The only thing that is real is the customer. Everything else is ephemeral.
Those 13 words changed my world ten years ago on May 25, 1995, when Martha Rogers, Ph.D., partner of Peppers & Rogers Group, said it during a presentation to an audience of leaders from every industry and profession you can think of or have not yet discovered. Small business, large business and international business -- we were all there and we all "got it."
Your world is about to change and we at the Duct Tape Marketing Blog Channels are here to help you buckle up, say goodbye to all of the baggage and procrastination that has stopped you in the past, and experience business success you only dreamed of, until now. The good news is it doesn't need to take you ten years. You only have to do three things and your business will exceed all goals, plus your life will be easier, if not more enjoyable:
1. Participate in this blog three times a week, if not daily.
2. Experience the world and all business decisions from one point of view—your best customer.
3. Use the information and connections we bring you in this blog.
Whew! Did you get all of that? You’d better print this out and put it in your wallet or transfer it immediately to a text message on your PDA because you will be coming back to this often as you discover this is as true as the laws of gravity. Let’s break it into bite size pieces.
Did you go to the dictionary to look at ephemeral? The speed at which your business will become both famous and wealthy depends on how soon you accept the truth that the only thing in business that is real is the customer and everything else is just a concept or fleeting information. It took me two years to really “get it” because I had invested a college education and 20 years of continuous business success in the ephemeral. Look at all of the books on your shelf, all of the information in your computer and all of the workbooks and paper stuffed in your files and you will see one thing--that's all ephemeral. It's not the customer. It's not real. And it's not making you one nickle. In fact, it could be costing you, dearly, if it's not specifically and immediatelly connected to a relationship with a customer. Fortunately, you have this blog, all of the 9 Duct Tape Marketing Channels and the genius of John Jantsch to fast forward your success. You can “get it” much faster.
That brings us to the three requirements to actualize your dreams, goals and passions.
First--Participate in this blog: What fuels this blog is one thing—your input, questions and experiences. You can do it. Whether today is the very first day you ever saw a blog or if you consider yourself the world’s expert on blogs, this applies to you. Find the “comments” button right on this page, click it, type away and submit it. Even if it’s one word, such as “wow” or “bunk” you have to participate. You can not achieve business success alone. Blogging will open doors for you, but you have to touch the handle, turn it, and open the door. Blogging, like business, is active, not a spectator sport.
Secondly—We’ll work with you to move you from where you’ve been most of your life, comfortable with your ego and the world through your eyes, to where they money and satisfaction is, that is, the world as your best customer. This will take the most effort because it seems too good to be true. The catch is you have to make little changes, one day at a time, to challenge all thoughts and actions by asking and answering this question: How did that just feel, look and sound, as a customer? Again, you can do it because you have a lot of experience being a customer. Your problems with business start when you think you have to change roles and become the business owner, rather than staying in your head and your heart, as a customer.
The third step should start making sense now. By making a commitment to actually use the information from this blog, you will be making a commitment to your relationships with customers. That will bring you all the success you can handle. Through this blog, we will boil down and connect that ton of information overload you suffer (more than 30,000 images and messages every day) to provide that “A ha” experience that energizes you and turns into financial freedom. What is that “ A ha”? We gave it to you in the top line and now you need to begin living it, specifically, “The only thing that is real is the customer. Everything else is ephemeral.”
And all this time, you’ve been sitting right on top of everything you ever wanted and the only thing in the way was you. Start today and start now. Click on “comments” and remember to type, talk, act and think like the customer you are and the customers you love.
Wow! This is a great post! Thanks.
Posted by: Zane | June 06, 2005 at 02:11 PM