MARKETING AS A POWERFUL VALUE SKEW

View forum thread: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/marketing-as-your-only-value-skew-somewhat-scammy.110412/

If you follow my work, you’ve heard me mention that MARKETING is a VALUE SKEW. If you can take a unique product that is UNDER-MARKETED and ADD MARKETING, you just created SKEW.

A value skew is something a consumer will perceive as unique and special about your product, enough to compel a customer to buy.

In this case, the SKEW is simple awareness.

In many marketing circles (and many gurus) like to promote the IDEA that marketing can be your only skew.

While this is true, the result is somewhat questionable (scammy?) because you are simply exposing an underexposed product to the masses. The return on your effort is an INSANE MARKUP.

Here is a classic example.

If found a company advertising on Instagram a pair of neck messagers.

Their advertising hook was a video of very attractive people using the product and just raving about the relief they were getting.

I must admit, after watching the eye candy OOH and AHH about their neck relief, I wanted one.

They were asking $60.

But here’s the deal.

I knew immediately this was a MARKETING SKEW venture.

After researching Temu, I found the same products for sale for LESS THAN $9.

Yes, $9 bucks. And that’s not including any discounts which Temu readily offers.

$9 acquisition. Sell for $59. Add a few costs for ads + slick packaging ($11); the net ROI is a whopping 436%.

A 436% ROI is asymmetric and how you get rich.

This is HOW marketing, by itself, can be your only SKEW.

While I wouldn’t find myself doing this, it demonstrates that opportunities can be created by exposing the underexposed.

A couple of lessons in today's business news.

#1) The Commandment of Control strikes again.

Unity Game Engine has changed its terms, making game development extremely expensive and out of reach for most aspiring game developers. The fee changes will cost existing games thousands and likely erase all profits. We saw this recently when Reddit changed its API terms.

Same story, different company.

When one company can destroy your business, you accept a risk that is paramount. Business, by itself, is risky. If your company is dependent on one company NOT changing its terms, you're playing Russian Roullete.

#2) STAKEHOLDER DEMOTION = Opportunity for all entrepreneurs.

FACT: Any once beloved, customer-centric company turns into DOGSHIT after going public. Sonos, Etsy, Upwork, I lost count. Why? Customers are demoted to livestock as the new focus is shareholders and Wall St analysts.

When your customer is your #1 stakeholder, you hold an advantage over big public companies whose priorities are upended; meeting Wall Street earnings expectations, appeasing shareholders, and essentially squeezing every ounce of margin out of their customers.

ADVANTAGE: YOU.

I hear Unity Game Engine customers are going through the same discovery. Reddit too, as they prepare for IPO. Sucks when customers become livestock.

How many times has a company you loved gone public and turned to crap? For me it was Sonos, the audio company. I hear a lot of people are upset at Etsy and Upwork.

What was it for you?

The 5 most dangerous addictions that can destroy the dreams of even the most disciplined:

#1) Heroin
#2) Sugar (a gateway drug into the medical/pharma industrial complex [MPIC])
#3) Social media (a gateway drug into the medical/pharma industrial complex)
#4) Video gaming (a drug to create mass apathy and population immobilization, secondary gateway into MPIC)
#5) A regular paycheck that imbues comfortable mediocrity.

Worse?

The latter has murdered more dreams than the former four.

Imagine having a map to buried treasure, a journey that will forever change your life for the better.

And yet, after close examination of the map, you decide to sit home and do nothing because the journey looks difficult or doesn't come complete with a mentor that will hold your hand.

This scenario best describes how most people approach life, and their ability to change it for the better.

The fact is, DISCIPLINE has replaced LUCK as the sole thing that stops you from succeeding.

A century ago, education and knowledge was a privilege secured from birth, and having the luck to be born in the right family in the right city.

Today, the world's knowledge is at your fingertips and readily accessible with a computer or a smartphone. Per market researcher eMarkter, 63% of adults on the planet have smartphones—but those phones aren't making them smart, they are making them dumber.

DISCIPLINE is the only thing required to unlock this treasure trove of resources, resources which can change your life forever.

With the right commitment and focus, you can go from dummy to expert in a matter of months.

Or, you can continue to spend 5 hours a day on TikTok, X, and Netflix while complaining you don't have the skills to change anything. Sorry, you don't have the discipline to change anything and until you do, nothing will change.

The power to change your circumstances is within your control, and within your access.

Unprecedented times. Take advantage now and let your smartphone make you smart.

Persistent action skews the probabilities for success that others will misconstrue as luck. The guy who swings the bat 1000 times will have better luck than the guy who swung twice and quit.

I tweeted this but it needs repeating, and in today's SMARTPHONE age, #1 is critically important.

Change the euphemistic words that you regularly use in your life into their real meanings and you can get better outcomes. Here are 5 words that you need to swap out and exchange for better results.

1) Notifications = Interruptions.

When an app asks, "Allow XYZ App to send you notifications?" change the word NOTIFICATION to INTERRUPTION....

"Allow XYZ App to send you interruptions?"

Hell no.

2) Someday = Never.

Whenever you say someday, you're saying NEVER. Face the truth and stop lying to yourself. Someday means never. In rare cases, it means another day with another excuse.

3) Luck = Probability

Those who preach luck fail to understand probability. Don't pray for better luck, work to change your probabilities so "good luck" becomes more likely and "bad luck" less likely. Luck is for losers who don't act. Probability is for winners who do.

4) Entrepreneur = Problemologist.

Entrepreneurs solve problems all day, everyday. If you expect to be an entrepreneur yet refuse to face problems, obstacles, and other challenges, update your resume/CV and go back to being an employee. Leave the problems to entrepreneurs.

5) Money = Value.

Everyone wants to make money, but oh so few people want to make value. Unless you're a politician, a central banker, or a thief, money is value. If you want to make more $$, be more valuable. A biz that helps millions gives you the best bet to earn millions.

Feel free to add your own word replacements, what works for you? I heard a funny one, sugar = heroin because it has similar effects on the brain.

Some big takeaways from this week's newsletter.

You can read the full article here.

https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/364132/emails/102500930443805882

If you're physically, mentally, and geographically able to pursue your dreams—your best life— you're already living the dream.

Remember the THREE WARMS: If you're in a WARM bed after a WARM shower following a WARM meal, congratulations; you have much to be thankful for.

If you're currently able to fight for your dreams because you're not busy fighting for your life, you're doing spectacularly well.

The grass is already greener in your pasture.

Have a great weekend everyone, be happy, healthy, and safe!
- MJ

Do you have trouble falling asleep and taming the mind?

I can fall asleep within 10 minutes, guaranteed.

It wasn't like this as for years I’d toss and turn trying to fall asleep as my mind wandered with endless mental minutia, from things that I needed to get done to memory reruns to random ideas, my head would not STFU.

Everything changed when I started doing THIS, and had you told me this would be effective at getting me to sleep fast, I would have laughed at you.

Here’s what I did:

1) I found earbuds that I could sleep comfortably with.

2) I find audiobooks on Audible that aren’t terribly mentally stimulating or thought-provoking, something like “cozy mysteries” or other fictional writings. I avoid non-fiction educational books during this time as I’m not trying to stimulate the mind; I’m trying to lull it.

3) Make sure the narrator of your book has a soothing, calming voice.

4) I listen to the audiobook, set to go off at 30 minutes (Audible has this function.)

5) Like clockwork, I’m out usually within 10 minutes. Worse case, 20. The earbuds tend to stay in all night promoting total silence, and a weened myself off the need for white noise (which can damage hearing).

Why does this work, and will it work for you?

Apparently, listening to novels that require low mental bandwidth narrows the mind into a subtle focus, silencing the scatterbrained chaos that keeps us up at night. I’m no longer thinking intensely about 30 different things but thinking lightly about 1 thing.

For years, I thought this was crazy.

And now it turns out, this strategy is not unusual as CNBC just reported that many women listen to true crime podcasts to help them fall asleep. While I wouldn’t recommend such a heavy, tragic topic like that, listen to whatever works for you.

Of course, I’m sure this won’t be effective for everyone, however, if you struggle with getting to sleep, give this a try.

Your sleep and your health may thank you.

Article: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/13/why-are-women-falling-asleep-to-true-crime-podcasts-and-tv-shows.html

Details matter, especially if you're in the business of details.

I won't post the flyer, but I received a "Car Detailing" flyer on my windshield.

The flyer itself was poorly done, from layout, fuzzy low-res design, and even unwanted printer marks that should have NOT been visible.

If these are the details you put into your flyer -- your only representation of your business -- how well will you detail my $150,000 car? (The flyer had a picture of a $150K Mercedes.) Why would I trust you with it, when you can't be trusted to do a simple 8.5 x 11 flyer?

Details matter, especially if you're in the business of details.

In a follow up to the previous post about DETAILS MATTER, here’s another example and a response to the assertion that some new businesses simply don’t have the budget for details.

Bullshit.

Stop making excuses.

There is a difference between a quality flyer that pays attention to detail and a poor flyer that does not.

Does it cost money to fix a spelling error?

Does it cost money to remove the printer lines that should NOT be there?

No.

As a potential customer, it is not my job to be a guinea pig for a new business, especially regarding expensive assets.

Here’s another example from last month…

I had a window washing company (kid) cold-call me on my home’s front porch. The guy was completely unpolished, and I immediately could tell this kid had watched a few youtube videos and was trying to make quick hustle bucks.

When I asked him for a quote, he verbally said $800.

Then I asked, can I get that in writing? He looked at me, completely dumbfounded. He had no estimating paperwork, no mention of guarantees, insurance, NOTHING!

While I sympathize with anyone trying to start a business, I’m not interested if your initial effort clearly demonstrated that you cut corners. If you lack detail in your presentation, I don’t trust you to do the job. YOU ARE NOT WORTH THE RISK. And most people would not either.

Here’s the backside of my home—hundreds of windows, some of which are 30 feet tall. Would you trust a 19-year-old kid who NEVER washed windows—and already demonstrated a lack of attention to detail—to mess with any of them?

Hell no.

Sorry, when it comes to high-dollar assets, I’m not risking those assets with low-detail partners.

I'm going to reiterate the power of using this simple $2 tool. Or to fit into cultural slang, "life hack."

Here's the full article...

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/how-a-2-life-hack-changed-everything-thank-you-mj.108923/post-1069524

For the last 6 weeks, I've been having muscle tightness/stiffness in my IT-band and piriformis muscle. For those who don't know what that is, that's the lateral muscle/fascia group down the side of my leg, from my upper hip down to my upper knee. It forced me to downgrade from Healthcon5 to Healthcon4.

The thing is, this thing only flared up while I slept, waking me up at 3AM in severe discomfort.

I figured it was a misalignment since I have pretty poor posture so I paid to see a chiropracter.

After x-rays, 12 treatments, and a $350 pair of orthotics, NOTHING changed. In fact, I'd say the pain got worse.

During this time, I was also doing a lot of stretches to loosen up my hip and glute muscles.

I tried to use my acupressure mat on the area (which fixed another issue) again, it didn't work.

Nothing changed.

But all of is was recorded, and documented in my little blue book.

For the last 6 weeks, this muscle ache/stiffness/pain thing has fucked up my sleep.

Then my wife suggested I try a new series of stretches before bed.

I did them to appease her suggestions, thinking it wouldn't change a damn thing.

I mean, why would it? I've already been stretching and paying a fortune for various other treatments to no avail.

And then, for the first time in 6 weeks, I've had 3 straight days of zero aches/pain, and slept again soundly.

Healthcon5 .... is back!

Life is all one big experiment. If you're not paying close attention, you could miss out on problem solving conclusions.

Act.
Assess.
Adjust.

This is a concept I hit hard in Unscripted and Rat Race Escape (not TMF) -- it truly is the reiterative secret to your best life.

This is my email inbox for my email address I specifically use for NEWSLETTERS. (Image at end)

It will take me to 2027 to read every one of them, of which, I'm guessing 50% of them are trying to sell me something.

This is why if you're not in front of the trend and selling courses and "make millions" on the trend, you're fighting a natural unsustainability and a saturation point.

This is a classic shiny object syndrome and a general misunderstanding of business models and the tools to support the business model.

This NEWSLETTER trend is nearly identical to that of blogs from 2010.
It is nearly identical to that of podcasting in 2018.

Back then, everyone was on the hype train for blogs and podcasting.

Back, then, the blogs that sold for $X millions made news and headlines. Same with podcasting.

The thing is, your blog should NOT be the product.
Your podcast should not be the product.
Your newsletter should not be the product.

These all share the same business "hype train" cycle.

1) Early adopters make millions and sell to those who understand these are TOOLS, not BUSINESSES.
2) Early adopters sell courses to the gold miners.
3) Saturation and massive attrition, 1 out of 200 succeed.

Trying to make "newsletters" YOUR BUSINESS might work out in the short term, but it won't in the long term.

Please don't construe this a completely binary statement...

Some newsletters can stand alone, like Morning Brew...
Some podcasters can stand alone like Joe Rogan...
Some blogs can stand alone like Seth Godin.

So unless you plan on being in the top 10% of the 1%, frame these "trends" as just awesome tools.

Not awesome businesses.

My inbox full of newsletters, 10 days.

So tired of hearing people complain that they don't have ideas, or money to start a business.

Here's a business idea you're welcome to to steal, one that can be pursued with nothing but a few phone calls.

In other words, you can find your customers before spending a dime on business costs. So the risk is completely removed.

Here's the business...

I was just thinking that I love entrepreneurship so much (and running my own show) that I could own a business scrubbing toilets and mopping floors soaked in urine. And I'd be perfectly happy with it.

Offer a service to clean public bathrooms in stores, restaurants, and other public locales, like Home Depot. Every restaurant bathroom I visit is usually filthy; there's clearly a need which is not being solved by internal employees or management.

Management gets a clean bathroom and can focus on critical business operations.
You get a business with low labor costs.

Start cleaning yourself and devise the systems and processes while you learn the ropes and operational efficiencies, then hire labor to scale.

Good idea? Maybe, maybe not.

The thing is, it will cost you nothing to find out, other some grindstone work selling to business owners with public locations.

A harsh message that some won't want to hear, but...

If you're waiting for someone to tell you EXACTLY what to do in starting a business, please STOP fooling yourself.

You're don't have the grit to be an entrepreneur, you have the mental makeup of an employee where you will get exactly what you wanted: A boss who will tell you exactly what to do...

Time waits for no one. After 6 years, people are still "waiting" for their big break in while others have already changed their lives—no hope, no pray, no waiting.

Please don't waste another 6 years.

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/time-waits-for-no-one-including-your-crypto-investments.111412/

If you read Unscripted, you can instantly see through BS like this... a $15 book will likely save you $1000s of dollars and much more heartache...

The ad leverages 5 of the 8 cognitive scams I expose...

The Money Scam
The Shortcut Scam
The Consumption Scam
The Event Scam
The Special Scam

There is no secret formula to wealth and expecting to find it an "Instant Training" is quite possibly the most laughable thing I've seen this year.

CLOWN WORLD, PART II: What is this trend of 20 year olds with no life experience coaching other 20 year olds with no life experience on how to be coaches?

In the 90s, we called it the Envelope Stuffing Scam where you taught others to repeat the grift, with no real value created.

I wish I saw these charts 30 years ago...

You don't want to miss this week's newsletter.

https://preview.mailerlite.io/emails/webview/364132/107473832993883815