Niagara Falls

falls

In 1911, Bobby Leach went over Niagara Falls in a barrel. On purpose.

He broke a few bones and spent a few months in the hospital.

But that was OK with him. He survived…

…and then he cashed in on his fame.

He wasn’t the first person to survive that fall. A woman named Annie Taylor owned that claim-to-fame. She purposely fell over the falls a few months before Bobby.

Annie made a few bucks speaking about her adventure, but never built a money-making publicity machine.

Bobby, on the other hand, traveled the world, exhibited the barrel, posed for pictures and boasted, “Anything Annie can do, I can do better.“

A few years after the big fall, Bobby brought his publicity tour to New Zealand.

While there, he slipped on an orange peel and injured his leg. The leg got infected. Gangrene set in. Amputation followed. Complications ensued. Bobby died two months later.

Ouch!

Bobby learned the hard way: If you make your living by falling, past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Same is true if you’re marketing a business.

What worked for you yesterday, may injure, or even kill, your business today.

That’s why testing, tracking and tweaking are critical marketing practices.

I’ve been reading and writing marketing advice for more than 20 years.

A lot of the stuff I read — and wrote — doesn’t work as well as it once did. (I even purge content periodically from my blog if the advice is out-of-date).

I know what’s working because I measure results. I know if something worked better a few years ago than it works now.

Sure, if choosing between options, you may start with something that has worked in the past.

But remember: “No guarantee.”

Pay attention. Test and track to assess what works. Tweak to improve results.

Whatever you do, don’t sit on your laurels…

…and watch out for orange peels.

Don't go away yet..

p.s. Coaches, authors, and consultants hire me to power-up their creative content and storytelling to captivate prospects, stand-out and book more business.

Whenever you're ready, here are several ways I can help you become a storytelling stand-out so you'll land more clients without pitching and prodding:

1) Get the Story Power Profit Pack -- 52 Strategies, Tips, and Tactics  to Transform Your Content from Ignored to Adored.

2) Watch the free, 7-minute Micro-Training: “The 3 Most Important Storytelling Keys to Captivate Prospects and Inspire Them to Act -- Without Pitching and Prodding.”

3) Become a Story Power VIP: Master how to discover, assemble, and deliver business-building stories. Twice-monthly live masterclasses. Members-only content. One-on-one feedback and consulting sessions. And more… If you'd like to learn more about our VIP program, just reply to this email and put "Story Power VIP" in the subject line. I’ll contact you with more details.

4) Work with me one-on-one: If you’re interested in working directly with me -- to discover, assemble, and deliver powerful, business-building stories -- simply reply to this email and change the subject line to "Private Client." Tell me a little about yourself, your business, and what you'd like to accomplish, and I'll reply to discuss options.

5) Invite me to speak at an event: I can tailor a presentation that meets the specific needs of your organization. Informative. Entertaining. Virtual or live. Potential for continuing education credits when applicable for your group. If interested, reply to this email and change the subject line to “Speaking Engagement.” I’ll circle back to discuss the possibilities.

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Tom Ruwitch

Tom Ruwitch is the founder and CEO of Story Power Marketing. For more than 30 years, he has helped businesses grow by delivering powerful stories using a variety of different media.

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