Last week I challenged my subscribers to let me know "Just One Thing" they do to consistently to market their businesses. I got a lot of answers with many excellent ideas but there was one that really stood out.
John Paul Engel was the clear Winner. He got a complimentary 3-month membership in the Marketing Club. He more than deserved it!
One Weekly Action That Transformed John's Business
Every week I volunteer at a local middle school in the poorest area in my town. I teach leadership and public speaking to the kids. When I began doing this a little over a year ago I had no idea it would totally transform my business, my marketing and my life.
One day a 13 year old boy got up and gave a speech about how he wanted to be an engineer, but he didn't know any engineers. I thought, "That's a need - I can help him!"
I gathered some questions from the boy, I asked a college student, and I came up with some questions myself. We also asked an engineer, and he was happy to help. When I gave the answers to the young man he loved them. He was that much closer to his dream. His teachers told me he was more focused in school and his homework had improved.
I thought: "I know lots of successful people, why don't I do this for all these kids?" So I went out and got advice from Ph.D.s from Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge, graduates of Tokyo University, Stanford, London School of Economics, and the University of Chicago - some of the smartest, most successful people in the world, and I gave it to the kids.
The class was so inspired that I decided to turn it into a book and give it away for free. Everyday I give this book away for free to any student, parent, teacher anywhere in the world who wants it. All they have to do is download it from my website at:
In a couple of weeks I will be giving away 2,000 copies of the book to area students.
You might be asking, "Fine, John - its nice that you are doing such a good thing but how is it helping your business?" My answer is in several ways...
1. Each book gets my name out there and makes people aware of my business
2. Because of the book I am getting high profile speaking engagements
3. A local TV station did a story profiling me, as did the University of Chicago Booth School of Business alumni magazine
4. One of the contributers in the book referred me to an RFP worth tens of thousands of dollars
5. I am building a list of successful people and of people who downloaded the book
If you help someone everyday in whatever way you can, you will supercharge your marketing. A portion of every dollar I make in my business I now reinvest into "Project Be The Change" and this helps me help more students.
It's a wonderful virtuous marketing cycle!
The More Clients Bottom Line: I hope you are inspired by John! His one selfless weekly action ended up transforming his business and his life. John just didn't go through the motions; he put his focus where there was a need and it mushroomed into something that will benefit thousands of people - and his own business in the process.
How are the contributions you are making to the community not only making a difference, but transforming your business as well? Please share on the More Clients Blog. Just click on the comments link below.
Thanks for sharing John's story with us Robert. It certainly touched my heart, and inspired me to start helping others in a more strategic way (without being driven by my own self-serving needs).
Robert, it would be great to read more of these type of inspiring stories on a regular basis (making your already fantastic e-zine even better!).
Posted by: David | November 17, 2009 at 02:12 PM
Thank you, Robert, for the gift of your email newsletter. The example of John being of service to the young people of his community is inspiring and has stimulated an idea on how a food co-op I belong to can make a contribution to the community. Your generosity in sharing your information and experiences and those of the people involved with APM programs is an example of how well what you share works in the world. Truly a blessing ~ thank you!
Posted by: anonymous | November 17, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Very inspiring. I used to do a volunteer clinic in a deprived area of Lahore: I was seeing upto 40 patients during the course of a morning and it was a challenge to keep tests and medicines to a minimum. That developed my clinical and management skills. The biggest reward for me came when my toddler son survived a fall from the roof onto a concrete floor: he was in a coma for a couple of days, but recovered without any residual damage. My personal practice also swelled during those days so much that I was booked for two months at a stretch. When I left that work because of family responsibilities, well, my practice went down as well. I intend to begin a program teaching simple business skills to the underprivileged: I have a basic format in place and am looking for a team to help me with it.
Posted by: Aamer Iqbal | November 17, 2009 at 05:24 AM
I found John's story very inspiring and it touched close to home as I have created and contribute often to many voluntary projects. I give workshops on Leadership and Communication in management for Action Against Hunger, I work with high school students to prepare them for and accompany them as they participate in the Model United Nations program, etc.
I must however be missing the needed ingredient which converts these contributions into business referrals. I would love to hear John (or anyone with goog ideas) expand on what exactly took him to the conversion point - from volunteering to paying business.
Posted by: Patricia Comolet | November 17, 2009 at 02:15 AM