Doing stuff without understanding why.

A few months ago there was a post on a moderately popular marketing forum asking something about email marketing service providers, and AWeber specifically. There were questions on pricing and if there were some free alternative available.

The forum poster also asked what he should send to his list. What would he write in the emails?

Errrrghhhh. That's completely back-assward.

My point was this: If you don't know what you're gonna write, don't start building your list.

The reason why he was asking all this, was because some guru had told him that he should build a list... because as we all know, the money is in the list.

So what? If you don't know WHY the money is in the list, what's the point?

Last year I invested a few hundred bucks in Perry Marshall's training course on Facebook advertising. Not because all the gurus told me I needed to be on Facebook and that social media is cool because all the kool kids are doing it...

... but simply because I used my head, did some thinking, and had ALREADY come to the conclusion that learning about Facebook ads was the next logical step to take in my business. I realized the massive potential in terms of how you can target on FB, and I had already decided that I needed to learn more about it. Then a timely email from Perry let me know that he was doing a training course on the subject, and his follow-up marketing over the following weeks convinced me that his course was the way to go.

When people buy stuff, it's usually for the wrong reasons. Figure out the result you wish to accomplish FIRST, before looking for a tool or a course. Then you figure out the most efficient way to reach that goal.

The exercise of the day is to practice some healthy skepticism.

Start asking more questions, especially of yourself.

When you stop taking things at second or third hand you will be a great marketer. Self-verification is the name of the game.

Not thinking for yourself is the only sin.