Ask Bob The Teacher

A lesson and extended rant from last week’s vacation to make sure you have the right mindset…

Last week, Joanna and I drove with her dad to Islamorada, part of the Florida Keys (see Cheeca Lodge for pictures).

It took us about 16 hours of total travel time to get there from North Carolina since we took our time during meals, etc. We arrived at night, but in the morning, we awoke to breathtaking views of palm trees, crystal blue water, and sunshine.

For the week prior, we argued a bit about what car to drive there.

Should we take our 2001 Volvo S60 that needs a tune up at over 76,000 miles, but has really comfortable seats?

Or rent a Prius and save a lot of money on gas, but perhaps too cramped for the 3 of us and our luggage?

Or a compact SUV that would better fit all of our crap that we were taking with us, but not be quite as comfortable as our own car?

Since I went to Chicago the weekend before and I ran out of time to take the car in for its tune up so option 1 was eliminated for me.

Ultimately we decided to go with a Toyota Rav 4 instead of the Prius because of the storage issue. But as we were driving I had one of those moments of clarity…

The vacation was about enjoying 3 days in the Keys - not about which car to drive to get there.

I was reminded of this earlier today when a gentleman called me up to ask for a refund of a product of mine.

Since I typically only get 2-3 refund requests per month I tend to ask questions to make sure I know why they’d like their money back. This is not to hassle or withhold payment, but simply to make sure I understand where the gap is, and if there was a miscommunication that could have been avoided or avoided in the future.

What I learned from this gentleman is typical of the other refund requests that I get…

They’re too worried about what car their driving and not focusing enough on the destination.

You see, all of my products are excellent (I know I’m biased, but you know its true or you wouldn’t be reading my blog), but they are not perfect solutions for everyone at the same time. 

For example, Teleseminar Formula is my best product yet, but if you are trying to create your first website, it will be distracting to you (and DiscovercPanel would be a better fit).

So you may buy Teleseminar Formula because my sales letter is good, and then never look at it because you are really working on something completely different. You look 2 weeks later at your receipts and decide to ask for a refund, and may even blame me for my product not solving your website problem.

This particular gentleman today also is doing something I see from a large majority of people who are struggling online - trying to promote all kinds of money making affiliate programs and wondering why no one is buying.

If you’re new to my blog this may seem like a V-8 moment (and if you’re a veteran, it’s a nice reminder):  there is a fundamental difference between trying to make money online and building a business.

Making money is an activity where you chase sales. When your goal is focused on money alone, everbody knows it. Hence nobody buys because it seems like the end result is just going to benefit you and not them.

Building a business is where you build relationships, solve specific problems your customers are facing, and you do so in a way that you can do really well. You then offer the same customers additional ways to help them over time.

The only real way I know of to build a business around relationships is to have a clear understanding of what skills and passions you can combine to address the needs of your market. The solutions you provide must be obviously connected to your abilities and background or else your potential customers will think you are just trying to sell them something.

So what does this have to do with what car to rent on a road trip?

Well, like our arguments last week, We often get caught up in the program, tool, or gizmo thinking the next shiny thing will be the solution to our problems.  A few weeks later, or even a few years later, the program/tool/gizmo chasers are still in the same place they were at the beginning (you probably know this all too well).

If we hadn’t decided on a particular car, we would have never enjoyed the palm trees, tropical breezes, and relaxation of the Keys. Even though it was uncomfortable getting there, and cost more than we planned, the vacation itself more than made up for what truly amounts to trivial matters in the big picture.

So, instead of trying to figure out whether one of my courses is the greatest thing since sliced bread, or some guru’s traffimagnetronificator will make you a gazillion dollars…

… step away from the gizmos, and look instead at the destination you are trying to reach.

What I hope you’ll realize is it’s not the car you drive, but where you’re headed that counts the most. Get that clear in your mind first, and any good program you do invest in will help you get there with more certainty.

Bob Jenkins

p.s. If you are wondering if I have a training product that will help you decide what your destination is, you won’t be disappointed!  The My8StepsToProfit.com course takes care of this in session 1 (of 8). The entire course is available for $297, or you can get it free when you pick up your free (plus shipping and handling) trial of Mike Filsaime’s 7 Figure Secrets book and magazine.

p.p.s. In the comments area below, please share your destination with me and the others here. I want to know what specific solutions you can provide to the world - not how much money you want to make. Don’t worry about whether you think you can make money with it. Simply share what you do well, or what you’ve become really good at through your work, family or other life experience.