THE ONE MARKETING PLAN YOU WILL NEVER REGRET
Twenty years ago I’d just written my first bestselling book. I’d written a book before that but my mother was the only one who bought copies, so that doesn’t count. It took me two tries to write a book people actually wanted to read, and from what I hear, even hitting it big on your second try is pretty rare. More than 99 percent of book writers fail to sell enough copies to make a living. I was lucky.
After writing a bestselling book, I thought, everything else would come easy. I assumed every book I’d release after that would also be a bestseller. I assumed thousands of people would show up every time I gave a speech. And I supposed I could make movies out of my books and become some kind of literary/Hollywood phenomenon.
It turns out that for more than 99 percent of writers who write a bestselling book, none of that other stuff happens.
Writing a bestseller is a huge help, but thousands of bestselling authors have dwindled away their money and influence so that, in the end, they had nothing to show for it. And that’s what nearly happened to me.
Instead of building a platform, I rested on my past success. In my calculation, I wasted about ten years not taking my opportunity as a successful author (and human being) seriously.
If I could go back in time twenty years, this book is the letter I’d write to myself.
I know it sounds strange to say if I could go back twenty years I’d sit down and teach myself a basic marketing plan, but it’s true.
Not having a marketing plan cost me millions of dollars, serious international influence, and the chance to accomplish at least some of my dreams.
Don’t get me wrong. Things have turned out okay, but the only reason things worked out is because I executed this plan.
THE FIVE-STEP MARKETING PLAN THAT WORKS
In short, there are five things I should have done twenty years ago to keep the momentum going. And after I did these five things, I should have done them again and then again and then again.
They are ridiculously pragmatic. Here they are:
1. Created a BrandScript. I should have clarified my message.
2. Created a one-liner. I should have distilled that message into a single sentence.
3. Wireframed a landing page. I should have elaborated on that message and brought it to life on a clear and compelling website.
4. Created a lead-generating PDF. I should have used a lead generator to capture emails.
5. Created an email campaign. I should have earned the trust of people who had given me their email address by sending them helpful emails that practically solved their problems.
This is a book about building a platform and growing a company. I’m going to keep it simple and specific.
Most business books are long on theory and short on application, but J. J. and I are going to tell you exactly what you should do and what order you should do it in so that your marketing works.
THIS PLAN WILL DIG YOU OUT OF A HOLE
I learned to execute this simple marketing plan because I had to.
Twenty years ago, after having sold millions of books, I lost everything.
I put all my money into an investment that failed.
On a bright and cool September morning I got a call saying the investment hadn’t worked and that my life savings was gone.
It was one of the hardest seasons of my life. I felt like I’d squandered everything.
In the weeks following that excruciating loss, I realized I’d not taken responsibility for my career. I’d trusted outside managers, publicists, investors, and publishers to guide me.
I decided then to become the CEO of my own life. I’d make the decisions.
I rebuilt.
Instead of writing another book, sending it to the publisher, and hoping for another bestseller, I self-published my next book and started a little company. I began searching for an inexpensive marketing plan that would work, and after years of experimenting, came up with the plan that is in this book.
Today, my wife and I own a company called Business Made Simple that is tackling the problem of college debt by offering inexpensive online business courses to anybody trying to develop themselves.
Today, only seven years later, we give away more to charity every year than I lost on that Monday morning.
How did all this happen? Following this simple, five-step marketing plan over and over is what built my company and rebuilt my life.
The good news is, you don’t have to lose all your money to build a great company. If you follow the five steps outlined in this book, you’ll grow your brand correctly the first time.
If you work for a large company, this plan will work for every division and every product within each division. Yes, you can use this book to create multiple sales funnels. In fact, I recommend doing exactly that. Once you create your first sales funnel, start working on the next one. Ultimately, your marketing plan will consist of many sales funnels, each selling your products and services to varying demographics.
Regardless of whether you’re a small company creating a few sales funnels or a large company creating hundreds, the plan works.
You do not have to struggle with marketing. You can be confident, proud, and see a return.
If you execute the plan that is in this book, you will succeed.