The Obvious Is Always Overlooked

 

There’s a valuable incentive for you and your colleagues later – but first, another shameful admission.

 

Nobody loves a know-all, so I hope you haven’t got the idea that I think I know everything and do it all right.

 

I don’t – and that’s an understatement. Too often I don’t take my own medicine; like everyone else, I get into terrible pickles and flounder hopelessly.

 

For instance: Two years ago, if you visited my site it was utter chaos. That’s because I let someone I knew manage it. They turned out to be almost comically unreliable but I couldn’t regain control.

 

It’s full of useful stuff – but running it has been a nightmare. So here’s an extra helpful hint: beware of doing business with friends: you’ll often find yourself at the back of the queue, as they feel you won’t mind being messed with as much as the “real” customers.

 

What’s missing from these messages?

 

But my next helpful hint derives from this statement: “The obvious is always overlooked”.

 

This was given to me by one of the ablest people I have ever known, Roger Borsink, former head of Marriott Hotel’s for the New York market – and a very cool guy.

(a 40-year veteran of Marriott with the heart of a race car driver. His conservative dark red tie is the same color as his Porsche 911 Carrera).

 

He said, “Have you noticed how often we overlook the obvious?” I do – and this series of hints is a perfect example.

 

You see, so far I have overlooked something so important and so basic that over the years I must have told people to do it literally thousands of times.

 

Can you guess what it is? It is so powerful that people have written a whole slew of books about it. Any ideas before you scroll down?

 

It goes under several names and is based on a simple, but very important principle: the customer you want is like the customer you’ve got.

 

It is by far the cheapest way of getting new customers.

 

It used to be called friend-of-a-friend. It’s also called viral marketing – but it’s just the same thing under a fancy new name to make it sound important. And guess which buffoon forgot to use it when he first wrote these ideas? Me. Your resident expert.

 

Stupid, or what?

 

So, here’s a demonstration for you – of the obvious thing I should have done, but didn’t.

 

Do you have friends, colleagues, or members of staff who would like these hints?

 

In the meantime, make sure you aren’t overlooking the obvious as much as I do. Go through your stuff and look for tricks you may be missing.

 

And if you feel you are too close and need someone else to look at what you have and how to use it, why not get in touch with me right now?

 

Best,

 

Eric
EricValdivieso.com