Sometimes you get so close it takes someone else to remind you of the basics

02 September 2009

So today I’ve been attending the Ultimate Marketing Seminar run by Think Big Education and endorsed by Chris Howard. It’s been a pretty good day so far and really inspiring again to hear from knowledgeable people speaking from the mind through to the techniques.

Listening to the speakers really gave me a good old refresher on some basic foundation marketing knowledge, and it also highlighted to me that we often time get so wrapped up in our work or lives, that sometimes we forgotten about some of the basic things which also need to be addressed.

One of the speakers at this event was Daniel Wagner, an internet entrepreneur, totally passionate about teaching people how to succeed in business online. It was both a refreshing and candid approach to presenting, at times, even tears were present as he recounted his story up to present day, with his children in the audience listening. This was his largest presenting gig to this date, and it was something he had put out into the universe as something he wanted to do, and today, he achieved it.

His knowledge and honesty was widespread and fantastic. His speciality was internet marketing, much like how I started out in the first place. What was refreshing was hearing it from a different point of view and also being reminded of the basic tools which were also at my disposal.

I had been wrapped up in doing new things trying to be unique that I had almost lost sight of the one success formula that has worked for centuries.

What’s that you might ask, well when something works and it’s proven successful, wash, rinse and repeat.

Do it again!

It’s as simple as that. That’s what McDonalds did; they spent years streamlining their one first store, getting everything right from the shop design, to the quantity of salt to shake onto their fries. Once it was an efficient working system, what did they do to become the household name? Well they just did it over and over again, spreading far and wide to almost every country on the planet.

Every time you repeat, you are also fine tuning. Learning from your patterns and doing it slightly better each time.

The first day of this seminar also highlighted to me that we must all remember that we are teachers all the time. No matter what you do in your life, who you work for or who works for you, you are a teacher just by living your life. Others observe and learn, even though you are not aware, and by their observation, you are already affecting them.

This is especially relevant if you are a parent. Your children are watching your every move, every word and body language. What you do as a parent in front of your children, greatly affects their future in their model of decision making.

Anyways, the thing I wanted to point out was just take a break and get a peer to comment on your work or your life. We need this more than we realise, staying too close to your project will often lead to loss of objectivity.