Success is helping people make a change they seek to make.
That is how Seth Godin described success on a recent Entreleadership podcast.
The focus on change was my #1 takeaway from Godin’s Marketing Seminar last year.
The question he asks participants at the beginning of the course is:
What change are you seeking to make?
More specifically:
Who are you trying to change?
“Marketing makes change happen,” he said. “If there is no change, then it hasn’t worked.”
Success is not equivalent to sales.
Success is not equivalent to profit.
Success is not equivalent to writing a bestselling book.
Think of it this way:
Let’s say I write a book that sells 10,000 copies.
I’m completely making up this percentage, but let’s say only 20% actually read the book. That is 2,000 readers.
Now of those 2,000 people who read the book, how many of them experienced a meaningful change?
That number is the best measure of success.
It is hard to measure. I could measure it by number of Amazon reviews or emails from readers.
The best part is that those people who read the book and experienced a change will now tell others about the book. They will convince people who bought and didn’t read that it is worth their time. They will compel the marketing narrative forward for you.
Don’t try to hack your way to success.
Focus on creating something that will help someone make a meaningful change in their lives.
That is real success.
