Business Success Is A Science!

So many people want business success, especially on the Internet. They grope around, trying a little of this and a little of that, hoping and praying that against all odds they will – somehow, magically – strike it rich. Perhaps that does happen every once in a while, but the odds are about those of winning a multi-state lottery. The truth is that business success is a science, and it’s no accident at all that some people win, while most lose. The winners understand that it’s a science and treat their businesses accordingly.

There are two charming books called The Tao Of Pooh and The Te Of Piglet. Written by philosopher Benjamin Hoff, they use characters from the classic Winnie The Pooh stories to illuminate principles from Taoism, an Asian philosophy. In his Piglet book, Hoff talks about Reality Appreciation.

How many times have you deceived yourself? I know I’ve done it a lot.

I’ve convinced myself that a business venture or relationship would work out – just because I wanted it to.
I’ve believed people – in spite of evidence to the contrary.
I’ve involved myself in projects – in spite of an inner voice objecting the entire time.

After being hit in the head with a (figurative) brick many times, I’ve finally wised up and developed a genuine reverence for Reality. Without it our efforts on eBay – or elsewhere on the Net – are doomed.

Last weekend, I spoke at a conference in San Diego, CA, and met a lovely woman who had invested thousands of dollars into her own online store. She has owned this store since May of 2004 and when I asked her how much money she had made from it, her eyes teared, and she admitted that she hadn’t made one single cent. She had come to the conference to buy another program that she was sure would help her with her store – but the program she mentioned had nothing whatsoever to do with her goals. It was like buying a program on ‘How To Succeed In Real Estate” to promote your MLM nutritional business.

After I spoke, she came happily up to me and said, “YOU are the person who is going to make my store profitable.” Bless her heart, she didn’t understand even the most basic rule of business – that is, that people deal with others based on their own interests. It never occurred to her to ask if I was willing to put in that kind of time and why I should do so.

Another attendee has a similar online store and it isn’t making any money either. I asked him why I, as a potential customer, would choose his store over the hundreds of other sites on the net selling the same products? He thought for a few seconds, then asked, “What if I put my picture on my site?”

I carefully explained to him that a customer needs a REASON to buy. If there is no reason, there will be no sale. A stranger will not care in the least about the seller – or his picture.

These two anecdotes illustrate so well the necessity for a Reality check. Before you get involved in any business opportunity – or anything else for that matter – ask yourself some hard questions. For instance, if I were considering a web store, here are questions I would ask:

* Exactly what am I selling?
* Is my price competitive enough to be successful?
* Is my supply assured?
* Is there enough demand for the items?
* How, exactly, am I going to sell this?
* What skills do I need?
* Do I have those skills?
* If not, where can I get them?
* How much money can I reasonably expect to make?
* How much time will it take?
* Is this project worth my time?

Everywhere I go I carry sketch pads, simply because I think better if I draw ideas out. Every project I undertake is carefully and thoroughly calculated before I start anything. I don’t jump into things without considering them from every possible angle.

A great question is: how do I know what to expect when I am new to something and don’t have any experience?

The answer is, you don’t. You can only plan to the best of your ability, take action and let your results guide you. Which is why I always advise my Auction Genius Course students to begin their auctions with inexpensive items, until they gain some experience. As you grow in skill and ability, you can expand your business.

I believe that the Universe whispers to us, and if we ignore these promptings, eventually we will get clobbered with a two by four!

Ask me how I know this. It’s because my head is lumpy with all the whacks I’ve received!

Ignore Reality at your peril.