If you don't really have the chops to be a skilled marketer, you can still make a great business out of providing support and services to marketers. Many of them are clueless when it comes to making eBook covers, automating the sales process, writing content for Web sites and article directories and so on. Just because you couldn't sell cool water to thirsty desert travelers doesn't mean you can't present your product or services to marketers in a way that induces them to buy. The trick is to use your biggest strength as your selling point.



Before you go out and try to sell your services, a bit of market research is in order. You need to find out what people are already buying and figure out how your product or service can fit into that need. Too many new service providers spend all their time thinking in terms of what they think is really cool, and ignore the fact that "cool" ain't selling! A time may come that "cool" will be a hot commodity, but until then, you need to focus on the market's current demands. Failure to heed this warning will lead to major disappointment, in most cases.

Spy on your competition. Find out what they're offering, what they charge for it and how they deliver it. Become familiar with the expectations of customers and especially what they hate! If most of your competition is doing something out of habit that irritates buyers, make a point of emphasizing that you don't do that. Prompt delivery and clear, responsive communications are good places to start.

You could very well be less skilled than your competition, but beating deadlines and quickly answering questions in plain English could give you the edge in getting the business.

The number one rule in planning your business is: make your core competence the main way you make money. Your biggest strength or skill needs to be the foundation of your income. Don't be distracted by fads or unprofitable "extras" that take up your time and don't earn you money. Focus all your energy on doing what you do best. Be ready to say, "No", when a customer asks you to take on something that isn't really a part of your business model. Feel free to recommend someone else (especially if you've worked out some kind of referral fee or benefit in advance).

This doesn't mean you have to ignore a chance to try something new that might be a good addition to your business. Flexibility and openness are keys to expanding your business and increasing your income. Just make sure that what you are attempting has a proven track record of making money in the marketplace. Unless you are in the business of blazing trails in your sector, leave that to the big dogs, who have the revenue to absorb the failures without it killing the business.

Make friends in the business. Connect with your peers. Forge alliances with your competition. Take advantage of chances to outsource yourself, or use your connections to outsource your own "overflow" work. Rather than making your part of the IM world more dog-eat-dog, think in terms of running with the pack, instead. There really is strength in numbers. Plus, you'll benefit from testimonials that come from your peers, not just your customers. That's a source of credibility above and beyond the norm.

Finally, learn how to automate as much of your business as you can. Everything that doesn't have to be done by a human shouldn't be! Go ahead and let the computer do it for you, already!