Check The Peephole When Opportunity Knocks
December 10th, 2009
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by BobTheTeacher · Filed Under: Business Building · Business Mentoring · Getting Started · Mindset · Rants
They say you should be ready when opportunity comes knocking, but I’d suggest you make sure you take a look out the peephole before you open that door.
The trouble I see many struggling business owners having is not a lack of opportunity.
Instead, it’s a lack of evaluating those opportunities and picking the one that’s right for them. Or worse, they have an “open door policy” so that all opportunities rush through the door and overstay their welcome like relatives a few days after Christmas.
Let’s Learn Some Latin: Ceteris Paribus
Let’s assume for a minute that all business opportunities (MLM included), affiliate programs, franchises, and other “gold mines” are 100% legitimate, none are scams, and in all respects are equal. (This is an example of ceteris paribus).
After you stop laughing at the ridiculous statement I just made, let’s address the real issue for the lesson today.
With all other things equal, the variable that must be examined more closely (maybe with a microscope more than a peephole) is you, and how much of a match you and this opportunity really are.
For you to succeed in your business, you need to find where these 3 questions meet:
- What do you love to do/share/teach?
- What do you know better than most?
- What solutions will people buy?
If an opportunity comes knocking and it can’t fit into ALL 3 of these questions, then it’s a doomed business opportunity for you. You may make some money with it, but in the long run, mediocrity will be the ultimate result.
Faith And Focus
For the opportunity you welcome through the door, realize it’s going to take a lot of focus and faith to acheive success with it.
You’re going to need to eliminate other distractions and learn to say “nobody’s home” to new opportunities that try to crash your party. You’ll also need to lay out a specific road map over 30 days, 6 months, 2 years to turn what you’re pursuing into a sustainable, and lucrative business. And you’ll have to focus on following that plan while revising as you get feedback from your customers and your own inner voice.
You’ll also need faith in the potential of your business and the solutions you’re providing. This isn’t a blind faith, mind you. But once you discover what your Golden Triad is, you must have the confidence in it so you’ll have the kind of impact the world is expecting from you.
Apply This In Multiple Areas Of Your Business
Obviously, this opportunity/peephole metaphor is essential when you’re choosing what type of business you’re going to start.
But if you’re already knee deep in the process, maybe with years of experience at this point, it’s also applicable in other areas.
Think about this when you are…
- invited to speak on a teleseminar
- considering a joint venture proposal
- choosing an affiliate program to promote
- deciding what events to attend or mentoring programs to join
- thinking of adding products or services to your catalog
If you remember to check the peephole first, the right opportunities will be welcome when it suits you.
Bob Jenkins
p.s. I’d love to hear how today’s lesson applies to you and your business. Share your story below…
12 Responses to “Check The Peephole When Opportunity Knocks”
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| Bob Jenkins is an internet business marketing teacher, with ten years experience teaching teenagers and teachers. He is the creator of several online training courses that teach you how to get better customers and increase your profits. Specializing in social networking strategies for business and creating information products from teleseminars, Bob can help you use internet marketing tools and strategies to promote your business online. |
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Hi Bob,
Great info! You are absolutely right. All too often we get all excited over new gadgets, gizmos and geegaws coming down the pike and we do not see the forest for the trees. We need to be selective, wary and even leery at a lot of them. Unfortunately, we can also get so jaded and untrusting that we don’t trust anyone. Like you said, we need faith, focus and trust, as long as we trust the right folks and focus on the right people and products that we view through the peephole. Keep up the good work, I am learning a lot from you. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Thanks,
Michael
So true. A previous training company I worked for purported to train on anything and ultimately did a poor job on almost everything other than their core competencies.
Glad that’s not the case now.
Hey Bob you really touched a nerve here today! I have just started my annual year-end review of things that worked and things that didn’t — and your post just nailed succinctly every single problem I had this year (in a nutshell.)
When you are in the middle of an expansion phase for your business, that’s when you’re most vulnerable. It’s more tempting — and dangerous — to take the kind of risks you describe here. Because it can lead you off course faster, and take you away from the precious time you need to do the things that create income and relationships with buyers.
This is pure gold.
Thanks!
Bob,
Great reminder. I wrote a similar post not too long ago called “Do you have an Opportunity Filter?”. One question that I ask myself or of someone approaching me about an “opportunity” is this: “If you never made a dime promoting this program, service, etc. … would you still personally use it and recommend it wholeheartedly?”. If you can answer yes to that question as well as the ones you listed above, then it is something to consider. Thanks!
Tim Fahndrich
Dear Bob,
You are absolutely correct when you state that distraction is the most common obstacle to success. I started in Real Estate and took every course because every course sounded better than the course before. Each one came with promises of ease of implementation. In the end I had nothing because I never started. I was waiting to learn everything before I statrted. It was only when I focused on and implemented one project did I begin to see results and understood the principle of focus. Thanks for the reminder and the extra tips as well.
To your success,
Hiram
Hey Bob you really hit a good one for sure this time. it’s true so many time we all have tried just about all when instead we should have stuck with 1 that was working. there are so many but most are scams and the true one sometimes probably never get a chance to see if and when they will work.
Hey Bob,
Loved the article!
Many thanks, Randy
Bob,
While what you say is true, many times marketers do not allow time for evaluation – which would include you, by the way – with their various presentations:
*OTO – buy now, you’ll never get another chance,
*implied scarcity (”Only the first nn (usually 25, 50, 100) will be sold at $nn.nn!” or “I don’t know how long this will last.”),
*time limit (”This will only last nn hours/days/weeks.”).
There are more, all of which are frequently lies.
I’ve seen this preaching, in various forms, from at least a dozen different marketers, all of whom did their best to prevent such practice when promoting a product themselves.
I sense a dichotomy here: don’t you feel a bit like Janus?
I don’t mean to be insulting, but your writing does not jibe with your marketing practices. Nor does it jibe with the majority of ‘tutorials’ on how to market. Almost all of ‘em teach promotion of scarcity, time limits, any other method that will entice the victim – er-r-r, customer, that’s it customer! – to buy now, w/o thinking.
Methinks your Latin should be caveat emptor.
Make a good day …
… barn
Thanks for the comments so far. Glad it’s resonating with many of you.
Barney, I think you’re missing the mark on many levels, so I certainly don’t find your comments insulting. First, your premise that scarcity and urgency are manipulative by their very nature is simply not true. Although some businesses practice a fuzzy line or blatantly disregard claims of availability, many of us do not. With the right technology, OTO (one time offers) does not show again for a customer, for example. If you figure out a way to see an OTO again, then it’s you manipulating the system, not the seller.
The tutorials on marketing that preach false scarcity and urgency are not things that I recommend or endorse.
Also, you are assuming that those tactics are going to result in a negative experience for the buyer. Quite the opposite is true when it’s done correctly – and how I try to practice these methods when I use them. For example, I’m offering tickets to my workshop at a discount before a certain date not to manipulate my buyers but to reward those that already know me.
As a buyer myself, I often rely on special offers (in retail they’re called “sales”) to finally take action. Most of the time, I’m happy with my decision. The times I’m not, I get a refund or I chalk it up to a lesson in poor decision making on my part.
Which brings me to my next point… Remember that there’s always a refund policy (30 days is standard for me), so if the purchase is done in haste, and there is buyer’s remorse there’s a remedy for that.
The time to evaluate a buying decision is not just before the purchase, but it includes after the purchase as well. Except for buying a car and paying for college tuition, just about everything else I can think of allows you to really use what you purchase to know if it’s the right fit within a reasonable amount of time.
The other thing that your comments require me to address is that I’m not responsible for YOUR buying decisions. And by all means, when I tell you I think it’s good practice to evaluate opportunities before you plunge ahead, of course you should do that for anything I offer to you as well.
That’s not being hypocritical at all; it’s simply educating my customers and potential clients to be smart consumers of information, and implementers of what they learn.
Finally, most of my products and services are strategies and coaching to help you make the most out of the opportunities you pursue.
The thrust of my argument with this lesson today is not about buying products and services as much as jumping on different business opportunities or money making pathways that don’t fit with who you are. Even though they may be good business models for someone they may not be a good fit for you. For example, you may recognize that there’s a new type of food made out of turnips that’s going to be the rage in a few months. But you have no experience in this area, and no passion for it. Should you still open up a shop somewhere with Turnip Snack Bars?
Feel free to continue the discussion, but I think negative experiences you’ve had in the past have left a bad taste in your mouth. I’m sorry for that, because those of us who truly want to help are likely not going to be able to help you succeed.
Bob
Dear Teacher,
Your focus in the article, as I see it, is on me the Buyer or Business Opportunity seeker and therefore the onus is on me to be focused on and to be faithful to my business cause, eventhough you are the seller or oppotunity provider. Your article provides the best insight for anyone who is INTENT on being a successful and progressive businessman, whether online or offline. I am indeed amazed at your deep understanding of business, eventhough your roots do not appear to be in business. Thus the message for me is: if you have Achieved success by mastering this process so can others as long as they have faith in and are focused on the PROCESS.
TQ KSR
So many of these posts have hit hot buttons with me!
1. I, too, have been inundated and tempted with too too many offerings showing up in my inbox…..and it throws you off your game plan…and you swear you are not going to do it…but you are afraid to miss something important!
2. I personally LIKED the time limit offering….it makes YOU decide if its right for you or not…..and it gets YOU to make a decision.
Otherwise, if you think it is optional….it will be optional.
Then you will just be waiting for the next good offer….or beat yourself up for not taking the “good” offer when its there.
When Bob’s offer for the marketing workshop in Feb 2010 came up …and offered bringing your spouse for free came up…and at a reduced price if paid in full up front…I didn’t have to even think about….didn’t even call the husband….just signed us up! I KNEW it was right for us!!!
And we are even in florida on vacation at the time…and are coming back up to NC to attend. That’s how sure I was….that it is right for us
Wow everyone all of your feed-backs are valid. I ran into the same problems while venturing when I first started my online business in 2007. Got disappointed because the site did not make much sales unless I directly asked my friend to shop at this specific site. I did a get a commission and was pleased because I said to myself wow there are real paid programs out here? I reading your comments, I am no different from anyone one else that includes those who are questioning the Teacher. What I truly see that is different from any site so far is that Bob is willing to take the lead. Don’t get me wrong but I personally met him in reputable place and I promote the site. Others like myself easily get distracted. Bob was not the only one who told me that in fact all close partners who do what he loves most share that same mentor advise with me. I am an educator myself and I service parents, work with administrators and it’s nice when Teachers turn to others for Advice. Who says are great leaders and presidents have not turn to anyone for advise I say to myself and that’s exactly what I teach with kids. I do have products to sale, I do have a service to create and I do have a list to build but most of all are any of those lists people who love what your doing? For a busy person like myself, I personally appreciate what people do when they are communicating about a module when it comes to one business YOURS. When I started to realize that he is a well mannered person who keeps you informed of where he’s at and what’s coming up next. I am also thanking Bob back for remembering me. It’s like what we teach our children to remember what we teach them and apply it to real life. I must say that I really have fun networking not only with his mentors but also the very people I service on line. But he’s right we can not build without people. There has to be a connection and a bond in some form or human connection. Your best leaders and role models cannot tell a future those who want to succeed but they sure can share their experience with us. The bottom line is like what some have mentioned. If we didn’t put a time limit on a product. We will never know the end result or we will be able to evaluate weather it is a good product or not. However it is true the seller is not responsible for anyone who buys their product. What I do recommend is follow up and get more information and use what you bought to your own potential on how you see it will fit into your business. For me because of time and management a major priority, the quickest way is to check it out on your own time and test it. There is that 30 day trial.