System Seminar 2008: A Week Of Takeaways

Just got back from this year’s round of the mother of all internet marketing conferences, The System.

When I say “the mother of all internet marketing conferences,” I mean it. Ken McCarthy, The System’s founder, was the first person to ever host an Internet marketing conference, back in 1994. (His guest, by the by? Marc Andreessen of Netscape. Ken also invented the banner ad.)

I got home this afternoon, but I’m still reeling. I’m also exhausted, having given into the temptation to spend my last evening tooling around Chicago with my pals and fellow copywriters, Chris Haddad and Julie Eason. I couldn’t resist, but we did stay up ’til past 1, which was rather sub-optimal when catching a plane at 9:30 the next morning.

I have to say: being at The System reminded me of being at The Readers Studio. The caliber of presenters, the warmth of the attendees, the fabulous networking, the generosity of our hosts, and so much more. And the content! Ken’s breakout sessions run on FIVE tracks. I got to sit in on 5, which leaves 20 to go. (Hint: if you ever go to The System, be sure to order the recordings so you don’t miss anything).

What I learned at just those 5 sessions, plus the general sessions, will keep me busy for a while. Through it all, one theme kept coming up again and again. You probably already know what I’m going to say…

Implementation. The best information in the world does you no good unless you USE it.

Lloyd Irvin has a reputation as one of the marketing world’s fastest implementors. When he first came to The System in 2003, he’d never made a cent with online marketing. On the first day, he went back to his room and began implementing what he’d learned - yes, well before the seminar was over. Five years later, the online arm of his business makes… $10 million.

$10 million can seem a little surreal and weird, I realize. The exact number isn’t important. What IS important is that he had a goal and just got started. Ask him, and he’ll tell you the big difference between him and others is action.

In his presentation, Lloyd made another important point with regards to action. It can be hard to wrap your head around, as it tends to go against what most of us have been taught and conditioned NOT to do: get it out there, clean it up later.

So your USP isn’t perfect. So what? So your brochure isn’t perfect. So what?

Wait for perfection and you’ll be waiting the rest of your life. Just get going. (An old boss of mine had a saying that always made me laugh: “equipment that has been ordered will always arrive before equipment that hasn’t been ordered.” Same idea.)

Implementation is what grows your business. Nothing else.

I’ll have more System seminar takeaways for you all this week on the blog, so check back.

Quick reminder: if you haven’t yet registered for the Painless Metaphysical Marketing teleseminar, don’t forget! You can sign up here:

http://www.metaphysicalmarketing.com