Sell Ice Cream On Hot Sunny Days!
by: Ernie West

One of the biggest mistakes that web marketers make online today
is in coming up with a product/service first and then trying to
find a market to promote it to.

The other day I was out for a walk, enjoying a nice warm spring
evening. I came across a local Dairy Queen and was astounded
at the lineup stretching right out the door. Business was
booming. Why? Because they were selling something people
wanted at that particular time!

This made me realize that you must take the time to find out
what people want right now or in the future, and *then* develop
something to market to them. What they wanted in the past is
irrelevant. Targeted timing is everything. Trying to coast on
an old idea is like trying to sell ice cream in the middle of
winter.

Don't try to squeeze a segment of the Internet population into
a concept to which you are emotionally attached. Business has
no feelings. It runs purely on logic. If something isn't
working, scrap it and try something else. Those who have been
successful online so far have learned how to adapt and change
their thinking on a moment's notice if need be.

The challenge is in finding something that is or will be in
great demand. This is where the work lies. Those who don't
want to do the work will end up becoming the clients and
consumers of those who do. It's your choice. You can be the
ice cream vendor or one of the people standing in line.

And if your ice cream is good enough, word will get around.
"Relationship advertising" is the best and most economical.
People can't help but talk about how professional you are,
how good your prices are, how good the ice cream tastes, etc.
And they will come back for more, giving you back-end sales.

The research that successful Internet marketers performed in
order to find their product/service was obviously worth the
time and effort. Yet most people look at where these gurus
are today and label them "lucky". I would like to suggest
that they are no more lucky than anyone else, just smart,
persistent and tenacious. They stuck to their guns until
they developed ice cream that outperformed everyone's
expectations.

It is too easy to look at a web store-front and forget that
it all started as an idea in somebody's mind. It is even
easier to forget that not long ago it didn't even exist
until somebody created it. And since we are overlooking
everything anyway, we might as well ignore the blood, sweat
and tears they invested into building the darn thing.

Personally I want to place myself in a position to greet
all the new and existing people on the Web wanting ice
cream. The Internet is the hot sunny day and your website
is your shop. What are you going to market, cold
refreshing ice cream or warm gruel?

Open multiple locations offering a top-notch product that
is in demand and promote like crazy. Automate wherever
possible and continue to add new exciting products. This
is like adding different flavors of ice cream, peanuts,
banana splits, chocolate dip, etc. Notice how vendors
up-sell people. Since you're buying anyway, why not add
a little something extra for a nominal charge...

Keep track of your visitors. Some vendors have a club
card that they stamp for each visit. Online this is
getting their email address and then consistently
following up. Don't harass them but give them valuable
tidbits of information to gain their loyalty.

It all starts with a dream and a never-give-up desire to
build. Change your mindset to one of success. Focus on
the reasons why you can and rid yourself of the reasons
why you can't. Constantly think of ways to expand and
improve your empire every day.

And always remember: it is the thirsty people on a hot
sunny day that you want to put your ice cream in front
of.

See you at the top.

"Ernie runs a free publication called the Inner Circle Biz Tips newsletter.
Subscribe by sending a blank email to: erniewest-subscribe@egroups.com"