This is NOT the time to hide in the bunker
Folks are scared right now. Gathering everybody in, pulling the shades, huddling in the middle of the basement floor, waiting for the howling storm to pass. Turn on the the TV news, distribute the canned peaches and bottled water, tally up the body count…
But here’s the thing:
This is not the time to stay in the house and hide.
This is the time to go out in the streets and FIGHT.
Because:
YOU NOW HAVE EVERY EXCUSE IN THE WORLD TO TAKE A RISK!
Look, pal – if you tried and failed 3 years ago, you looked and felt totally stupid. People just expected you to succeed. Inebriated homeless guys pushing shopping carts down the street were flipping houses with no money down. Holding up signs that said, “Will flip houses for food.”
Dude: Now if you fail, at least you’ve got a good excuse! You can say, “I tried valiantly but things just didn’t work out…” and people will wag their heads and turn their sympathetic faces toward you and say, “Yeah, it was a hard time, that 2009, well at least you tried.” Par for the course, no embarrassment whatsoever.
Last night I was talking to one of my customers, he’s parlayed his sales and marketing skills into a consulting gig where he’s turning around a failing company. (And it’s working, too, yesterday was a record day for sales appointments and they’ve doubled the price of their product and conversion has gone UP not down.)
Part of his compensation is: He gets 5% ownership in the company. 2 years ago that deal would be unheard of. He’d have to wait 5 years to be “vested.”
Right now there’s deals like that everywhere. If you’re one of the few people who spent the last 2-3 years LEARNING SOMETHING instead of just riding some mysterious wave, you know how to bring new customers to a cash-hungry business.
This past January I had lunch with an old buddy Bill Yaccino who works for an organization that assists all kinds of different churches in Chicago. He says, “All the pastors I work with are telling me their giving is down 20-30%.”
I’m going, “Whatever for??? It’s not like they’ve got 20-30% less money! It’s not like unemployment suddenly went through the roof!?!”
(Which is true. Chicago is not like Detroit, the recession didn’t suddenly slam us ‘overnight’, we have every imaginable industry here, and yes, unemployment had probably risen from 7% to 10%. But there was not 20% less money to go around, no way, no how.)
He said, “It’s just fear.”
Which tells me, people don’t understand giving. My own experience is, giving is one of the BIG ways good things come to you. Giving works exactly backwards from what “common sense” would say.
I’m not saying that generosity is a genie in a bottle that you rub when you want something. I’m saying it’s a much deeper, wider principle – that giving is an expression in your belief in the goodness of the created order. That, in the words of an old bluesy Ethel Waters song,
His eye is on the sparrow
and I know He watches me
Right now you have every “excuse” to take a risk. If you fail, you have an alibi.
Five years from now all kinds of successful people will look back on RIGHT NOW as a unique and special period of time where opportunity was RIPE for the picking. A time when you could buy a $1.5 million house for $450,000, a time when you could get a consulting gig and own 5% of the company… just because they didn’t know how to generate some friggin’ sales leads!
What an incredible time this is. Don’t let it pass you by.
While everyone’s huddling in the basement of the compound with their bottled water and canned peaches, now is the time to stand up, march to the front door and fling it wide open. And walk into the streets, and with reckless abandon, FIGHT for your future.
The time is NOW.
Perry Marshall
About the Author
Entrepreneur Magazine says: "Perry Marshall is the #1 author and world's most-quoted consultant on Google Advertising. He has helped over 100,000 advertisers save literally billions of dollars in Adwords stupidity tax."
He is referenced across the Internet and by The Washington Post, USA Today, and the Chicago Tribune.
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If you can, Perry, throw some more psychology into these kinds of posts. I like this stuff.
Peter
Well said Perry. A nice reframe that should help people unplug themselves from the matrix.
Talk about a “Call to Action”!
Thanks Perry for kicking butt and kicking “but”
Thanks, Hero-Motivator, That was great!
We are working really hard now to promote our business over Christmas with competitions, Adwords, affiliate schemes etc.
It is great to be reminded that, whilst we have to work harder to succeed during difficult times, there is the up-side that we can benefit from what may be “once in a generation” opportunities. We’ll certainly be keeping our eyes peeled.
Thanks, Perry for that great pep talk and reminding me of one of my all-time favorite songs! I’ll be singing it the rest of the day
and continuing to move ahead even while fear is waiting at my door.
–Paula
Ya know,
This recession actually does not scare me. (The fact I am in constant pain sucks the energy, creativity and will out of me every once in a while (WHEN I LET IT!). Posts like this help!
After every recession, new millionaires have emerged and it was exactly because they did what you are talking about. They put the blinders on in a race when every other horse mysteriously lost theirs and ran like heck.
Between you and Glenn interspersing business posts with not just sales emails but motivational messages like this, it is hard for anyone that follows you to sulk and whine for long, no matter what handicaps they face.
I will bet that the dust settles a higher percent of your & Glenn’s followers will be way ahead in whatever endeavor they are engaged in.
While, excuse me for being critical, many ‘guru’s flocks will be huddled and looking around wondering why their ‘leader’ was so quick to sell them something that left enough out so as not to create more competition for them. & they do that! I have a computer full of paid for ‘systems with mis-leading and out & out missing pieces that I only recently figured out thanks to someone taking a personal interest in me and going over the info step by step and pointing out to me what was missing and even crafted to discourage at just the right places to have maximum effect; and then and how I should really do it. This refers to non-adwords related items and are in the ‘home business’ category. The ‘famous’ people that sell carefully crafted items that are sometimes created to mis-lead at the most emotionally vulnerable times as to discourage instead of motivate the user is amazing. I come from the world of car sales and the salepeople I knew were saints by comparison to what I have run into on-line. Some are downright evil in my opinion. I think it was Michael Fortin’s wife who wrote on the subject of what some people will do to sell their wares on-line (‘Internet Marketer’s Sins’) and if you do not think the same people that do that wouldn’t do it to their ‘herd’… think again. But now I am ranting…)
I didn’t mean to get sidetracked, it is important to note not every guru (& it isn’t limited to gurus) does this, but it is my experience (limited as it is) that a higher percentage does than percent of car salespeople lie.
Back on the subject, thanks for the post and the movie clip was perfect! But most important, thank you for always (and by that I mean ALWAYS) doing the next right thing even when it would seem that doing so would sometimes be self-defeating. You seem to be one of the few that understand, it always (& by that I mean ALWAYS), comes back you you ‘with friends attached’. (To steal a metaphor from you.)
Thanks again (& by that I mean THANKS!)
Mark
I totally feel what you’re saying Perry and keep tellin my close family members. Unfotunately too much news watching and soap opera consumption is keeping folk paralysed to the seat of mediocrity. Let’s keep trucking folks. See you at the TOP!
Brilliant. I subscribe to only two marketers blogs/email newsletters (I’m too busy building my business to read more).
Sort of like a constant split test. Perry has been the “control” for 3 years now. The other newsletters I just unsubscribe from after a while and find a new one to try.
Perry is one I’ve followed for the last three years. I did unsubscribe at one point — just because of some work overload. Otherwise, I read everything he sends without exception.
Thanks for the affirmation Perry. I’m taking my online business to brick and mortar after being laid off from a 25 year gig in coporate America. Why the hell not!It’s always nice to get positive re-enforcement just when I’m sitting here in my empty store having doubts about what I’ve just gotten myself in to.
Yeah!! Right on, Perry!
Thanks for the pep talk, coach. But seriously, you’re right as rain–these are times to be bold while others cower in fear. I’ve had several very successful people tell me that they started thriving businesses in the middle or recessions.
On another note, I don’t think I’ve ever quite seen the true power of split testing as much as I have seen in the last few months. I manage a campaign in THE most competitive niche in PPC (well, according to my Google account rep). Think average CPCs of anywhere from $60 to $90 per click.
Since early this Spring when I took over the campaign, I have been religiously split testing ads and have seen my average CPCs drop in some cases by 50% on the highest converting keywords! My ads consistently show in the top positions and even Google tells me how well built the campaign is. Of course, I have you (and one of your former students who taught me a lot) to thank.
You are the man, Perry! Thanks for all you do.
Great post Perry. I agree completely. This is the time of opportunity. It’s also the time to keep giving. Mark Victor Hansen wrote a little book years ago called the Miracle of Tithing. It’s free – it’s also very powerful.
Thanks once again Perry. I can always count on you to be “above and not below” when it comes to the crunch!
You said ‘fear’ was the main thing, especially in the churches, “truth”! And how do we counteract fear? With “faith”! Faith that this time we’re in is ‘temporary’ and we will be able to look back and see – what? Fear or faith??
As for me and my house… We are also ‘givers’, which keeps us looking UP!
All I can say and keep saying to myself each day is
“Today is going to be a great day”
for some strange reason this seems to be working
Managed to get $AUD15 million worth of Commercial Property Leads in the last 6 weeks for my new business via my website and adwords, just need to work out how to close them now
BTW I forgot to add, I have been a subscriber of yours through various email and business changes for 7 years or so and your emails and guides are the best, I recommend them to people all the time. Thanks Mike
Great post, and I really found it relevant.
I am in the middle of changing careers. Going from being an IT consultant to a technical copywriter. Through choice, not necessity.
Many of my IT colleagues and so on thing I am mad, but I see 2010 as a year of rebuilding. so that market is going to have plenty of work.
Fear doesn’t really come into it.
“While everyone’s huddling in the basement of the compound with their bottled water and canned peaches…”
Now that there’s some great copywriting. What a visual.
Okay!…that was different. Words escape me.
And you are probably right again.
But it takes a lot of courage to be lead in such uncertain times.
Thanks for reminding us how lucky we are to be in the know.
Opportunity is everywhere for those of us willing to recognize it.
To borrow a phrase from Wayne Dyer….
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”
Hey Perry,
I still enjoy reading your work and I have deleted almost everyone else that sends me stuff in your niche. Dude, I gotta tell you that in Australia we are as buoyant and positive as ever. The economic down turn hasn’t kicked us, we kicked it. Even though some folks got hit hard. Aussies just don’t give a f@#$ we eat tough times for breakfast. It’s not worth worrying about, you only waste energy that could be put to good use. From my perspective this is the moment of greatest opportunity. Carpe Diem by the balls brothers and sisters.
Not everyone is quivering in the bunker buddy.
Thanks for your positive messages and excellence.
All the best,
Troy Planet
Hi Perry,
Yesterday, of all days, I received your email and this post right after learning one of the companies I contract with is ending the program I’ve contributed to. Half of my income ended with the decision, and it shook me up.
But I read your post and smiled because you (the person I think of as an “engineer-type”, a no-nonsense, knowledgeable, scientific type) put up a video of my favorite hymn–the best musical reminder I use to tell myself all is well!!!
Cosmic! You (of all people) gave me the spiritual and psychological lift I needed to brush off impending thoughts of panic or fear! Bless your heart for your insight and for giving me the gift I needed most!
Chris – and everybody else – I stuck that video in there pretty much on a whim and I listen to whims a lot lately. Glad you were blessed by it. The #1 thing you need to protect is your belief in your ability to initiate cause and effect in the world. Protect it, and go out and FIGHT.
Perry
This is definitely a great post. I’m glad I “stumbled” upon your site. I can see you have valuable information and training. I also feel the comments to the post are great.
I live in a rural area that is considered to be at the poverty level. I’ve heard that the recession hasn’t hit my area because we’re always in a recession.
The major industries here are a national laboratory (government run) and casinos, both of which I feel are detrimental to the health of the area. Using training such as yours and another well-known attraction marketer I’m hoping to lift this area up and show people that they CAN succeed.
Thank you!
Very good word Perry… I’m FIGHTING to jump start a real estate career and develop business coaching products/services.
What really struck me was when you said “Bill Yaccino” in your post… I LOL!
I got to know him and his family when they were in CA several years back, we attended the same church and they led our young married bible study group… here I am learning from your content not knowing our close connection… small world.
John
Very well-put Perry. Now is the time for all people to stand up for something. It is time to be reckoned with and not just accounted for. There are to many well meaning people looking for a hand up when they still have the power to give a hand up. I completely agree that it is time to charge into the battle rather than lay helpless in the basement of doubt and fear. The only stimulus plan that will ever solve this economic problem is the stimulus of determination and action from innovative people.
I really believe that anyone that is able should be tirelessly pushing the boundaries towards recovery. We have an obligation to each other to make everyday have purpose and value. It was an all consuming greed that created this mess, and now only the direct opposite can reverse the damage.
Thanks Perry! How true, the strongest survive!
Marianna