Beat the competition with the Numbers
When you know the energies with which you are dealing you understand beyond a
shadow of a doubt the most effective actions for you or for your business. You
know when to take the initiative and when to lay back. You know when to take a
direct approach and when to be a bit more oblique. When you have this
self-knowledge you are no longer controlled by your competition.
A competitive spirit arises out of fear. You have a concern that someone is
going to horn in on your customer base and to cause you to lose the business
that you have established. It is this very fear that could well allow a
competitor to step in. When you are doing each day that which is most productive
you can take the initiative to build your business to even greater heights.
My observation is that most competition produces imitation rather than
initiative. If you have been observing much of what passes for internet
marketing, you see an idea that has great potential. Before much time has passed
you will begin to see the copycat marketing. Someone has written persuasive ad
copy that got a number of imitators excited. The next step is to follow the same
program, either overtly and directly or to modify it just enough to avoid
infringement. In short order, you begin receiving spam about the program. So
many people are using it that no one is succeeding. For this reason whenever I
receive e-mail saying that a program has been advertised on major TV shows, I
immediately delete. By the time the idea has had that much exposure, it is
generally too late. the market has become saturated. How many people do you know
who feel harried because they haven't had time to review all their e-mails or to
read all the latest e-books, including the bonus inducements.
How much better to tailor a plan that suits you. I have an insatiable appetite
for new marketing ideas, but if I try to pursue them all I end up becoming
overwhelmed with the reading alone. Before I have finished one supposed guru's
material, there are two more waiting for attention. You could spend a lifetime
of very full days just trying to keep up with the current thinking and you would
accomplish little. You are better off to establish the style that suits you. Are
you a person who likes direct, personal contact? Your numbers will tell you. If
you are, don't try to be a mass mailer just because someone in cyberspace told
you that reaching a lot of people was the way to success. For him that method
may be ideal. For you it may be disastrous.
To take an approach that is foreign to your personal energies and to the
energies of your business will cause you to quickly become discouraged and
disgusted. If you have planned it well, your business energies and your personal
energies will be in agreement. Any conflict will drain away the creative energy
needed for success.
Competition requires that you put someone above yourself in order to gauge how
well you are doing. Because you have not set the standard for yourself, When you
don't have that outside standard you will likely lose your initiative. The
better approach is to create a business plan suitable to your numbers. After you
have established your parameters, you can easily sort through the wealth of
material to obtain those helps that are consistent with your pre-determined
approach.
When you want to go out to eat in an unfamiliar area, you won't make it by
dinner time if you start by reading everything you can get your hands on
concerning restaurants and food. You will instead determine first the
parameters. What approximate price range do you want? What location is most
desirable? What type of cuisine tempts your taste buds? Only after you know what
you are looking for do you start your search. If you want Chinese food in a
medium price range downtown, you don't look at the Mexican listings. You ignore
those located in the suburbs and you avoid the places that are more elegant than
your budget.
By setting the parameters first, you can pin point your search. You won't waste
time with unsuitable listings. You will have time to enjoy the meal rather than
spending it continuing to read about restaurants that you would not patronize
anyway.
This same example applies in your marketing. You are bombarded daily with ads
and e-mail that often take you in conflicting directions. Set your parameters
first and you can quickly determine whether the current message apples or not.
Don't feel that you are missing an opportunity or that you are not being a smart
marketer if you reject the advice of someone who has made, or says he has made,
millions of dollars on the internet. You do not make this income by reading. The
temptation is to always be looking for a better path or a clearer idea. The most
important step is to take action. When you know what information you need for
the fulfillment of your plan you can find it quickly. If you do not have a plan,
any information will do.
Determine your numbers as the first step of your plan and everything else will
have a framework to which it can be pegged. I wish you great success with a
minimum of frustration.
© 2003 Daniel R. Hardt
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
Daniel R. Hardt
Life Path Numerology Center, Inc.
Life Path Publishing House
Life Path Business Services
http://www.lifepathnum.com
dhardt@lifepathnum.com
800-442-2589
-----------------------------------------------------------------
You may republish this article without charge, provided that you make no changes
to the content and keep the signature box intact.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Return to Archives Index