Are You Missing Obvious Sales

Before the "dot.com" crash and burn, a lot of people considered the Internet to be the 'new frontier' of commerce and business. We may have hit a bump in the path, but I still believe the Internet will change the way almost everyone does business.

In fact, the rise of the Internet has been equated to a 'gold rush' of sorts. If we look at the Internet this way, what can we learn from past 'gold rushes'? What can we learn from them that will help make us money?

During the gold rush of 1849 and prospectors headed for California and the Northwest, a farmer boy made the following observations:

1. All the prospects coming to the west had to eat;

2. Food stores were practically non-existent;

3. Selling food to prospectors was a sure and safe way to make money- in fact, it was easier than digging for gold nuggets.

The boy was Philip Armour. Armour hams became a very hot item in prospector days. It seems obvious to us now that with so many prospectors moving into an area, working hard digging for gold, that they would be darn hungry at the end of the day. What better to satisfy their hunger than tender, juicy smoked ham? Sometimes the RIGHT thing to do, is the most OBVIOUS thing too. And the OBVIOUS thing is also the most original and practical. When planning new products and projects, ask yourself:

"What is the obvious need of my customers? What are the obvious sales I'm missing? What’s' the most obvious thing to do in this situation (fill in the blanks)?"

With so many distractions in our life, it's easy to complicate our relationships and our business. Sometimes we need to step away from what we are doing to get the 'big picture' then ask ourselves what the obvious thing to do is. "Human beings have a downright horror of anything simple and direct", wrote my favorite mystery writer in 'The Benson Murder Case'.

That's probably why the obvious is so original and profitable.