I saw this subject line in an opinion piece in today's Wall Street Journal. The story actually had nothing to do with marketing.

Anyway, I thought it was inspiring.

Enjoy,

Gerry

Thanks, Gerry, what a great topic and premise to consider.

I must say much of the success I am enjoying today was greatly based on this premise. In the 1970s I envisioned something that didn't exist. I pursued it and made it become my reality. It not only changed my life but is now an established performance market that never existed before which I am very proud of.

The success I had with it made me always aware and on the lookout for NTR opportunities, which has always been a part of my own businesses, as well as my consulting, coaching, mentoring, and trainings.

Great topic!

Personally I have always chosen to fish where there are no other boats. Good topic.

Thanks guys.

Gerry

What a great topic indeed. Thanks Gerry.

Very true that a good businessman knows how to find the “customers” that no one else is thinking about. I would like to add they also know how to ‘educate’ potential customers that may otherwise be looked over.

In 1972 when I first started selling life insurance the company (Woodmen Of The World) had a training program for those wanting to work full time. I attended the training in Omaha Neb, it was something like a two or three week program, 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. Much like a bootcamp. One of the things we learn was how the National Cash Register Company became so successful in business.

Years ago stores would keep money in a cigar box and used an adding machine to total up the customer items. The inventor of the cash register first thought he had a product that would sell like hot cakes however he failed to make it a commercial success. It wasn’t easy selling a fancy high price box to replace a cigar or shoebox that had always worked just fine. There just didn’t seem to be any need for it.

A man by the name of John H. Patterson, looking for a new business venture, bought the patent rights to the machine. In 1884, he and his brother also bought the company that built the cash registers, and Patterson renamed it National Cash Register Company (NCR)

No retail business today would dream of doing business without a cash register. Thanks to John Patterson training his salespeople to educate the customer and explain all the ‘benefits’ of owning a cash register. He created a huge demand by simply educating potential customers.

One of my favorite Patterson quotes that sums up business success well is, “To survive, men and business and corporations must serve”

The same is true with life insurance; very few customers believe they need it until all the why’s are explained to them. Magic shows are no different, nobody needs one. They could just as easy find some other type entertainment (cigar box) to do the job. Sometimes all it takes is explaining ‘why’ magic is the better choice.



Many in the sales industry today view John Patterson as the greatest salesman of all time. Those wanting to read a little more about him and is success can find a good article here:

https://www.sellingpower.com/2010/02/02/......-pioneer

Tom

Hey man don't you try to get in on my territory of serving the cat ladies demographic

Legendary direct response marketer Dan Kennedy used to say: Pioneers come home with arrows in their backs.

Not always a good idea to fish where there are no fisherman ... maybe there's no fish.

Then again, there's always "blue ocean strategy."

~Oscar

You are certainly not claiming he invented those thoughts are you?

Those ideas way pre date my grandfather, who used to express them regularly. He also probably pre dates Kennedy by a wide margin.

If you're talking to me, I'd say those thoughts go back to the pioneers who came back with arrows in their backs.

Oscar

I was just curious as to why it seemed you wanted to attribute them to Kennedy?

For all I know, Kennedy was quoting your grandfather.

That's simply what I heard him say ... are we done?

Oscar

I was just curious as to why you attribute him? Sorry. My bad.

No, its my bad. I miss-read you.

Im a big fan of Kennedy and have heard him use that phrase many times, it seems its not original to him.

We're good.

Oscar

It is our tendency (Unintentionally I'll grant.) to attribute thoughts to the first place we hear them. No harm at all.