2

Quality or Marketing?

Which is more important?

Let’s use some examples.

What’s a better workout program 5/3/1: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System for Raw Strength (2nd Edition) or p90x? Josh Bryant’s Metroflex Powerbuilding Basics or CrossFit? Obviously the former are superior to the latter yet who makes more money? Jim Wendler or Tony Horton? Josh Bryant or Greg Glassman?

Why is this?

In a word marketing.

Now I’m not saying that the quality of a product doesn’t matter because it most certainly does. Especially in a small niche like masculine self-development. Though there is plenty of crap that gets into this niche as well. Nor am I saying that Tony Horton or Greg Glassman are scammers. But there is something I want you to draw from this.

The quality of a product does not matter as much as the marketing of that product. You may not like this but it doesn’t change anything. Let me ask you something can you make a better cheeseburger than McDonalds? Of course you and so can I. Yet who makes more money? McDonalds or you and me?

You see this a lot with writers and artist who might produce quality work yet loathe sales and marketing because “All salesmen are scammers and cheapskates and puppy murderers” or something to that end. They fail to understand without a proper understanding of sales and marketing you will never make good money no matter how good your product is.

Quality Product + Great Marketing = Prepare for Early Retirement

Crappy Product + Great Marketing = Live Comfortably

Quality Product + Okay Marketing = Some Beer Money

Quality Product + No Marketing = Stay Broke

Don’t get me wrong the quality of a product matters especially in the long run. However if you fail to market that quality product you will never even start running, you’ll be stuck at the starting line. You could have the greatest book in the world that would instantly make all men millionaires with six packs dating supermodels yet if you never market it and get it in front of peoples eyes guess what? Your never going to make a dime from it.

Most people have this association between marketing and evil. That by someone selling your product to someone is inherently wrong. If you ever hope to be anything more than broke you need to kill this association right away.

Look at it like this. I sell The Primer and I fully intend to market it to the best of my abilities. Why is this? To make money? Well yeah duh but it’s more than just making money. I believe in The Primer. I believe that The Primer has the capacity to change a good many men’s lives for the better. Because of this I see it as my duty to get it in front of as many men as possible so that they may better their lives.

So do I do this to make money?

You bet your ass I do.

But do I do it just to make money?

Hell no. Improving the lives of men is what I set out to do and The Primer does just that. So why on earth would I not market it? So you see to me keeping The Primer from men would mean that I didn’t want men’s lives to improve. And that’s just not right.

So by all means create a quality product that you truly believe in. That is the first step. I would never recommend you to sell something you do not believe in. However that is just the first step. No race is ever one with a single step. After creating a product that you believe in, that you truly believe will benefit people. Then market it because it will help others, it will improve the lives of others.

Because after all that is the entire point of business to help people live better lives, and if you forget that you won’t get far.

Imagine this. You standing on a boat and below you is a man drowning. Right beside you is a life preserver. Would you throw it? Of course you would. Why would you keep in from him? Well you should think the same about your product.

So ultimately having a quality product that you believe in will help you market that product. Marketing is not evil, wrong, or immoral. Remember the life preserver. The only evil, wrong, or immoral thing would be to keep it from the man.

So without further ado. Create a quality product that you believe in and that most importantly will benefit the lives of others. Then don’t be selfish but share that product with the targeted market to the best of your abilities.

You will enrich others through the product and they will enrich you through the purchase of that product. The relationship between seller and buyer should be a mutually beneficial relationship. Never forget this.

If you have any questions you would like to see answered in a future post send them to me at charlessledge001 (at) gmail (dot) com. If you found value in this post then I would encourage you to share this site with someone who may need it as well as check out my books here. I appreciate it. You can follow me on Twitter here.

-Charles Sledge

Charles Sledge

2 Comments

  1. This is all for some time. Marketing engages the “animalistic” side of human personality, doing good with picture, sound or sense of authority. Since the evolution makes people smarter, soon they will not buy a crappy picture of product instead of quality product itself. And marketing actually does well only with general public products, cause general public is not smart. Niche products in special categories, which is bought most of the time only by specialists in that niche category could not be crappy, cause you can’t fool specialists. And this is all on your desires. Want to get money by fooling people? Go on. But there is people which still has sense of empathy.

    • I agree and I think that as things progress more and more towards niche sites this will change and pure marketers will have to adapt and make sure they are delivering quality products. Though marketing will always be important. But yes if someone makes money by fooling people even the general public it is only a matter of time before that backfires on them.

Comments are closed.