You Too Can Make A Lot Of Money... No Kidding!

by 37 replies
49
I just went to Burger King and I bought an order of Apple Fries. They were pretty good but I paid $1.49 for them and there weren't that many. The thought struck me that I had just paid $1.49 for less than half an apple and I decided these guys were certainly knew how to market. I learned a lesson from those fries and it is this... take something ordinary and turn it into something extraordinary!

Let's say that you wrote an ebook on time management and the sales were dropping dramatically. What if you took that ebook and nichified it? What if you turned it into an ebook on time management for teachers. Time management for hurried moms. Time management for busy executives. Time management for... ???

I've talked about this before but it bears repeating. Have you ever heard of Gary Dahl? He was an advertising executive who certainly knew about taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary.

Back in the mid-70s, Gary took an ordinary gray stone he bought at a building supplies store and turned it into... wait for it... a pet rock. He even wrote a manual on how to take care of your pet rock. These rocks sold for $3.95 and they made him a millionaire.

Imagine, an ordinary rock making someone a millionaire! All it takes is a little imagination and some creative marketing. He didn't create something brand new, it was a ROCK! What he did was use his imagination to turn it into something else, THEN he used some creative marketing to make his market see it as something else. It was STILL a rock but it became something extraordinary! Any one of you reading this right now can do the exact same thing. All it takes is a little creativity and smart marketing. Come on people... IT WAS A ROCK!!! Take whatever you have available to you, whether it is an ebook, report, service, membership site... whatever! Use your imagination and think of what it COULD be, not what it is.

Let me say this honestly and truthfully... YOU ARE ONE CREATIVE THOUGHT AWAY FROM BEING A MILLIONAIRE! Think about it!
#main internet marketing discussion forum #apple #fries
  • This reminds me of Purple Cow. I love Seth Godin. Marketing is fascinating. Be the purple cow, that's always a great lesson. Purple Cow by Seth Godin
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply

    • I thought a purple cow was grape soda and vanilla ice cream.

  • Chris, the problem is, most people don't want to have to think on that
    level. It's too hard. For one thing, it takes thinking way outside the box.

    Imagine the Pet Rock (I remember it well, along with the box of air) had
    never been created. How many of us here (honestly) would think of
    something so off the wall? If it were that easy, people would be coming
    up with these million dollar ideas all the time...but they don't.

    It's the rare individual (I'm certainly not one of them) who can really think
    of something that people will then look at and say, "Wow, that's so cool!"

    What's a lot easier is to look to see what's already selling and maybe add
    your own little twist to it. Say combine article marketing with Twitter
    or some other form of marketing and create a book out of the combination
    of tactics (as just one example)

    But to think of something so ingenious?

    I'm not quite that creative. And the one thing I did create that was
    really unique...bombed like crazy because nobody wanted it.

    But I do agree with your basic premise.

    We are just a thought away from a million dollar idea.
    • [1] reply
  • [DELETED]
  • [DELETED]
    • [2] replies


    • The old'uns are still the best'uns.
    • My pet rock lives on the windowsill right next to me. He's called 'Hudson' and I found him out in the garden. I asked him if he minded having such an unoriginal name for a pet rock, and was just met with a stony silence...
      • [ 3 ] Thanks
  • Thank you, Chris.

    You've just given me a much needed inspiration injection.

    Steve
  • It's always fascinated me to see how people can make the most mundane things seem desirable to others - the 'Jesus toast' thing that was doing the rounds on eBay a few years ago springs to mind. Even though it spawned quite a few slices of toast with the image of Christ 'miraculously' burned into them - which were so obviously pretenders - people seemed to want them almost as much as the original.

    Unfortunately, I can only burn toast uniformly (this is actually the only way I can cook toast ), so I couldn't help cater to this particular market. I think I'll have to wait for edible sandpaper to become the next big thing before I make my millions
  • Steven,

    People tend to overcomplicate things when it comes to trying to make money online. It just doesn't have to be that hard.

    Creative thinking can be learned by anyone; in fact, there is a book that was written by Roger von Oech called, "A Whack On The Side of the Head" and it was about learning to be creative. People just don't bother to learn it.

    It really doesn't make sense because people will spend large amounts of money to learn all the latest gimmicks and tricks when all they need to do is learn to be creative.

    It is so much easier to be reactive and do things the way you have always done them than it is to be proactive and do things differently! Proactivity begets creativity and creativity begets money. It really isn't all that hard!
    • [ 3 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
  • [DELETED]
    • [1] reply
    • Saturated fat and sex? Dammit, I don't have enough plastic wrap in the house.
      • [1] reply
  • [DELETED]
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [2] replies
    • THAT is the foundation to making money online. It's not that complicated. It doesn't require a rocket scientist. It is just that basic.
      • [1] reply
    • I agree, for what it's worth.

      The Golden Arches have a lot to answer for...

      But they also REALLY understand salesmanship.

      Steve
  • Chris I love you thought procees. This concept is making me rethink what I am doing.

    You have done me a great srvice with your insight.

    Thanks
  • For anyone else who is interested in the book I mentioned, you can get more info here...

    Roger von Oech (this is not an affiliate link)

    As I said, creative thinking is something just about anyone can do if they just take the time to learn how.

    I think Kay hit the nail right on the head... we were able to think creatively as kids and then we somehow grew out of it. Too bad!
  • Thank you so much for the great post Chris.

    I am going to have to kind of agree with Steve here. Most people don't want to think that hard. It just takes effort and so many people want an out-of-the-box solution that requires no work and will fill your bank account with money.

    There is also the issue of failure. Most people are afraid to try because they know there's a good chance they will fail.

    I believe the almost anyone can be creative. It's like a muscle and for many of us it has atrophied. It just needs a little exercise.

    One of the best books I've read about generating creative ideas that spread is called Made to Stick:
    Amazon.com: Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die: Chip Heath, Dan Heath: Books
  • I hope I am not beating a purple cow, but the bottom line is, you don't have to create the greatest new thing on the market.

    That is why I love no restriction PLR.

    Yes, much of it is really not very good as is, but that's the whole point.

    It always gives me a ready made outline that I know I can make better, easily, and then put a new cover on it, and presto -- it's a great new product.

    So I paid $7, $17, $27 but I can sell it for $37, $47 or more -- over and over again once I made a "good" package!

    Wayne Sharer
  • True, million dollar ideas pass us everyday, my problem is to many go through my head and sometime I do not stick it out! So I start on the next. Just write the news ones down and keep going on what you are working on!
  • I remember reading a book by Brian Tracy called How To Create Your Own Future and he talked about how to compete in business. One of the many things he touched upon was that you only had to do something better than the competition. I think you make a good point in bringing up being creative and it can serve people well.

    Now, take a guy like me for instance. I'm not very creative, but have learned to compete in the market place by simply doing ONE major thing better (or different) than my competition. Usually I do it by giving away more free and valuable content than the next guy and having outrageous customer service (in a good way). Then again, I'm very good at begging and groveling too.......
  • Here's a great site for idea generation by the "Wacky Wall Walker" guy
    Dr Fad.com - Your Online Source for Information on Dr Fad and Advice for Inventors of all Ages.
    Dig deep for some great gems

    And some 80's commercials
    http://www.x-entertainment.com/downloads/
    • [1] reply
    • Most people cannot think outside the box. It does have to do with everything you have been through, going through and want to do.

      A childs mind is free from worry, they are free from inhibitions or anything else that would prevent the creative process.

      If you look at a bunch of products they came from kids. The parents would sit the kid down and just figure out something that would click.

      Honestly, the approach I am taking lately is convenience. In our world for the past 20-30 years that is where most of the best things focused on.

      Even online things like youtube, myspace, facebook, twitter and iphone apps.

      They all revolve around this. Fast Food, Super Wal-marts, Malls and shopping centers. Exactly the same thing.

      I think it is hurting us as much as helping us. How can you make something easier to do. How can you make it so that a program can be done with little or no effort.

      I am not saying it needs to be as easy as ummmm.... making toast. (sorry couldnt resist)

      but it needs to add value in the amount of time, stress, money or something else.

      When you do come up with a product this is the best approach to take


      On another note. If you are serious about marketing and want to learn about it. I highly recommend THE HIDDEN PERSUADERS. I have some more I love but this is fantastic to start. It isn't like most books that just talk about how you should do stuff. It goes offer studies and what has and is being done. It is rather old and one of the most interesting books I have read. Some things in it are.....

      Did you know that restaurants play music on a slightly higher tempo to get you to chew faster.
      On the other hand Supermarkets play slow tempo music.

      Did you know that 90% of people reach for items from the same way they read.

      Did you know that when entering a Supermarket 95% of the people will sway to the right. This is the main reason any store you go to is set up the way it is.

      Now the book is old but still a very good read. I think it is a good inspirational book to help you to think outside the box.
  • I don't know if I would call them CREATIVE. The pet rock was a SCAM! The instructions covered "training" also! The apple fries were a little different. They had preparation, advertising, franchise fees, convienience, and other charges. They BOTH require printing, assembly, prep time, some shipping, etc... I'm surprised it took them so long. NOW, if only they would make them bigger, etc.... Figure what it would cost YOU to make and you know only that you are overcharged or that it costs MORE! It does little to decide how much it will cost. A nice BEACH has most of the material to make a CPU, for example.

    HEY, madoff got $50 Billion!! And HE basically just made up numbers! Heck. They should sue him for grand larceny AND money laundering!!

    Steve
  • made me think of the pet rock scene from Office Space.
  • Rambling discussions are good for everybody. Well almost every body. Well surely for some body.........
  • "When you understand the Laws, then you understand that it is not more difficult to create a castle than it is a button. They are equal. It is not more difficult to create $10 million than $100,000. It is the same application of the same Law to two different intentions."

    --- Abraham Hicks
  • Life itself is hard with out imagination of some kind to drive you. Those with kids learned that you have to have imagination just to keep up with them too.

    To sell I know you need at least one of two things: Either something that people need... OR... something that people THINK they need. The problem for those of us with a very low budget to start, is trying to get these things in front of people's faces.
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • Another thing I firmly believe is that opportunity does not knock... it is always there. There are opportunities happening all around us and we just fail to look for them. This goes back to what I said about being proactive.

    Too many people are waiting for opportunity to find them when they should always be looking for opportunities!
  • Chris,
    Try The Apple Viagra Fries, their not listed on the menu, but just give a good hard wink to the counter person and they will set you up. I don't know this as a fact, but I think I heard it first from Kevin Riley. They use special sauces to combine the qualities of both the original Apple Fries and the Pet Rock. Just pet the apple fries a few times and they will quickly expand and give you more for your money than you ever wanted.

    George
  • Great post thanks for the valuable info now if I can only get my easy button I bought at staples to work
Join the discussion

Next Topics on Trending Feed

  • 49

    You Too Can Make A Lot Of Money... No Kidding!

    I just went to Burger King and I bought an order of Apple Fries. They were pretty good but I paid $1.49 for them and there weren't that many. The thought struck me that I had just paid $1.49 for less than half an apple and I decided these guys were certainly knew how to market. I learned a lesson from those fries and it is this... take something ordinary and turn it into something extraordinary! Let's say that you wrote an ebook on time management and the sales were dropping dramatically. What if you took that ebook and nichified it? What if you turned it into an ebook on time management for teachers. Time management for hurried moms. Time management for busy executives. Time management for... ???