I was lonely.
Here I was. 23. Healthy. Good looking. Gambling day and night. And gambling profitably. Things should have been great. But I was lonely. I needed to meet women.
So what did I do? I took action, did something about my loneliness, and started online dating. Online dating was the perfect solution to my loneliness. I needed a way to meet women, and online dating provide that for me.
I had to market myself. Women weren’t just going to show up at my doorstep looking for love. I ain’t running no Playboy Mansion over here. I’m just a regular guy. Nothing to see here. So how were women supposed to know I was single and looking? The answer is that I had to market myself.
So I started dating online, marketed myself, met some women, and eventually found the love of my life. And things are good now. But I would have never found my girlfriend if I hadn’t marketed myself.
And it’s the same thing in business. Every single business must market itself. Sure, some businesses have to market themselves more than others. But every business must market itself. I don’t care if you’re selling life insurance or cocaine, you have to market your product. I don’t care if you’re selling plumbing services or escort services, you have to market your service.
Sure, you can get listed in the phone book (what the heck, is this 1985?!) and eventually you’ll probably get some calls. But in order to do real business, and to grow your business, you have to market yourself to the customers. Otherwise, your competitors are going to get the customers’ attention before you do.
If I’m a local moving company and I am sitting around in the office twiddling my thumbs all day no one if going to know about the moving services that I provide. Instead, they are going to see the other companies’ billboards, they are going to click on the other companies’ Google ads, they are going to see the other companies’ wrapped trucks driving around town, and they are going to touch and read the other companies’ direct mailers.
If you own a moving company and you sit around in the office all day and fail to market your business, then the potential customers are going to see 20 other moving companies before they thumb through the phone book and call you. You have to market your business.
I was lonely and I needed love. Instead of wishing and hoping and sitting on my couch, I got out there and marketed my lonely heart with online dating. And I found the love of my life. It worked! And it’s the same thing in business. If you’re lacking for customers, if you have a lonely business, then get out there, market your business, and start getting customers.
Companies who fail to market themselves will eventually die off. Companies who commit to marketing themselves and accept and embrace that they have to spend money to make money will continue to attract and retain customers, grow their businesses, grow their market shares, and continue to thrive. Market your company. Don’t be a lonely business.
