Real Jobs, British Pragmatism, and Risk Reversal

Perry Marshall – Champion Hurdler

Your Widgets are the best in the world so why won’t people buy them?
Perry Marshall is hugely successful on the strength of 3 things
1) The nine great sales lies
2) His alternative method of “selling”
3) His acknowledged position as Number One expert in his field.

He tried (1) usual sales techniques for a long time and found they didn’t work
He hit upon his alternative (2). This is his “baby” which he loves unconditionally and he spends every waking moment (and probably every sleeping moment) on developing it and nurturing it and honing it and delivering it to his eager audience.
His technological understanding has enabled him to attain (3) in a very short space of time. He has done this through implementation of (2)

Are you in it for the Long Haul? If so, you’d best make sure you’re heading off in the right direction. If someone tells you that pestering people for 2 or 3 years will eventually produce results, what are you going to do when it doesn’t Being told something works isn’t enough. You need to be convinced by it and be prepared to make the effort to implement it.

Its early in the morning. Sales have not been going well. That is to say, sales are so poor that you can’t sleep. You get up and go for a walk and find yourself at an athletics club where hurdles have been laid out on the track. Imagine you’ve never seen hurdles and don’t know what they’re for. As you sit and watch, luxuriating in the cool morning air, your elbows resting on the rail in front, your chin resting on your hands, your mind a blank, the first athlete of the day turns up to start his training session. He does a few stretches then positions himself on the starting blocks. He takes a few strides but before he reaches the first hurdle you suddenly understand the track, the layout, the object of the game and as he takes the first hurdle you know he will jump each one in his lane in exactly the same way. As you watch you begin to notice the technique. The outstretched right leg, the left arm reaching towards the right foot, the left foot tucked under in that peculiar and precise fashion. You notice that the athlete seems able to jump the hurdle without breaking his stride despite them being so high (nearly 3 feet). You notice that he takes off at exactly the same point before each hurdle, lands exactly the same after, that there are the same number of strides between. The athlete reaches the end of the course, stops, turns, looks back over the 110 metres with an expression of determination and curiosity on his face. The whole thing has taken not much more than 13 seconds. He walks back to the starting blocks and does exactly the same again. There is no perceptible difference but this time when the athlete reaches the end and turns back he has the biggest smile and satisfaction written all over his face. He as achieved some miniscule goal which to you is imperceptible but to him has the potential to make a huge difference at the next competitive meeting.

Having watched this man are you now a champion hurdler? No, of course not. Could you imitate him? No. Could you run the track and get over the hurdles? Possibly depending on your fitness but it would take an awfully long time. You go to talk to the athlete and explain that you’ve never seen hurdles before and how much you admired his technique and the ease with which he is able to complete the course. The athlete is flattered at being recognised as an expert in his field and tells you something of his training regime, how long he’s been doing it, what he hopes to achieve, bits about his technique, things he tried which didn’t work, how he made his biggest advance etc. You’re so enthused by this that you decide to take up hurdling and join an athletics club. Your first time out causes a certain amount of mirth amongst the younger fitter athletes. But you have drive and enthusiasm and pretty soon the mirth has gone and people see that you’re committed and determined. Are you now a champion hurdler? No! Do you have the potential? Possibly. Apart from a talent. it depends on the effort you’re prepared to put in. It depends on your self-belief. It depends on looking for those tiny changes that if you find them and can implement them, will change you and move you on from being just very good to being the recognised expert in your field. The effort that you put in, must be the right effort. The changes that you need to make will only come to you if you practice and look for them. Someone can show you what to do but your success depends on you own unique persona, making the goal your own and developing your own technique on the basis of the style that has convinced you. This is your “baby” which you love unconditionally. You spend every waking moment (and probably every sleeping moment) on developing it and nurturing it and honing it and delivering it to your eager audience.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Perry Marshall.
You should Google The Nine Great Lies.
First of 7½ million results is Marketing 101 strategies. Read and enjoy!

Hi Perry,

Great video and very timely from my point of view……….

We coach for business performance improvement through engaging and motivating people to better the processes and we have just taken the decision to reverse the risk by guaranteeing success and sharing in the benefits rather than just charging fees.

I would like to see your seminar in UK to get your take on this

Cheers
Graham Bailey