Business Lyceum
e-Letter
Practical
Instruction in the Arts and Sciences of Making Money
JULY 2001
Greetings & Salutations:
Why is it? ...
The grass is always greener on the other side of
the fence!
Unless you growed up on a farm ... as I did ... you might
not get the real meaning of that old adage.
Back when I was a kid ... even before I had ever heard that
maxim ... I noticed that some cows would stand on one side of
a fence, with lush, green grass covering their hooves, and put
their heads between the strands of barbed-wire to eat a single
scruffy clump of grass on the other side. Many times, they
would go so far as to push a section of fence down, just to get
to the grass on the other side ... making it necessary for me
to spend hours re-planting posts and re-stretching wire.
Although rebuilding fences was no fun, it was often heartbreaking
to see how some of the cows injured themselves on the barbed-wire.
It probably wouldn't have been so upsetting if the grass in
our neighbors' pastures was better or more plentiful than the
grass in our pasture but it wasn't. -- Each year, in order to
keep our cows well fed, we seeded our pastures with the best
feed grass on the market. Our neighbors, on the other hand,
just let the wild prairie grass grow ... or not grow ... as it
would. One neighbor had to rebuild his fence every year
to keep some of his cows out of our pasture. Another neighbor
never built a fence in his life but some of his cows were fat
and healthy from eating our grass ... .while I rebuilt our fence
to keep his cows out of our pasture.
Of course, when I was young ... just growing up on the farm
... I figured it was just the nature of "stupid" cows.
-- After I growed-up and left the farm, I realized that cows
and people were very much alike.
Right now, you're probably thinking, "I know where ol'Jim
is going. He's gonna tell me ... like everybody else does
... to quit looking for a 'greener pasture' and look for the
'greener grass' in my own pasture."
Wrong, cow-patty breathe! -- If you're thinking something
like that, you better don't quit reading.
Although I wholeheartedly agree that finding greener grass
in your own pasture is preferable to continually seeking greener
pastures ... possibly injuring yourself, or knocking down some
well-intentioned fences, in the pursuit ... the "greener
pastures" analogy offers a much greater ...
Marketing Secret
Return with me now to the days of my youth on the farm.
Let's see what kind of "marketing secret" we can learn
from the cows.
By the way, for those of you who didn't grew-up on a farm
... "cows" are for milking, "cattle" are
for eating; hence, the terms "milk cows" and "beef
cattle."
Anywho ... in my youth, I considered all cows to be stupid
animals always looking for a greener pasture - but - looking
back, most of the cows actually stayed in their own pasture.
They might, occasionally, when grazing near the fence, reach
across for some tasty morsel on the other side - but - they were
quick to retreat when pricked by the barbs on the wire. -- I
guess they're the ones that give that "milk from contented
cows."
Even so, every once in a while one of those "contented
cows" would ... without reason ... begin breaching fences
to graze in other (not necessarily "greener") pastures.
Of course, I considered my cows to be "stupid" for
leaving a pasture of feed grass, to eat the wild prairie grass
growing in the neighbors' pastures. -- But, what about the neighbors'
cows who left their pastures of wild prairie grass to eat the
feed grass in our pasture ... shouldn't I have considered them
to be "smart" cows? -- Actually, in both instances,
they were just "un-contented cows."
Then again, there was the little black and white heifer that
headed for the neighbor's pasture every morning. (I'll
never forget her because I still bear the scars from her sharp
little horns.) -- The only way I could keep her in our pasture
was by driving her into the neighbor's pasture each morning.
Within minutes, she would breach the fence back into our pasture,
where she would spend the rest of the day.
Think about it for a minute. -- Aren't cows and people very
much alike?
Most people ... like "contented cows" ... are completely
satisfied to stay where they are. They very rarely, if
ever, leave their comfort zone and, most often, when they do,
they return at the first hint of pain or resistance.
Other people ... like "un-contented cows" ... are
forever looking for something (they don't know what). They
either leave where they are to get to somewhere they think is
better, or they leave to get away from where they are.
Sometimes they wind-up in a place "not as good" as
the place they left ... other times a place far better. -- Never
satisfied, they just keep searching for that "greener pasture,"
thinking it must exist somewhere other than where they are.
Some people ... like my little black and white heifer ...
belligerently breach the fences of life, just because the fences
are there. -- They don't really have a reason but they Aren't
going to let any fence stand in their way.
The old adage -- The grass is always greener on the other
side of the fence! -- is based on the assumption that a cow sees
"greener" grass in the next pasture and heads for it.
It ain't so (I've seen cows breach a fence to get out of a "green"
pasture into a "brown" briar patch), but a "greener"
patch of grass could represent a motive force in the human eye.
So ...
Some Marketing Gurus Tell You To
Sell "greener" Pastures
By painting word-pictures, you are supposed to entice and
tempt the reader with "patches of greener grass" ...
luring the reader into your "pasture" with the promise
of providing something which is beyond their reach.
Using this kind of advertising approach, you are only selling
to those "un-contented cows." -- Even if your product
or service delivers every tangible thing you promised, the "un-contented
cows" you sold it to will still be the same "un-contented
cows." Because ...
If The Product or Service You Offer Is Beyond The
Reach Of Your Customers Before You Sell It To Them, It Will Remain
Beyond Their Reach Even After You Sell It To Them!
With Advance APOLOGIES to the "Rolex" watch company,
let me give you an example ... exaggerated, of course, to give
you a better idea what I mean.
Using the "greener pastures" advertising approach,
what if the "Rolex" watch company advertised its watches
like this:
"The President of your Bank wears a Rolex. When
you buy a Rolex, YOU will be just as rich and powerful as your
Bank President!"
If being just as rich and powerful as the Bank President is
beyond the reach of the customer before they buy a "Rolex"
watch, it will still be beyond their reach after they buy a "Rolex"
watch.
Selling "greener pastures" is the kind of bull-stuff
that caters to those "un-contented cows." -- "Hype"
advertising that attracts "hype" customers.
Of course, if being just as rich and powerful as the Bank
President is within the reach of the customer before they buy
a "Rolex" watch, they might actually (but erroneously)
believe that buying the "Rolex" watch made them rich
and powerful.
Right now, you might be thinking, "Aha! I've got
it. ol'Jim is gonna tell me the 'marketing secret' is to
sell the greener grass in my customer's own pasture
rather than selling them a greener pasture."
Wrong, chlorophyll-breathe! -- Selling "greener grass"
can be just as counter-productive as selling "greener pastures."
The marketing secret in the old adage -- The grass is always
greener on the other side of the fence! -- is to directing your
advertising toward ...
Eliminating Fences!
By eliminating fences, you make your product or service available
to all the "contented cows" who are satisfied to stay
in their own pasture (a much, much larger audience). -- Without
fences, their own perceived pasture becomes larger and larger
... allowing them "free range" to avail themselves
of your product or service without pain or resistance.
Returning to our "Rolex" watch example, what if
the "Rolex" watch company advertised its watches like
this:
"Now, you can own a Rolex of your very own, just like
the one your Bank President wears. Our new monthly payment plan
makes it possible for you (even if you Aren't rich and powerful)
to own a Rolex!"
The ad doesn't offer a "greener pasture" (or even
"greener grass") it just eliminates the fence that
has kept all those "contented cows" from moseying over
and taking a big chomp on a clump of "Rolex" grass.
If you entice, tempt and lure "un-contented cows"
into your pasture ... no matter how "green" it may
be ... you will still be stuck with a herd of those "un-contented
cows."
On the other hand, if you direct your marketing efforts toward
the much, much larger herd of "contented cows" ...
by eliminating fences, giving them a larger "free range"
to graze ... you'll end-up with a herd of "contented cows"
grazing in the satisfying grass in your corner of the "free
range" pasture.
It isn't what you sell that generates "satisfied"
customers ... it's how you sold it to them.
REMEMBER: "satisfied" customers are the
only real assets any business needs to prosper.
Now, let's do some ...
Questions & Answers, Comments
& Other Good Stuff!
Did you catch this?
In the June, 2001, issue of his "No B.S. Marketing Letter,"
Dan Kennedy reported that one of his Gold Members had sent out
the exact same sales letter by both email and snail mail ...
to the very same mailing list. -- Guess what? -- The paper &
ink version out pulled the email version 3 to 1 ... on top of
the response from the email.
As I have often said ...
You can make a fortune in mailorder without ever doing
any marketing on the Internet - BUT - you can't make a dime on
the Internet without knowing, understanding & using mailorder
marketing methods.
Just shows to go ya ...
You can EXPLODE your Internet business, by learning the forbidden
truths about mailorder.
Check it out ...
Stop Wasting Your Most Valuable Asset!
Time is, by far, the most valuable asset you have. Unlike
other assets, when it is lost or wasted, it can never be recouped.
It used to be that I wasted a huge amount of time each week scouring
the discussion boards, looking for postings that offered viable,
and valuable, information for my business. -- Then, along came
'The Boardwatch.'
Now, I simply go through the relevant postings; picking &
choosing those offering the information, insights, sources and/or
resources I need. It's easy and fast - and - on occasion,
I discover new, interesting discussion boards and topics I probably
would have never found on my own.
MaaMaw (Lesley Fountain) ... the editor/publisher ... has
an uncanny knack for finding, and publishing in 'Boardwatch,'
the very best of the best postings and topics on the discussion
boards.
In my opinion ...
Anyone doing business on the Internet needs the 'Boardwatch'
... it is a time saving, wallet fattener for online money makers."
http://www.friendsinbusiness.com/boardwatch/newindex.shtml
Michael S. Winicki wanted
to know:
"I've got several products that I'm starting to market
using print advertising. Several less expensive health
related and a few audio programs that I've published. The
audio programs are more expensive ($49-$99 depending on what
testing determines). -- My question to you is do I try to run
classifieds in various periodicals trying to "2-step"
the prospect with free information OR should I concentrate on
display ads where I can sell the program in 1-step? I realize
that to sell a more expensive item, I'm going to have to run
large display ads. One option I'm looking at is remnant
newspaper space. A quarter page is about $4.00 CPM (a number
of papers participate with a total circ of about 15,000,000).
I know several direct marketers that seem to be using this type
of space successfully like Ben Suarez and FC&A, so I figure
it must work at some level. Magazine remnant space is about
3 to 4x more expensive for the same size. These audios
aren't geared to any specific group, so I'm looking at more general
public type of mags."
Mike:
You face the same dilemma faced by mailorder marketers since
the beginning.
Unfortunately, there is NO definitive answer. -- The ONLY
way you can determine which will work best for your products
is by testing, Testing, TESTING & Testing-Some-More.
That is the only thing that separates the pros from the amateurs.
(Pros eat the losses on bad tests. Amateurs just run one
time and quit if it doesn't work.)
David Wilson wrote:
"I checked out 'Newsletters in Print' from the library
to follow your advice on trying to build an inquiry list from
newsletter ads, or a mention from the editor if they don't accept
classifieds. I have started (there are TONS) to identify some
I want to approach and many of them do not accept advertising
just as you stated in your book. So, I want to try to have
some of them give me a mention. My question is: What should
I say to them? -- I cannot afford to send them all
samples. What should I say in a letter to them? -- Should it
be like a press release? -- I bought some good linen paper and
matching envelopes, and use Word and a laser printer to print
them with a nice, simple letterhead. -- Do you think it is still
possible for a drop ship seller to make a little (or a lot) of
profit selling your materials these days, what with the cost
of postage, minimum list rentals, etc? -- It seems like it would
be if I could build a good list. -- I want to take the mailorder
business proposal you sent with the book "Own
Your Own Mailorder Business" and follow it to the letter
as much as I can. -- I plan to start testing some newsletter
classifieds as soon as I can."
David:
The cheapest way to start with the newsletters is to use postcards.
Just send each of them you think might be appropriate a postcard
asking for information about the newsletter ... include the line,
"A review copy, if available, would be appreciated."
Sending samples is always a good idea - but - not entirely
necessary.
I just got a ho'bunch of exposure in ezines (online newsletters)
by simply sending a message to the publishers with the "subject"
-- "Joe ... here's something for your readers"
(Joe being the "name" of the publisher). Then
I told them about a FREE Report their readers could have.
The ONLY purpose of your newsletter write ups (ads) ... and
any classified ads you run ... should be to build a mailing list
of interested people. Don't try to use those avenues to
"sell" anything.
YES, YES, YES -- drop ship dealers can (and do) make a ton
of money (even with some of the higher costs involved today).
The "secret" (as it has always been) is to spend your
time & money building your own in-house mailing list.
Remember, just 500 good customers can make you a solid living
... just 5,000 can make you rich.
Sanjay Kulkarni wrote to tell
me:
"I am an resident of India, a qualified Mechanical engineer
with good computer and other skills in following areas:
1) VBA (For any application.) -- 2) AutoCAd -- 3) MathCAD --
4) MS Office -- 5) Technical Writing. -- I want to
work as a free-lancer. I have been searching for work on
internet in above areas where I can work individually.
I have been trying to find work on internet for the last one
and a half years and feel am I trying to do something that is
not practical. -- I would like to work for SOHOs, entrepreneurs,
home computer users. -- I am not expecting a great income. --
I am ready to start small and consolidate. -- Can you help me
get started earning?"
Sanjay:
Don't know if I can help you get started earning - but - now
all my readers know about your services. -- Maybe some of them
will be interested.
So ... if you are in need of the services Sunjay can provide,
send him an email.
Dave Mauder was curious:
"As one of your new associates, I'm curious about something
.... I read your free report on MLM, and I was left sort of wondering
what your position really is with regard to MLM. Are you
totally against it now, or do you feel it can still be viable
depending on the company, product line, and marketing system?
-- Are you currently involved in any network marketing businesses
of any sort? I recently got involved with Life Force International
because my wife and I currently use and love the products.
However, I still wonder if any network marketing business is
worth my time, effort and money to try to make a go of it. --
Given your position in life, and your experience level in business,
I'd like to get your personal insight on this. -- Do you think
MLM can be viable IF the company meets certain criteria, or is
it a waste of time all the way around? (in your opinion)"
Dave:
My first experience with MLM was wa-a-a-ay back ... with William
Penn Patrick's Holiday Magic. At the time, I was selling "Avon"
(I was a ding-dong Avon "lady" out in the farm lands
of Kansas) at the time.
Holiday Magic was as good as Avon but their commissions were
better, so I picked up the line. Then, I started getting extra
commission checks when some of my satisfied customers bought
into the opportunity.
Some years later, I signed up for the "Koscot Interplanetary
Cosmetics" Mink Oil line (Glenn Turner). -- At the time,
I owned a chain of Women's Wig Shops across the Southeast and
simply wanted to sell the cosmetics in my shops. -- The first
month, the girls who managed my wig shops turned in over $25,000
worth of orders from the counter displays I had installed in
each of the shops. BUT ... I couldn't buy any of the cosmetics
from Koscot. All of the cosmetics were being used up to make
sales kits so there were none left over to "retail."
In 1978 (or was it 1979), I sold "subscriptions"
to the first business opps newsletter sold by MLM. -- I just
sold subscriptions to a good newsletter ... the customers signed
up for the opportunity ... I was making over $20,000 per month;
even after the newsletter quit publishing (which put the company
out of business for accepting payment for something they weren't
delivering).
The article I wrote was over 5 years ago after being approached
by literally DOZENS of promoters wanting me to help them create
MLM plans for their products. -- That's when I learned what the
industry was becoming. None of them really wanted to sell
their products. All they wanted was to "do a MLM" to
make some big bucks. -- Unfortunately, that experience threw
me into personal contact with some of the big name MLM con-men
and left a very bad taste in my marketing mouth.
I feel the new generation of "opportunity seekers"
need to know what they will be dealing with in the vast majority
of MLM deals.
Multi-Level Marketing ... in its purest form ... is still
a most viable method of marketing - BUT - if you can only sell
the opportunity, or you can't sell the products without selling
the opportunity, or if the only training, advice or directions
you receive from the company are about recruiting; or
enrolling, new dealers -- it is one of the crooked deals.
Anytime the company emphasis is on getting more dealers; building
a downline, you can bet your bippy it is a scam only designed
to make the owner rich.
Rashon Davis asked:
"How do you get your start in this field. I have a Paralegal
Cert and a B.A. but it seem impossible to get an entry level
position in this field. Please provide any information you can
about this."
Rashon:
Getting started in any field of endeavor is always difficult
but, thankfully, it is usually only a matter of time.
Since Paralegals are usually associated with Attorneys, that's
seems to be where everyone wants to start - BUT - how about trying
to start by getting a job with your local government; city, county
or state, or even the federal government. Since all of
their activities are "law" related, there should be
some positions requiring the expertise of a Paralegal. -- You
might also want to check with the various and many "law
enforcement agencies" ... local, county & state police,
the FBI, DEA, etc.
Hey ... there is a position out there for you and, I feel
sure, you will find it.
Well ... that's it for this month. -- In order to make every
issue responsive to YOUR needs, please send me your questions;
or tell me what sources or resources you need to build your business;
or give me any thoughts you want to share with your fellow members.
Believe it or don't ... I ain't a mind-reader. -- If'n you
doesn't tell me what you need, I may never touch upon the information,
sources or resources you need.
This is your publication for you to use to your benefit ...
I am just your moderator.
Until next month, keep well ...
J.F. (Jim) STRAW
Ex-Cowboy
Thought For The Month!
"All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only
to poverty." -- Proverbs 14:23
Can you stump the old master? --
Betcha can't!
Over the past 40 years (man and boy), I have made bundles
of money in direct selling, service
contracting, wholesale merchandising, entertainment (I was a
professional Trumpet player, vocalist & Radio Announcer),
freight forwarding, import/export, retail merchandising, warehousing,
real estate, electronics manufacturing, finder's fees, closeout
merchandising, financial brokerage, business consulting, steel
fabrication, gold and coal mining, offshore banking, mailorder,
writing, and publishing. -- That being the case ...
No matter what business you're in ... whether you're just
starting, well on your way, or at the top of the heap ... I've
probably been where you are, done what you are doing. -- So ...
Anytime you have a question about 'how' to do something in
your business - or - if you have any comments about anything
I've said in issues of this e-Letter; or if you want to add your
2 cents worth ... just "ask" me or "tell"
me.
Send your Questions, Comments or 2 Cents Worth
to ...
with "Question" - "Comment"
- or, "2 Cents Worth" in the SUBJECT.
If I, personally, don't have an answer to any question you
may ask, I will contact some of the professionals in your field
of endeavor (I will probably know one or more personally) to
get the real 'skinny' for you.
Return to the Archives
Copyright - 2001, J.F. (Jim) Straw. All rights reserved.