Welcome to Part 6.5 of the
7 Days of counting down to the
CT Business Expo!
Previous Post: Be a Better Example <- click
Today's Artistic Tweetameter:
"It might be hard for a business in the beginnin –
but the Most successful business is CONTINUALLY winnin!"
Now, as promised, here's the 5th of 5
Secrets of How Successful Businesses…
use the same skills as Successful Rap Stars…
make customers feel the way Rock Stars make feverishly fanatical fans feel…
and get customers to view each product/service as a Priceless Master piece!
a painted dedication of Michael Jackson by “C PAiNT” (Corey Pane)
Firstly, let me apologize…
There’s no part 6 or part 7 to this series (don’t look for them – lol). This is the FOLLOW UP to part 5, as well as the FINAL post of 5 Business Rock Star Success Secrets (and 7 Days of Counting Down to the CT Business Expo).
Would you like to be the top selling professional in your field?
Can you imagine your video being viewed more than Oprah Winfrey’s? Picture yourself recording an album that sells more copies than Michael Jackson’s Thriller. That would be quite an accomplishment!
In fact some people would consider the thought of outperforming Oprah or M.J. something like blasphemy, right? LOL! Oprah and Michael Jackson are very special people. The facts are that Oprah created one of the top 5 most watched television events in American history (the most watched interview ever), and Michael Jackson created the best selling album ever (the first album slated to go “triple diamond”). So…
It would be very difficult to even come close to their success.
I wonder if that’s what Oprah thought about Phil Donahue - before she was world famous - when he was the number one talk show host in America. Ever since childhood, Michael Jackson was a huge fan of Curly Howard – I wonder if he ever imagined being as famous as the Three Stooges?
Anyway, here are some more facts…
- Just over a year after Michael Jackson released “Thriller” (in 1982), it became the best selling album of all time. It has continued to sell (remaining the best selling album) for close to 30 years – AND frequently outsells the highest selling new releases each year!
- Just months after she began hosting (in 1984) WLS-TV’s “AM Chicago”, it became the highest rated talk show in the city. Her shows (including appearances) have been among the most viewed for almost 30 years – AND her company has spawned a new group of highly rated talk shows, such as Dr. Oz, Suze Orman, and Dr. Phil
But what’s more important for you Business Rock Stars is…
- Michael Jackson first started performing (as a backup musician playing congas and tambourine) in 1964 – almost 20 years before releasing “Thriller”
- Oprah Winfrey got her first broadcasting job while in high school (as a part time news reporter for a local Black radio station) at age 17 – 12 years before moving to Chicago to host “AM Chicago” and 14 years before “The Oprah Winfrey Show” went national.
They weren’t always rich and famous
In fact, if you read their biographies, you’ll discover that both of them started out in poverty. Both CONTINUED to WORK at their business for at least a decade before being considered successful… to other people. As far as I can guess, they were probably just as amazing when they started. But Business Rock Stars don’t settle for being amazing once, twice, or even a thousand times. They aim to be continually amazing, always aware that there are billions of people in the world who’ve still never heard of them.
Some might think “Thriller” would continue to be an all time best-seller no matter what Michael Jackson did after recording it. I’d bet against them. I think that the promotion his album received contributed, the legendary video he released contributed, the subsequent albums and tours contributed, and the way he cared about his fans contributed. It’s true that both Michael and Oprah showed talent before I was born, but… it’s only because of what they CONTINUED to do that I would one day be interested enough to find that out.
I’ll never forget being in school one day when another student asked me who Busta Rhymes was… I broke into hysterical laughter, because I seriously thought he was joking. But he wasn’t. I followed up, “Do you know who Jay-Z is?” He said no. “How about Wu-Tang clan?” He replied with a straight face, “who?” At that moment I realized that no matter how famous I get, there will always be people who have never benefited from OR EVEN HEARD OF my business. This truth is the essence of the 5th Success Secret of Business Rock Stars.
RapOet (Self Suffice) and Mez on cover of new album
The phrase of the day is:
CONTINUE TO WIN!
One weekend I was hanging out with some friends (Mez, Zaquan, Young Cee, and Gut) and we decided to record some music. The beats and rhymes we recorded that day were so good, we decided to put them all on a CD.
1. People were always asking me if I had any CDs for sale, so I started selling copies of the CD that I burned on my computer.
2. We put an album cover (shout out to Lance) on it and sold it hand to hand.
3. Months went by and people kept telling us it was an “instant classic”
4. We put it up for sale online.
5. A year went by and people kept telling us they were still playing it.
6. We realized that if we didn’t promote it most of the world would never hear it.
7. MTV gave it an awesome review.
8. We put it on sale at Amazon.com
9. Performer Mag, the Examiner, Rap Reviews, and others loved it.
10. We put it on sale at i-Tunes
11. We started sending the song “Come on In” to DJs and blogs.
12. “Come On In” started going up the charts.
13. A new fan hears the album for the first time every few days.
14. I bet someone reading this blog right now hasn’t heard it yet!
RapOet (Self Suffice) and Mez #14 today on R.A.L. Hip-Hop charts
Continuing to Win doesn’t just mean being proactive about doing better for your loyal customers. It big part of being a Business Rock Star is humbly repeating the same amazing performance you’ve already repeated 100 times before, for your customers. Can you sell the same product that you’ve already sold to 1000 people, answer the same interview questions you’ve already answered to 100 journalists, be as excited about talking to your next customer as you were about talking to the last 1,000,000? There are people who stop after doing really well (I won’t name names). And there are people like Oprah and Michael Jackson, who never stop. When MJ passed away, he was about to go on tour again. Oprah broadcast her last “Oprah Winfrey Show” but is now running a whole network of shows (OWN). And believe me, there are still people who have never heard of Oprah and Michael Jackson... do you think there’s someone who’s never heard of you and your business?
I’ll see you tomorrow at the
Bring your cell phones and other twittering devices…
Don’t worry if you’re not on twitter, we’ll help you sign up.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a twittering device, we can use mine.
In the interest of today’s Secret here is another look at the 5 secrets (thanks for reading):
1. One hit wonders want more money, publicity, and other undeserved RESULTS.
Business Rock Stars focus on giving a better PERFORMANCE
2. One hit wonders get frustrated when they don't get ATTENTION
from wealthy clients and celebrities.
Business Rock Stars make every customer feel like a celebrity
by PAYING ATTENTION
3. One hit wonders get lazy after giving a few good performances -
they wait for NEGATIVE FEEDBACK to COMPEL them to improve (or give up).
Business Rock Stars consistantly find ways to add value to their performance
They're prepared to react faster during emergencies,
because they've been PROACTIVE
4. One hit wonders grow repulsive by spending too much time
CRITICIZING other businesses.
Business Rock Stars earn the right to consult other businesses
by continuing to set better EXAMPLES
5. One hit wonders treat winning as though it's a NOUN, or an EVENT.
Business Rock Stars know winning is a long term COMMITMENT, and a VERB
Follow us on Twitter:
Greater Hartford Arts Council @grHartfordArts
CT Business Exp @ctbexpo
RapOet @rapoet
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