Free Agent Underground

Hope sells, but pain changes

*Listen in the audio button at the bottom to Justin Lukasavige
and myself discussing this blog in our Free Agent Underground Show.

This is 100% truth for your business, and your life. You will be well served to conceptualize this right now if you expect your New Year's resolutions to be anything more than a nice little hope list, and your business (or future business) depends on you communicating these points.

First, your business. It can't merely state what the product or service IS and expect anyone to be attracted to it. That would be like you stepping onto a car lot and the salesperson walking over to a nondescript vehicle and announcing, "Here you go, it's a car."

You'll often hear marketers say that you must showcase the benefits, which is true. But often those benefits are in fact…hope. If you buy a Porsche, you don't do so for the horsepower and balance and traction. You do so for prestige. But that is hope. Hope that the prestige will actually translate to you being popular, getting attention and getting that hot date. So in the Porsche ads, you'll often see the surroundings of that hope. Check this Porsche ad out, it's 98% hope, 2% anything about the car: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRbzJ0L1Zn8

With a book title, look at the New York Times bestseller list today. One title out of 35 with a somewhat negative title (see the list here). Hope and positive sells best, it's just been proven. If you've got a doomsday message, better wrap it in a great book cover with a hopeful sounding title or nobody will pick it up.

It's more about you than your product or service

Correction: For all of you who went to apply for my '90-Day MFA' (Masters of Free Agency) and the 'submit' button was hidden…my apologies. We fixed it early this morning and you can apply now. Thanks to all who alerted us.

Don't take that headline as a mere cliche or you'll miss it. You, as well as most folks…are making your product and service the main focus. I often do it too…we can't hardly help it. What we are offering is what we believe in and are passionate about and we want folks to experience it! And to buy it…so we can get paid.

But no matter what you are selling, you can't lead with the product or service and expect it's merits to sell people. They will buy based on their trust and relationship (or perceived) with you. You have to be the spokesperson for your product or service or industry or message.

I had a recent conversation with one of our fairly new free agent academy members who knows himself to be a good salesman. He enjoys the interaction, is adept at relating to people, and enjoys getting out and shaking hands. So he went looking for something to sell. He found franchises and opportunities where you must buy-in, and finally settled on a service with no up front cost.

In asking him where he existed online, he stated that he wasn't yet, and wasn't sure he needed to, as the company he was in essence being an agent for, had a great site. And he didn't feel he needed to worry about branding personally, as the company had a great brand.

Well, by the end of the conversation I had him beginning our 'Find Your Fit' course in FAA. Why?

Because his perspective was tragically flawed.

Again...we don't trust products or services and companies. We only trust people. If there are 10 seemingly identical blogging platforms with prices ranging from zero to $50 per month, we will all eagerly use the one that Seth Godin recommends, regardless of price. We don't have time to compare and we don't trust the media.

So with your product or service, you have to get folks to trust you. People use the word 'expert' or 'authority' and that makes many of you question your own merit. Just think of it as being a key resource.

Just like in a trial, if there is a murder and a tire mark left on the road, they bring in a guy who knows tires to testify if it's possible that the tire mark could have come from a suspects car.

You need to showcase yourself as a resource, and you can do that. How? Proof. And what is proof today? History and some credibility. Blogs and replies and testimonials. And as soon as anyone cites you as a resource, you really exist.

I've only been publicly blogging on self-employment for 18 months. Now, it comes from a lifetime of experience. But I've only been talking about it for a short time. I have no degrees or certifications, just experience. And I'm far less than a household name. But folks who don't know me need only see that I was a special guest on the Ziglar Success 2.0 Show to talk about self-employment and am a 'Braintrust' member and writer on self-employment for Benzinga.com and have been interviewed by David Garland at The Rise To The Top and some other media sources. Those came from my blogging, and now I'm a designated 'expert.'

What do you know a lot about, and care about? And if you don't have anything, you can gain the knowledge quickly.

Easiest way to become a viable resource...start blogging. Writing about your product or service or message…once per week. Doesn't matter that nobody is reading it. All that matters is when months from now, you get some promotion and lead someone to your site, they see your history. That you have lots to say on the subject and they can read about it.

Anyone can claim to know lots about a subject, but within 10 or more blogs, it will be showcased; how much they know, how much they care, how much they are up to date on current news and info regarding their subject…

So please, don't miss this message. Your product or service is secondary to…you. Make sure your website and communications and overall positioning...reflect that.

Hear more on this topic in yesterday's Free Agent Underground Show, posted below for your listening enjoyment.

*Pictured above: My wife Teri with our 7 children. She knows...parenting. And really has a passion for helping other parents. So...she started a simple blog and has been posting for a short while. Creating history, becoming a resource...and is on her way. Doesn't hurt that she's a far better writer than I am. And good lookin'! If you are a parent, you'll greatly appreciate 'Free Agent Mommy.'

 

 

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This article was also posted at Benzinga.com where I'm a guest columnist

What are you really selling?

The answer to this will dictate the success of your self-employment venture. And the answer is not merely "yourself."

The answer is also far more than semantics. It's tragically important for you (and me) to understand what we are really selling. IF…we want to succeed.

And I know you do. Want to succeed.

What you are NOT selling is a mere product or service. If you think it is, then you are competing against the universe and everyone else that would claim to sell what you do. People today are not satisfied to buy a mere product or service.

If that were the case, we'd all buy our clothes from Wal-Mart. They have fine clothes there. They basically follow the societal trends of style, moderately durable and very cheaply priced.

So why don't you buy your clothes from Wal-Mart? Socks and undies don't count, as I actually DO buy that stuff from there. But shirts and pants and jackets and such. I don't know anyone who buys that kind of stuff from there. OK, heck…we buy the occassional stuff for our kids, but only while they are young and have no brand name identity yet…but try to stick with my analogy before I ruin it.

We don't buy our primary clothing from Wal-Mart because our cloths say so much about us. We want to wear clothes that attach some meaning behind them. If you go through my personal clothing, you'll find:

• Northface
• Gap
• Columbia
• Old Navy
• Merrell
• Woolrich
• J. Crew (not really, but I want some)
• …etc

Why? Because I want to associate myself with the images those companies portray. And they've caused me to believe their clothing actually feels and performs better. Does it? Some may, some is just overpriced. Which is why most of mine actually came from the Goodwill store down in Old Colorado City, which is the best place in Colorado Springs to find those types of clothes, barely used, for a few bucks. I love it.

My friend Dave Munson who I talk about so much, owns Saddleback Leather, Co. If all they sold were leather bags, he'd still be selling puppies for tacos in Mexico. Umm…that's an exchange, not an ingredient by the way.

Dave was just at our FreeAgentAcademy 'Expose Yourself' event and stated that what he's really selling is "A lifestyle of adventure." So when he shares photos on Facebook of his 51 day trip to Europe and Africa to see the world and help kids in Rwanda, he's doing more to sell his leather bags than anything else he could do, as he's showcasing the lifestyle and image that really sells his stuff.

That's Dave and me in the picture at the top, sporting our bags that say, "Yeah baby, taste the adventure..."

What about you? What are you selling? And you can't say your product or service. When you discover the essence and heart of what you are (or want to be) selling, you must get it as a tattoo so you don't forget. It must be the platform that you speak and stand on. It must be the heartbeat of your business and promotion and sales. Your website must lead with it!

Dave told me my website was lame, and when he heard me say I wanted a bumper sticker that said "Self-employment or death!" he said "That's what you need to lead with!! That's excellent!"

I had all the attendees at the event write and share what they are really selling. Mine with Free Agent Academy was:

"I'm selling an inspired life of freedom and purpose."

Doesn't that seem more compelling than "I sell self-employment."

So again, what are YOU…really selling??

I went further into this in our Free Agent Underground Show with Justin Lukasavige. You can listen here:

 

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Free Agent Underground Show - "What are you really selling?"

 

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Why your marketing isn't working (it isn't marketing!)

That's really it...what you're doing is not really 'marketing.' For small business today, the bottom line of marketing is:

• Knowing exactly who your target market is
• Making dead sure your overall branding and positioning speaks directly and compellingly to them
• Finding out where the majority of your target market is residing
• Shining the laser beam of your offering directly in their path

This is my second post on this same subject in two weeks. Why? Rule number one in marketing...repitition. It's truth. Plus, we have an event on the subject in 24 days.

If you are the above bullet points well, then your greatest problem right now is keeping up with the influx of new business and you don't need to waste your time reading this post…it's not for you.

If however, you need more business…or you are building your offering now so you can soon launch…then read on below after this brief...MARKETING:

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Want to just make it happen…guarantee your marketing efforts and ensure your business success for 2011? That's a big claim…and I'm making it. Join key Free Agent rockstars and let them map out your personal 6-month marketing plan. On Oct. 29-31 in Woodland Park, CO at the 'Expose Yourself' Intensive event, join Dan Miller - bestselling author of '48 Days To The Work You Love' and 'No More Mondays' (as seen on Dave Ramsey's Fox TV Show), Dave Munson - owner of Saddleback Leather Co., Jimi Gibson - global brand and marketing director and now guru behind Saddleback's success, and FreeAgentAcademy leaders Kevin Miller, Chuck Bowen (biz coach to the stars) and Justin Lukasavige (CoachRadio.TV).
    This is an intimate workshop where I, Kevin Miller, am not only gauranteeing the event's value for you, but claiming it will give you the best return on investment of any seminar, conference or workshop you've ever attended. Period. Attendance is limited.
- Oct. 29-31, 2010 Free Agent Academy Intensive Event in Colorado: Expose Yourself

*We'll also be celebrating this as the 5th and final 'Intensive' event of 2010!

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Over the past year of walking with hundreds of aspiring, new and existing free agents, THE NUMBER ONE NEED is...more exposure. More interest and prospects to see the wonderful product, service or message they have.

I wear this statement out, but I must…as the disease continues to proliferate in the business world:
"Just because you built it…they will NOT come."

Having a:

• Product, Service, Message
• Name, tagline, logo
• Website
• Blog
• Facebook page and Fanpage
• Twitter account
• LinkedIn network

None of this is true marketing. These are merely landing pages FOR your marketing. Places to drive folks once you've gotten their attention, where you can nurture relationships. Trying to use them to build your audience, such as following ten thousand people on Twitter in order to get their reciprocated follow-backs to give you big numbers, will hurt you, not help you. I get a few Twitter followers per day. Any time they are following more people than they are being followed by, I pay no attention. The only true way to know if someone has value is if their followers are far greater than those they follow.

Folks, having all those bullets above is like having an incredible restaurant a mile or more off a busy interstate. Everything is in place to do great business and serve folks well. But people can't see you, they don't know you are there. Your sign is too far away from the target market.

True marketing is taking that business and great sign, and placing it right next to the interstate. And not just any interstate, but the primary bypass that your specific target market travels. And to do this means you must…Expose Yourself. Intentionally and purposefully. You must step out and make an offering.

How? The reason you don't know how is that cookie-cutter or broad scope ideals don't work anymore, not unless you are a global brand like Coke or Nike. For a small business, the 'how' is as personal as your underwear…and you don't want to try on anyone else's.

If you take successful free agents today, they have each found places to market themselves that fit their:

• Personality style
• Sales strategy
• Target market
• Budget
• Relationships

And the most important bullet of those is the last…relationships, as nailing that can overcompensate for all the others.

You need to look at advertising, affiliate relationships, getting interviews and articles posted and other direct and sustained marketing efforts. But what will serve you more than anything is developing relationships with people and organizations that already have the ear of YOUR target audience. It's not easy, but it's worth putting 75% of your efforts towards. Even for myself, no amount of money could eclipse what I gained from being a guest on the Zig Ziglar Success 2.0 show. That took two years to nurture. And your doesn't need to be that big.

So your lessons from this post:

1. Having your storefront and all the 'signs' is not marketing. It's shouting in the dessert.
2. You must create a strategic plan to get in front of your target audience with a message that specifically speaks to them. And that comes from your personal strengths and positioning.
3. Relationships with entities that have the ears and eyes of your target audience…are paramount.
4. Trying to apply general marketing to your personal biz won't result in much. You need guidance and help.

Take this knowledge and go create a marketing strategy and plan for yourself. Or...catapult your progress and make sure you actually DO progress, by joining us Oct. 29-31, 2010 in Colorado for the 'Expose Yourself' event.

Agent K Miller
Marketing...to you

P.S. Speaking of 'exposing yourself,' if you have small children...specifically kids nearing or around the age of two...who aren't potty trained...get enlightened by today's post (Potty Princess) at this informative, counter-cultural blog by a woman I'm having a mad affair with: http://freeagentmommy.com

 

You must expose yourself

*Hear the full Free Agent Underground Show, 'Expose Yourself', in the audio link at the bottom of the page

What if you invented the cure for cancer, or developed a phone that was better and cheaper than the iPhone? Would it matter if you had nobody who would listen to you?

NO. It would not.

In working with aspiring free agents, we are finding a specific deficit that must be addressed with more than a mere call out.

We work hard to help folks discover a viable idea that is relevant for them and the marketplace. Then we work on the deep level of brand...what is their product or service, who is the target market? And we develop a compelling brand that fills a distinct need. A snazzy website that serves as your storefront and a blog or podcast to broadcast your message and you should be in business...right?!

Wrong. Nobody knows you exist.

Wait...setting up a Facebook fanpage and a twitter account is not the answer. You won't organically go viral and the world will beat a path to your doorstep.

With all due respect, what we see happening is that folks hide behind their websites and social media efforts in hopes they don't have to actually step up and do real marketing and sales. That is a bit uncomfortable. We'd rather just take orders, eh?

Yeah, me too sometimes. But as Zig Ziglar says, if we believe our product or service can help people fill a need or desire, then it's our moral obligation to promote it to them.

To...expose ourselves.

If you survey a bevy of successful free agents, you'll find they ALL have a primary vehicle for exposure:

• Someone with a large audiences is promoting them
• They are running ads somewhere
• They are doing speaking engagements
• They got really lucky...which means after they worked their butt off to be prepared, they got an opportunity that gave them killer exposure. Like writing a book on cat blindness and you end up in a stuck elevator with Oprah and her cat who is...going blind. She tells the world and...instant top seller. Have you prepared anything for such an opportunity? And I'll tell you, if you DO have anything prepared, you can make such opportunities arise. Well, maybe not that specific one, but a good one nonetheless...

And do you know the point of getting exposure? It's not to make a sale! Did you hear that? Not at first. Sales come from building relationships. All you are looking for is to grow your audience. After a number of communications, a percentage will step up. And you MUST keep growing that audience. They are prospects. Some will come, some will stay, some will leave, some will eventually buy.

But you've got to be feeding it.

Where or what are you going to intentionally go after for exposure to be consistently building your audience?

On October 29-31 we'll be gathering with about 40 free agents to hit this head on and create a 6-month marketing plan at our Expose Yourself Intensive Event in Colorado. Dare to join us?!

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Premium or Commodity, and I only care about premium for you

First, there are only two opportunities in business today:

1. Commodity market
2. Premium market

Commodity is just competing for shelf space and battling for pennies with price, size, flavor, color, etc…

Premium is being truly unique, higher quality, exclusive, remarkable, etc… Note the emphasis on the word truly.

There are basic laptops. Then laptops that claim higher quality. Then MacBook Pro laptops that truly are high quality. I'm typing on a new one now, my third Apple laptop. I pay way more for this premium product.

Another example: Type in 'leather backpack' at a search engine and at the top is an Amerileather jumbo leather backpack for $44.49. It is leather. It is a backpack. Check it out on the right...

I couldn't even find Saddleback Leather Co. in that search, even scrolling through a few google search pages. But go to their website and hit 'backpack' and they pop up. $529. I have that one. It's guaranteed for 100 years. More than that, I want to be associated with what they stand for…adventure, something more, and the owner Dave Munson is a incredible guy.

So how do you position your idea or the business you currently have...to command 12 times the price of your so called competition? How do you get folks to pay that much just because they want to be associated with what you stand for?

Very, VERY few self-employed folks and wanna be's ever achieve true, premium status. At FreeAgentAcademy we endeavor for every one of our members to do so.

Here is the kicker and the crux:
- The product you provide...
- The service you provide...

...equals about 25% of the ingredients that will establish you as a premium provider and enable you to have a successful solopreneurial or entrepreneurial endeavor that pays your bills, thrills your spirit, inspires others and allows you to wrap your work around your life.

The other 75%? I talk about those ingredients a lot here at this blog. For free. Scroll through the categories and read your fill, I hold nothing back. That seldom equates to folks really making it happen though…it takes more than reading.

For today's message however, this is the best I have to offer. It's powerful. It's proven. It's not real cheap…it's a premium. Guaranteed as well.

- Click The Image -
*As of today, Friday, April 9th the event is 50% sold out
to Free Agent Academy members:


 

Self-employment key: what are you good for?

That sounds like a derogatory question, but it's not and it's relevant. And I'm speaking from a 'work' perspective. My wife and kids would say I'm a good Daddy, but nobody's going to pay me for that.

If anyone is going to give you a dollar of their money, you have to be able to adequately answer this: "What are you good for?"

Two possible answers:

• I'm good at (insert a task here)
• I'm good at (insert a result here)

It's snowing in the Rockies as I write...we've had very, very little in my neck of the woods this year. So I'm thinking of backcountry cross country skiing, which means...off in the woods. I've done it some since living here, but often get frustrated...feels like I take two slides forward, one slide back. Or sometimes, four slides back. If that's all there is...forget it, I can snow shoe faster.

My neighbor assures me I can learn better technique and enjoy the real fruits of this athletic endeavor. Maybe this current snow will finally give us enough.

So in seeking someone to tutor me in cross country skiing, here are two relevant answers:

• Guy #1: I'm teach cross country skiing (task)

OR...

• Guy #2: I help people experience the backcountry like never before through cross country skiing. You'll never wear snow shoes again. With my help, you'll smoothly glide through the trees, briskly ascend upgrades and expertly race down the slopes. With the right technique you can cover more ground and experience so much more of the woods, revel in the joy of gliding (it's addicting!) get a far better full-body workout and enjoy skiing down slopes you'd otherwise never access!

Most of our culture, when asked "What are you good for" or the frequent What do you do" will answer like Guy #1. Most job applicants will list tasks they are able to complete like Guy #1. And the big tragedy is most folk pursuing self-employment have the mindset of Guy #1. They look for an idea they might be able to get paid for and hang out their shingle to tell the world, "I teach cross country skiing." Well...great. So can a boat load of other people. And with my current poor experience of the sport, just saying you can teach me doesn't really increase my trust that it will really be all I'd hope for. Getting me to pony up the money you are asking for is going to be hard.

Guy #2 though...he had me at 'hello'. In the first place, I'm not interested in cross country skiing just to fill my time with an activity. I won't win any awards for learning. I'm doing it for...a result. So I'm all ears for someone who is passionate about it...who will inspire me.

This is common sense, but common sense is...uncommon. Do you want to go eat Italian food at a strip mall that has tables, chairs, silverware and Italian food that tastes good? Or, do you want to eat Italian food at a quaint little converted house with festive lighting emanating from the windows,Dean Martin singing "That's Amore" in the background, the Italian owner visiting your table, complimentary wine tasting and wait-staff dressed in old world Italian costumes? OH, and of course food, but in that environment, the food, while needing to be good, is very minimized.

A task or a result? Most folks go in to business to deliver the product or service. In this case, Italian food.

COME ON! We gotta wake up. People buy an experience...an image, a result! If it's just filling your belly you can eat a loaf of bread.

Which will you pay more for? Which will you recommend to others? Which will stay in business?

BACK TO YOU
Want to be self-employed? Want to be successfully self-employed?

What are you good for?

Answer that correctly and we CAN, for a fact, find a viable opportunity for you.

Think you don't have anything really attractive and worthwhile that you can offer? I understand...that feeling is far too common. But it's a lie. It may take some hard work and a bit longer to reveal and refine and build up than someone else, but it's there.

I will, and do...bet my livelihood on it.

Wanna' give it a shot? Write it here in the comments, "What are you good for?"

If I get enough submissions here...I'll put them in a form and let everyone vote on a winner and give a prize worthy of writing about.

Who you are matters, and sells better

http://www.jonathanpool.net
http://2wheeltechnique.com

Our mountain bike ride with pics and videos:
http://2wheeltechnique.com/2009/10/01/rampart-reservoir-ride

Friday, Oct. 2 Fund Raising Fashion Show: KEZA
http://www.keza.com/join_us/events/event1.php

Answering a member's question: Restaurants should own their local market - Show #6

This is in response to one of my Free Agent Academy members...Libby Webb. She's attending our 'Next Peak - Next Steps' event out here in Colorado Sept. 21-23. She and her husband own a take-out BBQ restaurant in Alabama, New Market BBQ. She asked how they could work on their branding & positioning in order to really get growing. Well, she hit a hot button for me, as you'll hear in the video. If you know someone in the restaurant biz...listen to this video then go to them with some ideas. They need them! If you have any other ideas or can tell us about some places in your area who have done some creative things...please do so. Enjoy.

Sell your idea before you create it

The story goes like this...Joe Karbo wrote a killer ad for a book titled "The Lazy Man's Way To Riches." He placed it in the classifieds and got a big response! So...he then went and wrote the book. He actually had to refund money to the initial purchasers because he didn't have the book to deliver.

But how amazing...he knew he could sell it! How would that change your mindset in putting your product or service idea together? How would your spouse feel if you first proved there was a need and people confirmed they'd spend money on what you were offering? How would you view start up costs?

There is a lumber mill in my area that sells hand peeled aspen logs, 8' long by 6" diameter, for $35. I own an aspen grove with aspens almost 24" in diameter and 50' long. So I set my 14 year old son to work on hand peeling them so he could sell them. I decided to have him chip in for the cost of a $60 sander to use on them. Then my wife stopped us. She said, "Hey, before we have Caleb fork over money on tools for this little business, why don't we list the logs on craigslist and see if there is a real market for them first?"

Rule number 1 - marry someone really smart.

Rule number 1.5 - marry someone really good looking, it will help temper your ego flare ups when you get one-upped by them...

Rule number 2 - find buyers for your idea before you spend any time or money on it

The bad stats on business start-up failure are full of people who massively devoted themselves to developing ideas that they thought were great, only to fail in selling them later.

So got an idea for a product or service? Research where and how it's being sold now. Figure out how you can set yourself apart to offer it differently, better, tweaked for a niche. If it doesn't exist, find out why. Make sure it's a void that folks want to fill, instead of a void that is there because nobody really cares.

Create a compelling brand name and maybe even an electronic graphic of the product or service.

Then...find a channel to test market it in. Did you know there are people who devote themselves to creating products solely for Wal-Mart to hopefully take interest in, order and distribute?

We should all approach our businesses like that. Put a skeleton to  your idea and then go to work test marketing that idea.

Example: A long time ago while in conversation with my Dad and some other family members...while criticizing some rules, the quote was thrown out, "Rules are only guidelines for incompetent people." Not sure if my Dad actually quoted it, or if it was a group effort. But I think that's a hilarious quote and would make a great t-shirt. That's the first of many family quotes I have written down that I think would sell on t-shirts well, though would probably decrease the number of people who actually like us.

Normally, someone wold take an idea like that, spend copious amounts of time researching t-shirt manufacturers, printers, work on a website, and many months and dollars later be looking for that first sale.

And it doesn't happen. And your friends and family roll their eyes. It happens every minute.

However, in this little t-shirt example, you could use Microsoft Word...wait...I'll do it now and time myself. OK, took me 6-minutes flat to make this graphic in Word. And I'm graphically challenged. Now we take it and find a market. eBay we could try. But even better, I'm looking for a big audience that enjoys contrarian views. There are many. Now go pitch the shirt to them. Check with a local retailer. We could make a list of places and entities and research the viability.

If we can't find interest in our little idea (like my t-shirt that I think is funny) then we haven't invested too much and we can go on to something else. Chances are we'll have learned during the process, and probably come up with other ideas. Or in the process, had another opportunity open up to us. All positive things and far better than "building it...and they DON'T come."

Go find buyers and promoters for your product or service idea first. THEN build it.