Lisa Pfister Product Launch Consultant

Archive for the ‘My thoughts’ Category

I’m new at the whole blogging thing. I’ve shied away from it in the past because I’ve felt that greater minds than mine are sharing enough information without me adding my thoughts to the already overabundant amount of content floating around in the ether.

No wait – that’s not true. It’s probably because as an adult, it’s often easier to not do the things we’re really good at. If I don’t say something brilliant then I didn’t excel – and I like excelling. Since I get to define what I do, why put myself in the position to look foolish?

The thing is, that blogging is important. Listen what Tom Peters and Seth Godin say about it:

Okay then, I got over myself and this is how I did it. The first thing is that I was fortunate enough to have someone push me into the water and tell me to swim. Not only did he do this but he also guided me through the appropriate steps at the appropriate time. Giving me the nuts & bolts on the technical side was a great help and showing me the benefits of blogging keeps me encouraged to try new things. (Thank you Hubert Lee – you’re the best!)

The next thing I did (and I’m saying this to whoever is sitting on the sidelines of blogging – or of life) is get over myself. I had to realize that I wasn’t going to be a star out of the gate. The only way to get good at something is just to start doing it. Reading about it, following masters of it, planning about it may all help (or it may just be a way to put off the task) – but doing it is the only way to really make progress. Ahhh, but doing is scary and how do you start?

Now let me take a step back. I’m a huge Blue Jays baseball fan. (This season is KILLING me!) Former Blue Jay, Allan Ashby is now one of the team’s radio broadcasters. Recently I heard him share a story about the problems and fears he dealt with when he started his new career in front of the mike. He was frustrated with the lack of direction he was getting for the people around him. They were all saying the same thing: Just be yourself! The problem, he shared, was that he didn’t know who he was as a broadcaster. This is the problem we all have when we start something new. We don’t know who we are in the new role. The good news is that you have some hints (you’ve done lots of other things) and the bad news is that you have to learn on your feet (and this can result in scrapped knees and bruised egos). But the bottom line is you can only master a new skill, learn, grow and find your voice by jumping in the deep end and starting to swim.

So my advice – and maybe it’s worth exactly what you’re paying to get it – is jump in to whatever you’re considering doing, give it a shot, see if there’s someone who can help make it easier (like Hubert for me) and ask for help, but if you don’t have someone don’t use it as an excuse to cease all action. Start down the path, start getting experience so you can build your confidence, build your skills and FIND YOUR VOICE! (Was that too loud??)

If there’s one lesson that has been highlighted for me lately is that winning is not a zero sum game.

We all enjoy a little friendly competition in our lives and there’s nothing wrong with that. It can be a great way to push yourself out of your comfort zone and take on new challenges. That’s one reason why it’s important to surround yourself with people who are doing things with their lives. When you see those around you achieving more and growing it can spur you on to do the same.

But competition and cooperation are not mutually exclusive. Sharing your ideas, expertise and support is a great way to add to the success of others and ultimately the best way to achieve your own goals. There’s no greater way to move forward than to help others do the same.

I have recently become a part of a group of entrepreneurs who are all in the “same competitive space.” Since we see the pie as big enough for all to have a healthy portion, we have choosen to support one another and share resources to help each of us succeed individually and as a group. It’s invigorating and exciting.

Look for ways where you can add value to others in your life. Do it for it’s own sake or do it because of the law of reciprocity – but just do it!

Please leave me a comment and start sharing your ideas

Perfect customers are people that we can serve extremely well because what we have created is what they want — we solve a real problem for them and make their business or personal life better in some way.

In fact these people are very much like ourselves — they value the same things that we value. So if we created our product and company based on our own mission and values, our products will appeal to people with a similar mission and values.

Since many of the things that motivate our perfect customers also motivate us, we can identify what is most important in their lives by asking ourselves a few pointed questions.

Think again about your perfect customer and in your mind, ask him or her the following questions:

1. Why do you get out of bed in the morning? (What motivates you?)
2. Who is the most important person to you in the world?
3. What is most important to you in the world?
4. What do you want to achieve before you leave this world?
5. What do you really love about your life?

This exercise can yield many interesting insights into the motivations of our perfect customers and put us in a much better position to assist them in achieving their goals.

It’s hard to believe but it’s true.

There’s plenty of excuses: I don’t have enough time, I don’t know how to test, what I am doing is working fine. But there’s no GOOD excuse.

If you don’t have the time or expertise, hire someone to help you who knows the ropes. Not testing because you don’t want to spend the money on it is false economy.

You’re not only throwing away money from the customers who would buy immediately, add to that the purchases they would make in the future, the value of the growth of your list – not to mention how much improved your future marketing campaigns will be when you know how to reach your customer.

So please no more excuses – test, test, test – and when you’re finished, test again…

Please leave me a comment – let me know your thoughts, are they the same as mine, diametrically opposed – or somewhere in the midde?

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