| I've never been much of a fisherman.
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| | knew his market well. Through much
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| Sitting in a small boat for hours
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| | research he knew exactly where the best
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| watching a red and white bobber float
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| | customers, i.e. the hungry fish, were in
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| atop the water holds about as much
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| | the lake. And that's where he anchored
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| interest for me as watching paint dry.
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| | his boat; smack dab in the middle of his
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| My old man, on the other hand, would have
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| | own starving niche market.Having found
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| rather fished than breathe. In fact, his
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| | his hungry market he tested products to
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| favorite Bible quote was: "Give a man a
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| | sell into it. He tried crickets, dough
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| fish and you feed him for a day; teach a
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| | balls, lures, worms, and who knows what
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| man to fish and he'll sit in the boat and
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| | else, to determine the kind of bait the
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| drink beer with you for life." Needless
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| | fish liked best. In the internet
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| to say, my old man wasn't much of a Bible
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| | marketing business we call it split
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| scholar, but he was one heck of a
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| | testing: offering customers variations of
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| fisherman.The few times that I went
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| | a theme to see which one brings the
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| fishing with him as a young boy (before I
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| | greatest response. In his case worms
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| was old enough to know better) he'd bait
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| | were the product that his market liked
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| my hook with a worm he'd dug up from our
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| | best.He also knew his customers well. He
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| garden and drop it in the water and tell
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| | knew that if they liked the product
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| me to watch the bobber until a fish
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| | they'd be quick to bite. He knew without
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| pulled it under the surface. The moment
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| | flinching exactly how to react when they
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| I saw the bobber go under I was to jerk
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| | nibbled the bait. He didn't jerk the
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| the line and reel the fish in. I can
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| | line because he knew that might let his
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| remember staring at that bobber until my
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| | customer get away. He tugged it gently
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| eyes crossed and never, not once, did it
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| | until he had his fish hooked, then he'd
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| ever go under the surface. I am probably
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| | reel them in and close the deal.And being
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| the only male child ever born in the
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| | the consummate fisherman cum entrepreneur
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| great state of Alabama who never caught a
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| | he always took his best customers to
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| single fish. It is but one of the
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| | dinner, literally. What the old man knew
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| disappointments my ancestors have endured
| |
| | was that in fishing, as in business, you
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| on my account, I assure you.My old man's
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| | succeed by giving customers (be they
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| bobber, on the other hand, would be
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| | human or be they fish) what THEY are
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| jerked under the water within minutes of
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| | hungry for, what THEY want or need; not
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| being tossed in. He'd be catching fish
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| | by trying to catch them with the bait or
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| left and right and I'd be sitting there
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| | sell them products YOU think they should
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| like some angler savant just staring at
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| | have.Sometimes we entrepreneurs think
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| my bobber and wishing I was old enough to
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| | we're smarter than our customers (OK,
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| cuss out loud.I discovered a few years
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| | sometimes we are). We think that they
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| later that the reason he caught all the
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| | will buy whatever we put in front of them
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| fish was that he baited his hook with
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| | if we just do a really good job of
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| live worms while hanging the dead ones on
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| | selling it. I've actually heard some
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| mine. His worm would wiggle seductively
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| | arrogant entrepreneurs say just that,
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| to attract every fish within a two mile
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| | "They'll buy what I have to sell or they
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| radius while mine couldn't even get the
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| | can take their business elsewhere." That
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| attention of a starving turtle if it had
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| | line of thinking guarantees that you will
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| swam directly into my hook.I'm sure I
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| | spend most of your time watching bobbers
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| suffered some permanent psychological
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| | that never get pulled under.It's when we
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| damage as a result of his actions, but we
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| | take our customer's wants and needs for
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| all have our scars to bear. Mine just
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| | granted that we fail as entrepreneurs and
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| happens to be in the shape of a hook with
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| | our lines sit in the water undisturbed.
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| a dead worm hanging from it. The memory
| |
| | The problem often comes when
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| has been filed away deep in my psyche in
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| | entrepreneurs put the cart before the
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| a drawer labeled, "Gee, thanks dad."
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| | horse. They will create a product or
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| It's a drawer I'm sure we all have, mine
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| | service for which there is no market.
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| is probably just a little fuller than
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| | They fail to survey the pond for hungry
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| most.While he could have used a few
| |
| | fish. Instead they grab the bait they
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| lessons on child rearing, the old man was
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| | think will work and off they go. Usually
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| an expert in one thing that we
| |
| | they come back empty handed. It happens
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| entrepreneurs often botch or ignore and
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| | to entrepreneurs and fishermen all the
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| that is market research. He didn't call
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| | time.What can you do to help ensure that
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| it that, of course. He said, "Son, never
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| | the pond you're considering is full of
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| fish in a dry hole." Let me translate
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| | hungry fish? That's a topic we'll
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| that tidbit of Forrest Gump advice: don't
| |
| | discuss next time. Keep watching that
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| try to sell a product in a market where
| |
| | bobber now, you hear.Here's to your
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| there are no buyers. If there are no
| |
| | success!Tim KnoxTim Knox
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| buyers, there is no market. You can have
| |
| | Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker
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| the greatest product in the world, but if
| |
| | Tim Knox is a nationally-known small
|
| there is no market for your product you
| |
| | business expert who writes and speaks
|
| might as well pack it up and go dig
| |
| | frequently on the topic.
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| worms.Over the years he had surveyed
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| | For more information or to contact Tim
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| every inch of that lake and as a result
| |
| | please visit one of his sites below.
|
