Dan Kennedy calls a business a "herd," caught up with the
stampede. Seth Godin calls a business a
"tribe," which uses a “purple cow.” Jim Collins uses a business as a Venn with
three parts: Passion, Ability, and Buyers.
I like the good old-fashioned "team," with support for an 30
seconds elevator speech. ( http://www.symbiosis4u.us/Newsletter/newsletter.htm read about five minutes)
Most new business owners believe that their new business will make money. But 80% of businesses are out of business in one year. 80% of those that survive the first year are gone in 5 years. In the first 5 years, 96% of businesses will be “out of business,” their owners eating dog food or looking for a job.
Money is a good thing, but you should not build a business for money.
But money only GIVES you what you want … if you have enough money.
For
example, suppose you have been twenty hours on an airplane, with one package of
peanuts and one sandwich (which tasted like dog food). On a Honolulu hop, a person enters the plane
and sits next to your seat. He has a McDonald’s bag. Inside, he has two McDonald’s hamburgers, which
cost about $8.00, or $4.00 for a hamburger.
As he opens the McDonald’s bag, the aroma reminds you that you have not eaten
for 20 hours. You are really
hungry. “I see that you have some McDonald’s hamburgers. Can I buy a hamburger? I am really hungry.”
The Honolulu person says, “Of course, I’ll
sell you one of my hamburgers for $20.00.”
Will you pay the $20.00 for a hamburger?
Another example, if you are a prospector in a
desert. Your backpack has $10,000 in
gold nuggets that you dug up in the desert.
You ran out of water three days ago.
It will take two days to reach civilization. You will die tonight or tomorrow, because of
thirst.
You see another prospector walking in the
desert, opposite from your direction. He
has a burro loaded with water. He offers you a gallon of water … for your $10,000.
in gold nuggets. A gallon of water will
keep you alive for two days. Will you buy the water?
Everything has a price that increases or
decreases depending on customers. In the desert, the gold nuggets had less
value than the water. The hamburger is
worth more than the money … if you are really hungry. The
hamburgers and water are examples of “purple cows.”
Have you ever seen a “purple
cow?” (my mother had a poem by Ogden Nash
about “purple cow.”)<!--[if gte vml 1]>
A “purple cow” is a product or
service which is unique, and without any competition.
Seth Godin explains a “purple
cow.” http://www.symbiosis4u.us/MP4/SethGodin-PurpleCow.html (1 ½ min)
A purple cow should have the values and
beliefs of the business. A purple cow
works best when used to express values and beliefs. A purple cow should not be simply thinking of
an idea, feeling or results … the values and beliefs must be integrated with
the purple cow. A purple cow can benefit
a business more than money.
My “purple cow” was integrated in to all of
my businesses: RedOx, Sssh Archery, Van Drielen Machine. Van Drielen Machine was to help Acuson see
inside the human body. Sssh Archery was to
help new archers who can’t keep the arrow on the bow. RedOx is to help the customer improve their
health. All my businesses … have to help
the customers … which a value or belief.
Go to the start of the train, so you can
understand the beliefs, values, ideas, feelings, and results for your business.
How would you sell your “purple cow” to a competitor salesman (start with a value)?
___________________________________________________________________________
What purpose does the “purple
cow” of your business serve (value or belief) … to customers.
___________________________________________________________________________
What is important to the
customers who may want to buy your “purple cow” product?
___________________________________________________________________________
Does your business plan include the
“purple cow?”
___________________________________________________________________________
What do you need to integrate into a new idea,
so the value/belief becomes a “purple cow?”
___________________________________________________________________________
What is the love (feeling)
for your “purple cow” product (a value or belief)?
___________________________________________________________________________
How will you support the “purple
cow” … if NOT a value or a belief?”
(money is not a value)
___________________________________________________________________________
What you don’t have a
“purple cow?” What can you do … with 30
days … write it on this line. (See on my
homepage, not an advertisement). http://symbiosis4u.us/MP4/MattCutts-30DayChallenge.html (3 min)
___________________________________________________________________________
Be happy, healthy, wise,
and abundance
Tom Van Drielen
Symbiosis Enterprises
1175 Branham Lane #18907San Jose, Ca. 95158
Home Office 408-723-4777
Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/tvandrielen
