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Even if you aren't a professional speaker, an actor, or a social media “influencer”...if you are a business owner, no matter where you are, consider yourself “on stage”. Why? Because one never knows when or where you will meet your next customer, business partner, employee, or friend. Case in point... It was ten years ago this week, and I was on my way to Long Branch, New Jersey to deliver a social media marketing presentation to over 500 entrepreneurs. (Yes, I've been doing social media marketing for that long, and even longer!) The best way to get to Long Branch from my home in the Midwest was via a flight to Newark, and then a 2 hour train ride from the airport to the “Jersey Shore” of Long Branch, NJ. My flight arrived late in the evening, so when I boarded the train, it was already dark. I'm a “read my book and mind my own business” kind of traveler, so that's what I was doing as the train was rolling southward. BUT, I do make it a deliberate practice to maintain situational awareness at all times. It wasn't long before my senses were tingling, telling me something was off. Looking around, I noticed a group of not-so-savory-looking characters had boarded the train car. I also noticed that several rows in front of me sat a couple of young ladies who appeared to be VERY uncomfortable with the darkness outside the train...and even less comfortable with the sudden new passengers inside the train. I decided to gather up my things and move seats. I wasn't sure if me moving closer to the fair travelers would make their discomfort situation worse, but I figured if didn't matter. I strive to be the guy who can be relied upon in an emergency, so if something happened, I wanted to be in the right position to react and intercept. After a few minutes, I broke the ice with the ladies traveling together. We had a nice talk, and it turns out they were business owners traveling to the very same event where I was headed to speak and coach! Nothing bad actually happened that night...so the three of us chatted the evening away as the train rolled down the tracks... A few days later, when I was on that stage, guess who was clapping and cheering the loudest? That's right, the wonderful people I met on the train before I ever knew they would be students at the seminar! You just never know where, when or how you will meet someone important to your business. So treat everyone you meet with kindness, respect, and dignity. Your kindness will be returned. In my case it was validated with applause, but in your case it may be something even more valuable to your business. As I mentioned in the beginning of this story, this true event took place a decade ago. Just this week, one of those ladies from the train reached out to me and said “I've told the story many, many times of the nice man who made me feel safe on a very scary evening in New Jersey.” I was so honored that a decade later she was still telling stories about some random guy on a train. She gave me permission to share this story, as well as her original post about it (see below). So I wanted to recognize her. Her name is Robin Mcintire, and she is a successful wellness coach for women. Check Robin's business out at https://robinmcintire.com, and let her know “that guy from the train in New Jersey told me about you”! 
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 Once in a lifetime media opportunities? Seriously Marty? Yes indeed. Let me explain... Current events have caused advertising media to change literally overnight, as BILLIONS of dollars in ad money was canceled by brands that have been forced by the government to close up shop. Think about how many movie trailers, restaurants, car dealerships, big box retailers, airlines, hotels, travel destinations, and so many others had to turn off their advertising without notice. That's caused a MASSIVE inventory of available ad space, and that space is selling cheap as media outlets scramble for every dollar they can get to replace it. If your business is lucky/blessed enough to be open right now, this is your opportunity to get advertising for pennies on the dollar and GROW your business. Some examples...
What if your business is closed or restricted right now? There may still be opportunity to benefit from these once in a lifetime media rates. Some businesses I'm working with don't have a product or service that can be delivered/provided during the shut-down, but they are still aggressively marketing right now in order to build a prospect lead list, so when things open up, they'll be poised to make up for the revenue they've lost during the shutdown. One client I'm working with started a lead-gen campaign last week, and in just 3 days, had 40,000 new email leads in their funnel to nurture for later! If you want to chat about how your business might benefit in these unprecedented times, fill out the contact form below to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. About a decade ago, I was working on a web project with video editor and producer Bruce Feagle, when he said something that struck me like a bolt of lighting: “You can have good, fast, or cheap. But you can only pick two” Over the years, I have quoted that line to clients, vendors, employees and business partners. Sometimes I’ve had to choose good and cheap, but it wasn’t fast. Other times I’ve had to explain to a client that he could have something good and fast, but it won’t be cheap. Whether it’s producing infomercials, creating web sites, or crafting multi-million dollar marketing campaigns, I’ve seen rare exception where you didn’t have to pick two out of the three. Heck, some days I’d be happy just to have any ONE of the three qualities delivered to me by a service or product supplier. Yesterday, one of my social media connections Issamar Ginzberg posted a cool graphic he had designed which clearly articulates this concept. He gave me permission to share:  This graphic is Issamar’s variation of the “Project Triangle” aka “Project Management Triangle”. Click to read more in Wikipedia.
So what do you think? Do you agree with the Good / Fast / Cheap philosophy? Why or why not? Please leave your thoughts and experiences with Good / Fast / Cheap below in the comments section. I’ve said it time and time again, the secret to great marketing is being; . . . at the right place, . . . at the right time, . . . with the right message, . . . to the right audience If you hit all four of those, you are pretty much guaranteed to be a success. For example:  Need I say more?
Now go forth and do likewise |
AuthorMarty M. Fahncke is an expert in multi-channel direct response marketing with over 30 years experience. Having been involved in marketing campaigns that have generated over one BILLION dollars in sales, Marty has seen what works...and what doesn't. Archives
September 2020
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