Just spoke with a client a few days back and he told me his web site that we just redeveloped and launched has, after 1 month, doubled the sales of their previous record month (they’ve been going for years).
Cool.
Look, any doofus can do a web site. Yes, I said doofus.
We’re Talkin Ooooodles
But web developers who can get your site generating oooooooodles of sales are more difficult.
That’s why we try and charge based on the value we provide.
Before I went into business about 14 years ago, I was a ‘Nursing Sister’ for 11 years – and that was after doing my nursing training for 3 years.
I really enjoyed the nursing days, pretty rewarding sort of job and tons of variety.
I was consulting with a business today and explaining how his business was like my nursing days.
It’s all about solving problems.
As a nurse, you just solve problems all day long.
You see the problem, look at what’s causing it and take action to solve it.
Patient has a low blood pressure – stick their legs up higher and increase the drip rate.
Patient is vomiting after an anesthetic – give them a bowl and jab them in the ass with an anti-throw up potion – all you nurses reading……I know it’s an anti-emetic ;o)
Patient is dead – try and get ‘em alive again! Good thinking, huh??!
All you’re doing in business, any business, is finding solutions for problems.
That’s it.
You’re Not Really Selling
So if you’re selling gym clothes, camping gear, contact lenses, car servicing, surfboards, energy bars, phones, pens, swimming goggles, whatever it is – you’re not really selling (or you shouldn’t be at least).
What you’re doing is solving problems.
Understand and embrace that and watch tons of people buy from you when you solve their problems.
(Just so you know, the biggest problem for most businesses is they don’t enough money. As a marketing/web guy I show people how to make more money. I solve that problem.)
We’ve been working with a new client who has a very cool product. It’s an iPhone bottle opener. How Australian can you get?
It’s a high-quality hard shell case, so it protects your phone. Suits iPhone 3G/3Gs and 4/4S. I’ve been looking for an app that can open my beers for a long time now – I think this is as close as I’ll ever get.
I sometimes drink with a friend who likes to open his beer bottles with his teeth. (I’m not sure how his dentist feels about that) So I know at least one person who’ll be getting this case for a Christmas gift! Check out the iBottleopener – maybe you know someone who’d get some use from it?
Brendon’s still away on his epic road trip. He flew into Los Angeles a few weeks ago with his son Harry, and picked up their hire bike. They planned to spent the first night away from the city, so off they went.
On the first night, they hit a snag. Harry’s email to his mother was basically “Got lost in Death Valley, then the bike broke down. It was getting dark. Dad tried to fix the bike, while I set off to find help. Hitched a ride to hotel and called the rangers to go find Dad. Three hours later, a police car showed up to drop Dad off”.
Exciting, huh? They were both fine, and had a replacement bike the next day. I just want to know what Harry said when the rangers asked for Brendon’s age, weight and physical description. (I also expected Brendon to be taken away in the back of a police car at some point, not dropped off.)
* Not a real photo
Undaunted, they continued on. Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Graceland, the Heartbreak Hotel, New Orleans…. They’ve finally arrived in Miami, where they’re having a great time. I think they went to the Harry Potter Theme Park, although I’m not sure who’s idea that was.
Next, as long as Brendon isn’t eaten by a ‘gator on their swamp tour, they’ll be handing in the bike and flying up to Washington and New York.
