Ready, Fire, Aim!

You probably read my headline and thought, wait a minute, isn't that backwards? Isn't it supposed to be "Ready, Aim, Fire?"

Well, a year ago I might have agreed with you. But not anymore. What changed? I did! And boy am I glad I did.

Let me tell you a little story. Up until last year, I was one of those people who planned everything down to the smallest detail. I guess you could say I planned things to death!

Ever heard of "analysis paralysis?"

Well I had it big time! I just was not comfortable doing anything, especially in business, until I had done ALL my research and put all my ducks in a row. As a result, it often took a long time to get up and running with new ideas.

Then I experienced "Ready, Fire, Aim"

Last fall, I was first introduced to the concept of "Ready, Fire, Aim" at a seminar where I was thrown full bore into this way of thinking and acting. Talk about baptism by fire!

Not only did it change me, I learned something. That I could learn more and do more faster if I didn't get caught up in overanalyzing everything. I came home excited about adopting this new approach to my life.

What happened?

Well, my business and I have grown more in the last eight months than either had grown in the past seven years.

I've made some mistakes, but another funny thing happened along the way. I realized the mistakes DIDN'T KILL ME! In fact, I've learned more from my mistakes than from my successes.

I learned mistakes are a GOOD thing!

Suddenly everything I learned in school about NOT making mistakes just didn't fit anymore. Mistakes don't make you a bad person or even an unlucky person. They make you a smarter person!

They say Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before he successfully invented the light bulb. I hope we don't have to fail that many times before we find success, but what I do know is every mistake and every failure brings us one step closer to success.

Don't get stuck

You may be wondering why someone who advocates planning (The 10stepmarketing? System is ALL about creating a marketing PLAN for your business) is touting the virtues of "Ready, Fire, Aim," the seeming antithesis of planning.

It's because I don't want you to get stuck like I was for so many years.

Get into the game, even if you think you're not ready

Not getting out there and into the game because you're afraid you're not quite ready or might make a mistake, IS the mistake. Don't make it!

My advice? Take the time to create a marketing plan for your business but don't get bogged down if you still have questions or uncertainty about how to market effectively. Just start. Do the best you can and KNOW you will learn more every step of the way.

It's the only way to discover YOUR "magic marketing" formula

The longer you're out there actively marketing and tracking your success and your failures, the closer you'll be to finding your "magic marketing" formula.

Your "magic marketing" formula brings together exactly the right marketing activities with the right marketing message and the right audience in the right place at the right time for YOUR business to result in HUGE success!

While there are some basic marketing principles that will help you get to your magic formula quicker, nothing replaces good old testing and fine-tuning. After 20 years in the business, I still practice it regularly. Because I know there are certain things you can do to set yourself up for success, but at some point you just have to go for it.

Are you stuck?

If you're stuck without a marketing plan or you'd like to learn some simple steps you can take to position your business for marketing success, The 10stepmarketing? System can help. This simple system tells you exactly what you need to do, step-by-step, so you can uncover your "magic marketing" formula quicker. Don't get stuck trying to figure it out on your own. Get help at www.10stepmarketing.com.

Learn "Ready, Fire, Aim" the way I did

I can teach you how to market your business more effectively, but sometimes to find true success we also need to change ourselves. If you're committed to being healthier, happier and richer and you're willing to be pushed beyond your comfort zone to accomplish that, I highly recommend T. Harv Eker's Peak Potentials program. It's where I learned to live "Ready, Fire, Aim!" and I know I'll never go back to the way I used to be. You can learn more here.

(C) Copyright 2005 Debbie LaChusa

20-year marketing veteran Debbie LaChusa created The 10stepmarketing System to help small business owners and solo-preneurs successfully market their business, themselves without spending a fortune on marketing. To learn more about this simple, step-by-step program and to sign up for her FREE audio class and FREE weekly ezine featuring how-to articles, tips and advice, visit http://www.10stepmarketing.com

---

A Tool For Selling New Ideas!

Imagine tossing a pebble into a crystal clear pond on... Read More

The Advantage and Consequences of New Economy Marketing

Some of the research that has been done today gives... Read More

Listen To What The Marketing Experts Say

But more importantly, watch what they do. If you do... Read More

How To Go From Under Dog to Top Dog by Unleashing The Power Of a Postcard

The Tale of Two Dentists...Dr. Namel and Dr. Ivory are... Read More

Whats In a Business Card?

Over the years as I have attended trade shows, networking... Read More

Time for A Marketing Tune-up

If you have been in business any length of time,... Read More

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth? Powerful Lessons In Marketing & The Psychology Of Selling - Part 5

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth?: Powerful Lessons In Marketing... Read More

Tipical Mistakes in Marketing

To prevent the risks of a promotion campaign for our... Read More

Effective Lead Generation

How to Gain your Prospective Clients' Attention and Generate the... Read More

Tradeshow Booth Cures - Knick-Knack Knockouts

Okay, we were kidding about the smoke, but not about... Read More

The Value of a Customer

The Driver of All Marketing EffortsYou need to determine what... Read More

Direct Mail Offers: Eight Steps to Making them Effective

Every direct mail package you drop in the mail should... Read More

Mail Orders Most Common Mistakes

THE GREAT MAIL ORDER MYTH There are a number of... Read More

Writing Marketing Copy That Sells

When your prospects see your marketing materials, your brochure, your... Read More

The 5 Musts of Marketing

For most of the small business owners I work with,... Read More

Notable News - Its Not About You!

You enjoy what you do. In fact, you love your... Read More

Design Does Matter

The idea that good design can improve how people perceive... Read More

Knowing When To Charge More and To Charge Less

More And MoreIt was notable that when I started my... Read More

A Look at Brochure Printing Services

A brochure can be a wonderful promotional tool for a... Read More

Brainstorming Techniques as New Product Development Strategies

When developing new products and strategies, coming up with unique... Read More

Tips For Developing An Effective Questionnaire

Developing the questionnaire is undoubtedly the most important part of... Read More

The Name Game

Pop quiz! If you have to say goodbye to your... Read More

Make It A Threesome

What if -- every time you had a networking appointment... Read More

Create Free Internet Buzz with Your Workforce

There are many different ways to increase your traffic on... Read More

Getting Personal ? Innovative Marketing for Small Business Owners

The small business marketing strategy you can't afford to miss... Read More

Learn How to Market Your eBusiness in Real Time: Dissect, Study, Emulate

Everything you will ever need to know about internet marketing... Read More

Custom Lanyards - The Perfect Solution for Promotion, Branding, and Marketing

Lanyards are fast becoming the new "must have" promotional item.Events... Read More

A Pass / Fail Test for Any New Market

If you are considering entering a new target market, with... Read More

An Example of Understanding Consumer Thinking

A church in my community provided me with one of... Read More

Marketing With Brochures

With the explosion of the internet and online businesses many... Read More

Copy SoapNet and Make Money

Whether you want to admit it or not, soap operas... Read More

Your Ultimate Competitive Advantage

The biggest secret to success in business is to always... Read More

Developing a Contact List- Part Two

In a previous installment, we spoke about how to come... Read More