The other day, I asked the question, “What makes YOU an Expert?”
Did you read that article? If not, I suggest you do. It’s important because so many people — aspiring online entrepreneurs like you — fill their heads with negative talk that keeps them from living their dreams.
Well, today, I’ve got another perspective on this whole Expert thing. And, like yesterday, you might hate me, or think I’m wrong, or crazy to say what I’m going to say.
Well, if you do, let me know. But it will be at the expense of your own success.
You see, a lot of people DON”T write a book because they don’t think they’re enough of an expert to be writing one. Those same people believe that you DO have to be an expert in order to be qualified to write anything.
So those people — probably including YOU — are PASSIONATE about their field, COMMITTED to their purpose, yet are STUCK by their own silly mental rules in an immobilizing situation.
And so they go NOWHERE with their dreams, their businesses, or their lives.
Where does the problem come from?
It’s because they are TRAPPED by their PASSION!
Their passion is to help people “find their inner peace” or “have a better life” or … this is one of my favorites … help OTHER people live THEIR PASSIONS!
I don’t mean to pick on these specific topics, but it just so happens that there are a great many people whose passions — as much as they love them — are not shared by other people.
Or are hard to define.
Or have no urgency.
Or are not shared by any kind of identifiable group.
Worse yet, their passions might be shared by other people, but the passion itself may have absolutely NO relationship to the exchange of money.
And that’s what you are in business for, isn’t it???
I’ve written several times about Gary Halbert, the late great copywriter. He used to give a test to his students — he’d ask them one question. “If you and I were going to open up competing restaurants, what ONE ADVANTAGE would you want so that your restaurant would be more successful than mine?”
I’ve even asked this question at live events where I’ve spoken.
I get answers like:
A better chef
An excellent menu
A great location
A Bigger sign
Great food
..and on and on it goes.
But the answer that Gary gives — the one thing that HE would want to have an overwhelming advantage over his competitor is…
“A starving Crowd.”
A starving crowd demands to be fed, and they’ll buy anything so long as it satisfies their hunger — even partially — and is offered to them. If you don’t believe me, then just imagine an even more desperate starving crowd than the one you’re already imagining.
It’s unmistakable.
Gary Halbert was right.
So now think about YOUR passion.
And think about your crowd.
Are they starving?
Do they need what you’re going to give them NOW?
Do they desire the fantasy that your ebook will fulfill for them?
Will they fork over whatever cash is necessary to have what you are going to deliver???
If the answers to these questions — especially the last one — is No, then you don’t have a starving crowd.
You are TRAPPED by your PASSION.
So how do you get untrapped?
Easy.
Don’t be an expert. Be a marketer.
Experts look first at their passion. Then they design a product. Then they look for a crowd to sell it to.
Marketers do the opposite.
First, they look for a crowd. Then they ask the crowd what they want. Then they develop a product for that crowd. And then they get passionate for the topic…
…which, by the way, is quite easy when all the money comes rolling in.
Being a marketer is LIBERATING because you can take your skills and go into ANY market where you find a hungry crowd.
Being a marketer is FUN, because you get to discover new parts of this beautiful world you never knew about before.
Being a marketer is FULFILLING because you get to help lots of people who REALLY NEED HELP, but just don’t know where to get it.
And being a marketer is PROFITABLE because you just don’t go into markets where you aren’t going to make money.
So my question to YOU is…
How have you been thinking about yourself?
Have you been an expert or a marketer?
And…
How are you going to think of yourself from now on?
Give me your answer as a comment below.
To Your Success,
–Mark Widawer
P.S. Okay, so you’re a marketer. So what do you do now???
Answer: Get your “chops” and learn how to turn a starving crowd into a crowd of customers for your ebook. I’ll be making an announcement in just a couple of days about how you can do that. And the announcement is going first to everyone who has downloaded my ebook template.
Do you have it yet?
I’m thinking that the people who have it are more interested in becoming successful ebook marketers, so I’m more inclined to help them. And besides, if you’re going to write an ebook, this template will make it a A LOT easier for you.
The template is still available, and it’s still free. So get yours today.
http://www.BigBucksEbook.com/freetemplate
-M