses office and into your own. At my job I work around 8 or 8.5 hours and when I get home I dedicate at least 3 hours to everything you’re interacting with here. Three hours is the minimum, but I usually work up to six. It just depends on what I’m doing.

I work 7 days a week which includes work, writing articles, doing interviews, coaching, etc. So, if you’re really serious about taking your business full-time then be prepared to become a work-a-holic. Great if you’re already one like me, but don’t be scared if you’re not one yet. Your time is manageable and it’ll get better once you take it full-time.

Note: Make sure the business that you’re starting is something you’re really passionate about. I love sharing information in these articles, hosting the radio show, and other things that I do. It really keeps me going!

2. Quit on Good Terms – If you decide to quit make sure you don’t burn any bridges so you can easily go back to work if you have to. I’m not trying to jinx you or anything, but if something were to happen with the business you’re going to need a safety net. Let’s make sure you don’t turn that in when you quit your day job.

3. Save 3 months worth of salary - This is what financial planners will tell you when you’re saving an emergency fund. Wiser business people might tell you to save at least 6 months for a financial cushion during rough times. But, I think 3 months is good enough to start with for general expenses. Remember, if God gave you the vision, He’ll give you the tools (money, equipment, resources, etc.) to make it happen.

4. Prepare your Family – If you have a family, make sure they are prepared for the change. Not the change of seeing you at home more often, but the financial one. This means, you might have to cut back on certain expenses, eating out, going to the movies, etc. If you’re married, sit down with your spouse and go over the game plan which should include your business plan, marketing plan, and household budget.

5. Prepare Yourself – Taking a venture full-time really means that you’re in business to support the business and yourself. When times get a little rough you might have to decide whether to pay bills or eat. (Hate to sound so drastic, but I’ve been there.) Are you ready for that? Prepare yourself by living under your means for a month and see if you can handle it. Seriously, it’s a good test of perseverance. This will require strict budgeting, maximizing current resources, family, and friends.

6. Pray (Nuff Said!) – Before I make any life changing decisions I go to God and He leads me in the right direction, everytime. Being spiritually in-tune really makes these types of decisions easy. Just remember that making the decision is the easy part, trusting the decision, and following through really requires faith.

Let me hear from you. Do you currently run a business full-time? If so, how did you know when the right time to quit your day job was? If you’re feeling like me and ready to quit your job and take your vision full-time, what else do you think is necessary to “step out?” Sound off in the comments below!

Update: 1/12/2010: This article was originally published in August 2009 which, a month later God saw fit to move me into new territories as a full-time flight attendant. The move has allowed me to devote more time to growing this blog and to connect with entrepreneurs across the country. Watch this video explaining how God Repositioned Me for Success.

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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Archive “Super Star” Spotlight: I thought it would be a good idea to start spotlighting a couple of posts that are buried in the archives. Some of you are fairly new to this site and others are lifelong followers (you are, aren’t you?). No matter what category you fall into, I’m sure there’s at least 1 article here you haven’t read. Enjoy one of the most popular articles here at The Success Center!

8 Magazine Strategies that add Value to Your Blog

If you’ve been keeping up with the news then you know that newspaper and magazine readership is in a bit of a decline. Most of that stems from new media technologies such as blogs, social networks, and all things “world wide web.” The emergence of these technologies has given everyday moms, dads, grandmas, and uncle Joes the ability to funnel news, information, and resources more efficiently than their parent media brethren. But don’t count out newspapers or magazines just yet. There are still a lot of things they do, that we as bloggers, can learn and apply to our own projects.

This weekend I took a trip to the bookstore to do a little research. My goal was to find out what techniques big brand magazines use to advertise, engage with their readers, and add value to their content. Here are the results of my research and a few tips on maximizing them for your blog;

1. Offer a free download with your newsletter subscription – Source: Success Magazine
   Strategy: First and foremost let me say that if you’re not currently offering a newsletter of any kind on your blog or website then you’re sorely missing out on a huge opportunity to connect intimately with your visitors/readers/audience. Your newsletter can be delivered via email daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or whatever floats your boat directly to your reader’s in boxes. Success Magazine offers a single MP3 audio download of a motivational speech. How long would it take for you to record one of your best articles and offer it as a free download for your newsletter?
   Why is it important?: For starters it’s a great incentive for people to sign-up. Secondly, who doesn’t like getting free stuff?
2. Develop an “Advisors Board” – Source: Success Magazine
   Strategy: An Advisors Board is a list of big name columnist that contribute to the magazine on a monthly basis. For Success Magazine that included Zig Ziglar, John Maxwell, and others. For you it could be other bloggers that you connect with that have similar goals and want to reach the same target audience. The key is to offer whomever is going to contribute to your blog more than just “an opportunity” to write for you. Dedicate a page for them which will display their profile and links to connect with them. Developing an Advisors Board is really kind of like partnering. It should be a win-win situation for everyone involved.
   Why is it important?: It adds value to your audience because they get to read articles from a different point of view or with a different style. It changes things up and plus, you get to take a little break from posting.
   Note: Guest posting is a common practice but it’s typically a one-time deal. An Advisors Board would be based on a continual and consistent posting basis.
3. Create an “Editor’s Note” – Source: Every major magazine
   Strategy: Whenever you open up a magazine you’ll see a letter from the editor. It’s typically a note that outlines the month’s issue and what to look for inside. But I would challenge you to take it a step further by doing it with video. A short clip introducing readers to your site, defining your blogging goals, or just saying hello to your audience.
   Why is it important?: It’s a great way to connect with your readers “from the jump.” It also reaffirms your personal brand by showcasing your character and not just your image (People get to see who you really are).
4. Do Book Reviews – Source: Success from Home Magazine
   Strategy: A lot of magazines offer short reviews of books they recommend along with web links to get more information on the title. However, as a blogger, you’re at an advantage because of the web. Instead of writing a review, do a video review. One blogger that does this well is Chris Brogan. Not only does he do quick, laid back, reviews, but he adds his Amazon affiliate link for the products below the video.
   Why is it important?: It’s another great way to share who you are and what you’re about. It’s another form of connection between you and your readers. Some of you already recommend books to your friends, why not do it publicly?
   Tip: Don’t just do a review a book to make a quick buck with affiliate links. Recommend something you have read or would read yourself.
5. Write “List” style articles – Source: Black Enterprise
   Strategy: I love the way Black Enterprise creates huge lists of just about anything you can think of when it comes to business. “100 Most Powerful Executives, 100 Best Service Companies, etc.”
   Why is it important?: The list article is easy to read, adds a ton of value to any blog, and never gets old. Sure, there’s a lot of research involved on the front end, but it’s smooth sailing once you start putting it together.
6. Create a Resources Page – Source: Entrepreneur Magazine
   Strategy: This one is a good one. Share information, tools, links, and other info that helps your blogging community.
   Why is it important?: It’s a sign that you’re a part of the community too and that you don’t have all the answers. Your visitors will appreciate, care, and respect you more for sharing.
7. “Ask the Expert” (Reader Q&A) – Source: Leadership Magazine
   Strategy: This was a great technique that utilized an expert in a specific field to answer reader questions in the magazine. The expert can be yourself or you can reach out to someone else (there’s the advisors board idea). Either way it goes don’t just write useful articles, share tips, and resources with your readers . . . become a problem solver. Darren Rowse from Problogger uses his twitter account to connect with his readers and answers their questions on his blog. Great use of social networking!
   Why is it important?: It’ll increase your expert status a hundred fold, encourage community participation, and adds value to your reader’s lives and not just the blog.
8. Make Subscribing Easy! – Source: All Major Magazines
   Strategy: In every magazine that I flipped through at least 5 or more “subscription” cards fell out around me. The pages were literally littered with them! It dawned on me that they made subscribing to the magazine easy. As a blogger you have to make sure that you’re giving readers and first time visitors the opportunity to stay informed and connected with your site. Do it by offering subscription links after your posts, in your sidebar, on your about page, and even on your contact page. Make it easy.
   Why is it important?: It’s a no brainer! The more subscribers you have the greater impact your content is making in the online community.

And there you have it. I hope this list was useful to you as it has been for me. Looking over it again, it’s kind of dawned on me that I have a lot of work to do. The best way to maximize this list is to print it out and check things off as you implement them on your blog. I made it a personal goal to tackle at least half of the items on the list this week. You should see my results over the next couple of days. This list is, of course, not everything you can learn from a magazine so please feel free to add to it in the comments below. What are some of your favorite magazines and how do they engage, connect, or add value to their readers?

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About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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If you could be any celebrity, business mogul, or leader who would you be? Who do you most admire, adore, and wish you could trade shoes with?

Most of us [me in included] would kill to be as [or more] successful as the people we see on television, read about in magazines, receive tweets from, are a fan of on Facebook, or read blogs from. It’s human nature to desire more for our lives and even envy the accomplishments of others.

I was on a coaching call last week and my client’s goal was to take his life and business to the next level. He mentioned that he wants to model his business after, social media super star, Chris Brogan.

Going deeper into the conversation he begin too compare Chris’s accomplishments to his own and quickly realized that how long of journey was ahead of him. It really upset me when my client began too compare what he didn’t have to what Chris does have.

This is the advice I gave to him . . .

Dear Chris;

First of all,

Chris Brogan doesn’t have super powers, can’t leap tall buildings in a single-bound, and wasn’t born in a manger. His blog isn’t “totally awesome,” aesthetically speaking, and if it weren’t for a few pics and graphics, it would be really bland. However, what God has given him in terms of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding is spectacular. What he shares is nothing short of awesome.

That’s what I love about God – he uses the ordinary and makes them extraordinary! And what I love about what Chris Brogan has achieved is his simplicity and his consistency. His blog is very simple but he’s consistent in delivering top-notch content. This has only been one facet of his success but it’s an important piece of the pie.

And second of all,

“You can’t go where God sent Chris Brogan and Chris Brogan can’t go where God is sending you.”

Sometimes we need a friendly reminder that our purpose and destiny is uniquely ours crafted by the hands of the master potter. I don’t doubt one bit that my client can become as or more successful than Chris Brogan. Not because he’s a better blogger, has more Twitter followers, or is a better practitioner of social media; but because he’s destined to impact the lives of people Chris Brogan can’t reach. He’ll be able to deliver content, products, and services that Chris won’t be able to . . . and so will you.

There’s a lot we can learn from Chris and others like him. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned;

Stay on purpose!

Staying on track with your goals is not enough, you have to stay on purpose as well. I think Chris has a good idea of what his purpose is for his business and where he’s going next. Purpose gives your efforts meaning, keeps you in the trenches, and becomes your compass toward success.

Watch them walk, but don’t walk their way!

Ever seen a model walk on a runway exactly the same as the one before her? Each model has their own rhythm, tempo, and puts their own flare into the walk. It’s ok to “model” yours like someone else’s but it’ll be your own personality that sells the crowd.

When I was in high school I used to copy the artwork from comic books that I admired the most. However, whenever I copied a drawing, I also copied the artist’s mistakes as well. After a bit of practice I begin to draw my own comics and made my own mistakes. But, I loved creating my own stuff. Trace someone’s success but be original and find your own way.

Capitalize on missed opportunities!

If you’re modeling your blog or business off of Chris Brogan’s be smart and claim some of the opportunities he may have  overlooked. Such as starting a forum on your blog, doing more 1-on-1 coaching, starting a podcast, or doing video interviews, etc. You never know, something might take off for you that may not fit with Chris’s readership.

What about missed opportunities in business? Who has Chris Brogan passed over in a mad dash to satisfy small business and corporate clientele? If he doesn’t focus on the solo-preneur then you should!

Love,

Rod

It’s ok to model your business after the success of someone like Chris Brogan. However, you have to keep the comparison as a model and it can not become the standard. Doing so hinders your confidence, your success, and ultimately the lives you were destined to touch.

Remember, the promised land that God wants for you  has your name on the gate . . . no one else’s. What have you learned from shining stars like Chris Brogan? Who do you model your business after? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

P.S.

Chris, if you’re reading this, everything in bold is my best advice to you and your continuing journey down the road to success. You’re experiencing a lot of awesome things in your life, but stay on purpose, be original, and capitalize on your missed opportunities. You’re at a critical phase in your flight to super-stardom. Follow this advice and you’ll remain in the air and drift toward the stars.

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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Last night I stayed up and watched, Biography on CNBC. It was on Home Depot, one of the world’s fastest growing retail chains. The story is absolutely incredible and it really inspired me. As an entrepreneur there’s so much we can learn from success stories like theirs. I’ve embedded the video at the end of this post, but let me share with you a few points that I think are noteworthy as it relates to your success.

Define Your Niche and Rock it Out!

Home Depot wasn’t the first company to offer home improvement supplies and products, but they were the first to really capitalize on the niche. They expanded their products, services, and retail space to reflect their market’s needs. When you know exactly who you are as a business and who you want to cater to in your business, the easier it is to differentiate yourself and generate sales within that space.

Define Your Brand and Own it!

Can you deny who Home Depot is as a company and what they stand for? The orange color scheme, large warehouse, and universal marketing message all equals a complete picture in the minds of people looking for home supplies and even appliances. This is a great example of an accomplished brand.

As an entrepreneur what image should people see in their mind’s eye when they think of you and your business? What service or product comes to mind in regards to who you are or what you have to offer? These are the questions that will help you define your own brand and magnetically attract business to you.

Don’t Just ask your customers, “How May I help You?” . . .  Solve a Problem!

At the start of Home Depot’s success, customer service was king. Where else could you go to get expert advice on fixing your home, find the exact tools you needed, and learn how to use the tools as well? Simply being open for business is not serving your customers; customer service means solving problems. You don’t have to bend over backwards and give the store away, but a considerable amount of time should be given to solve your client’s problems with your products or services.

Have you ever been to a store, found exactly what you think you need, but unsure if it’ll fix your problem? It’s a retail curse, but if you’re a small business owner there’s a lesson to be learned here as well. When I used to develop websites I made sure not only to meet my client’s need of being on the net, I solved their marketing problems too once they got online. I typically included these services in their package price. This was a huge value and created a sense of loyalty to me and my (sometimes high) prices.

Lead with Passion and They’ll Follow with Fire

Depot’s internal strength came from the passion of upper management which started fires of loyalty amongst the store associates. As a result employees stayed later, worked harder, and really began to LOVE helping customers. Whatever business you have or want to start, if you lack passion for the vision then you won’t see it through and neither will your partners or employees.

I can’t teach you how to have passion for what you do or want to do, it’s got to be there before you start. It’s the reason why you want to do it in the first place – because you love it, silly! I absolutely love being a content creator and producer. I love interacting with all of you here so when I have employees that fire of passion will catch on and deliver even more content that I hope you’ll love as well.

Teach Your Customers and Unlock the Key to Residual Success!

By far the cornerstone of Home Depot’s success is their customers and the value they added by offering weekend workshops. People were able to get expert advice, learn tips, tricks, and home improvement techniques absolutely free. Can you imagine teaching potential clients how to maximize your products or services before they buy them . . . and they want to learn? It’s a powerful lesson to learn for any entrepreneur. That’s why seminar leading is such a powerful form of marketing (free seminars that is). You’re able to engage with an audience who’s thirsty for knowledge and offer a product or service at the end because you’ve earned their trust.

Are you engaging with potential clients and customers outside of the web? If not, seminars and workshops are powerful ideas to act on. Doing so positions you as an expert in your field, gives you a platform to build your business on, and earns you trust with potential clients.

Final Thoughts

Home Depot has grown their business to thousands of stores nationally, being a globally recognized brand, and over 50 billion dollars in annual revenue. Take those statistics and plug in your name or business name . . . do you see what’s possible? Can you see yourself in that position sometime down the road? I do and you should too!

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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Archive Spotlight: I thought it would be a good idea to start spotlighting a couple of posts that are buried in the archives. Some of you are fairly new to this site and others are lifelong followers (you are, aren’t you?). No matter what category you fall into, I’m sure there’s at least 1 article here you haven’t read. This was one of my most favorite posts to write and I still enjoy the pictorials. Enjoy and feel free to leave a comment or two.

The Coach John Calipari Guide to Effective Leadership

If you haven’t heard by now, Coach John Calipari of the Memphis Tigers basketball team is heading to Kentucky to take over head coaching duties. Sad news for Tigers fans everywhere. However, instead of gripping about his decision to move on with his career, how much more can we learn from Coach Cal as it pertains to being an effective leader?

In this article we’re going to explore 5 keys to being an effective leader illustrated by Coach Cal’s career defining examples.

According to the Memphis Business Journal;

Calipari posted a record of 252-69 in nine seasons at Memphis, leading the Tigers to three consecutive Elite 8 appearances in the NCAA tournament in 2006-2008. He led the Tigers to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game in 2008, where the team lost to The University of Kansas Jayhawks. The Tigers advanced to the Sweet 16 this year, but were defeated by the University of Missouri Tigers. Calipari was named Sports Illustrated coach of the year before the start of the NCAA tournament, the first time he received the award.

So, what keys to effective leadership can we learn from Coach John Calipari?

Communication – Effective leaders are great communicators. Communication is defined as the activity of conveying information.

Your facial expressions, what you say, and how you say it are all forms of communication. Conveying the right message is critical to you and your business’s success. Here are a couple of tips on communicating effectively;

a. Listen more than you talk,
b. Ask questions and engage a conversation,
c. Give people your undivided attention,
d. Make your objectives “plain” so others can run with them.

Vision – Effective leaders are visionaries. Having vision means you are able to see “down the road.” It means you’re always looking ahead no matter what circumstances surround you.

Here are a couple of quick points on vision;

a. In order to bring a vision to fruition you must be able to communicate effectively. (See above)
b. Record your dreams, goals, and aspirations into a journal.
c. Take baby steps to accomplishing your goals by keeping a calendar.

Drive – Effective leaders have a constant drive to succeed. When you’re faced with increasing debt, passed due bills, family issues, and life in general you have to continue to press towards your goals.

To “drive” is defined as a continued effort to accomplish a goal. Notice the key word is continue. That means you keep going. No matter what. Whatever your vision is for your life or business, declare your victory, “No Matter What!”

Mistakes – I hate to break it to you, but leaders make mistakes too! That’s right you and I are human like everyone else. There are going to be times when you are actually, “not right.” When the unthinkable happens try these tips to keep the success ball rolling;

a. Repent – To repent is to turn away from. So repent for whatever error you made and keep it moving!
b. Don’t dwell on the mistake, get back up and get moving!

Passion – Finally, effective leaders are passionate about what they do. No punchline there folks. If you don’t love what you do then you’ll hate doing it. If you don’t have passion for what you do then the people who you’re trying to lead won’t either.

In the picture to the left coach Cal looks pretty crazy right? Well, when you’re passionate about something it will drive you MAD!

And there you have it, 5 keys to effective leadership. Remember, anyone can lead in anything they do, but effective leaders; communicate well to their team, have a vision for where they want to go, drive towards their goals no matter what, correct mistakes quickly, and ultimately have – and inspires everyone else to have – passion for what they do.

What else can we learn from Coach Cal and his exemplary leadership? Leave your comments below.

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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