A Practitioner of Uncertainty

Every time a big league player comes up to bat he faces random results: he might strike out. He might get a hit. 7 of ten times they get zip.

Those are the best professional ball players. Average professional players blow it 8 out of ten times.One of the best and most loved players captured the predicament in a now famous line:

"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra, New York Yankee catcher and coach.

"Practitioners of uncertainty," Mr. Taleb called them.

As marketers, we too, are practitioners of uncertainty. We have no clue, when we're approaching people, who will buy and who won't. Even when we're really good, there is no guarantee.

Let no recruiter or Internet guru seduce you to buy their stuff with any promise of assured income.

There is NEVER assured income when you're marketing.

Because it's not just up to you.

Thanks Kim, you say. Thanks for that uplifting news.

Now what?

Once you accept that as a marketer, you are a practitioner of uncertainty, all will be well. Because then here's what you have to do (oh uh, am I making a promise?):

Find something with financial potential, that excites you enough so you won't get tired easily of doing it over and over. You know, so you get better and better and maybe even great at it.

Then you'll enjoy the trip as well as the income rewards. After all, what if it does work?

Can I sell it?

It takes these two things to make a living marketing and selling online:

1. Something to sell

2. Buyers for it (enough to make the time and effort worth your while)

That sounds really elementary, I know. Many people have something to sell, but have no idea who the buyers are or how to find them. Others hear about all these buyers of this or that type product, and wonder how they can find something to sell them too.

Let's assume you are:

1) selling something that needs introduction or demonstration. It's NOT a commodity (something you can buy at Wal-Mart or Amazon.com, say, like a book, an iPod or a DVD); and

2) you are doing direct sales or network marketing - i.e. approaching people directly in person, through email, your blog, etc. (versus having a store or site where they come without direction from you).

Can you sell it?

Maybe.

Answer these four questions about whatever you are selling:

1. Does it define you?
2. Do you have a big fat emotional connection to it?
3. Do you know it or the why of it, thoroughly?
4. Are you completely confident when you present it?

If you answer no to 1 or 2, find something else to sell. Those who might buy will see you're not really that into it and wouldn't buy from you. Who buys a really top grade tennis racquet from a person who doesn't live and love tennis?

You can learn to change 3 and 4.

That's step one - having something to sell where you can say YES to 1-4 above.

Next - how to find your buyers - assuming there are enough so you might get some.