Bust It Up! by Randy Gage

I just got off the phone from someone on my book launch team.  She was advising me to slow down and move something back a week, for better scheduling.

Last week I had a client who didn’t like the brochure I created for them because it was three times longer than “normal.”

A non-profit organization I help out was hesitant to do a find raising campaign I created because it was too “salesy.”

My responses in order were: 1) Do it now.  2) The last thing I want is normal.  3) “Salesy” is better than “brokey.”

Now let’s talk about why I respond in these ways.  There are some important lessons for anyone in serious pursuit of success…

Lesson one is simple:  A well-thought out plan executed today is better than the perfect plan executed whenever the hell it’s going to be perfected.  (Which is usually never.)

Lesson two: a book, video, sales letter, brochure, opera, story, song, dance or any creative work can never be too long – it can only be too boring. 

Lesson three:  When you want someone to do something, don’t speak in codes.  Whether you’re talking with your kids, raising money for a charity, crafting a marketing message, or making a keynote to inspire an audience – tell them what you want them to do.  They’re big kids and they can decide if they agree with you or not, and decide if they want to take that action – but only if they know what the message is.

Lesson four:  The best promoter of you, your product, service, or cause is you.  You know it best and no one is going to make a more passionate case than you.  If you believe is something, stand up for it.

Shark Tank has become a breakout hit.  But if you’ve been watching either traditional or social media this week, you’ll notice Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, and Mr. Wonderful are all out promoting tonight’s launch.

Every Hollywood star knows that part of the job is promoting the movie when it comes out.  If a Hollywood blockbuster with an $80 million marketing budget still needs the protagonists to promote it, maybe your little venture or cause does too.

Lesson five:  Take risks.  That mailing that the non-profit was hesitant to mail ended up being the most successful fundraiser in their 80-year history.  That marketing piece I’m creating for my client is going to be bold, different and unconventional – and that’s why it will crush.

Which all leads us to the bigger lesson in this…

One of the chapters in my new book, Risky Is the New Safe is titled “Move Fast and Break Things.”  That of course, was the mantra of Mark Zuckerberg and the Facebook clan as they were plotting their world domination during their start up.  And every successful achiever who has ever accomplished anything epic has the same philosophy.

Yes you have to think things through.  Have a plan.  But at some point the planning, analysis, and feasibility studies are no longer useful and it’s time to get off your ass, jump into action and go for it!

Sometimes you have to break things.  Shake it up.  Bust it up.  Cause that’s where the breakthroughs live…

– RG

P.S.  And speaking of Risky Is the New Safe, the page to pre-order your copy just went live.  So take your chubby fingers and click right here, right now and buy your copy.  I need the money.