Playing business versus doing business that gets customers
Most new entrepreneurs spend their time playing business instead of doing business. Playing business looks like choosing your company name, designing business cards, picking website colors, and building elaborate systems before you have a single customer. Doing business means one thing: getting customers and selling products and services. Those are the activities that matter. Marketing is really just selling multiplied — it's salesmanship in print, audio, or video. But you need to understand what works in selling before you can create marketing that does the selling for you. The key value creation functions are creating innovative products that meet real customer needs, doing marketing and sales, and delivering results through strong management and leadership. Everything else is activity that feels productive but doesn't move the needle. Start with the customer.
Relevant Clips3
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Playing Business — Setup Activities vs Actually Getting Customers
Playing business involves activities you think you should do like naming your business, designing business cards, and choosing website colors. Doing business focuses directly on getting customers and selling products and services.
- Answer6:00
Marketing Is Selling Multiplied — Understand Selling First
Marketing is actually selling multiplied - it's salesmanship in print, audio, or video. You need to understand what works in selling first before you can create marketing that does the selling for you.
- Answer0:31
Avoid Business Cards, Website Colors, Names — Focus on Getting Customers
Avoid spending time on business setup activities like choosing business names, designing business cards, selecting website colors, and other details that don't directly generate customers or sales.