When I attended the University of Dayton, I saw a flyer one day that advertised a rappelling class, sponsored by the ROTC.

Rappelling is a controlled descent down a vertical drop – whether it’s a building or the side of a mountain or gorge.

I remember standing on the edge of the four-story building and slightly leaning backwards as my hands firmly grasped the rope, one hand holding the rope in front while my other hand held it behind me.

I slightly launched my body as I fell backward.

The instructor guided me and I was soon on the ground.

I loved it!

But then there was one more style to learn.

Australian.

This is when you go down the vertical surface facing the ground.

This rappelling style is used by the military as a way to descend while allowing them to fire a weapon.

At any rate, it’s quite an experience.

I watched some of my fellow students stand on the edge of the building, about to fall face forward, and they hesitated.

They got nervous (understandably).

But the longer they stood there… the more difficult it became for them to rappel down  the side of the building.

So when it was my turn, I made a decision.

I wasn’t going to think too hard about what I was about to do.

I was going to trust my instructor, trust the instructions, and just do it.

Which I did.

I knew that if I gave my mind enough time to really ponder what I was about to do,  it would come up with all sorts of reasons why I was absolutely nuts to even think about it.

I didn’t give my brain a chance to argue with me.

I simply stepped out on the ledge, looked down at the other instructor, made sure I had my hands where they needed to be…

… and fell forward.

Now everything worked out fine and I had a grand time.

The experience was exhilarating. Thrilling.

And built my confidence up significantly.

The point… at least to me at the time… was learning how to take a risk. A huge one.

This risk-taking has served me well when it comes to marketing.

Here’s the deal:

Marketing is not an exact science.

John Wanamaker, a marketing pioneer from the late 1800’s, famously said “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.”

It would be nice to know exactly what works all the time and what doesn’t.

The only way you can find out what doesn’t work is to test it. Take a risk. And when you figure out a certain approach didn’t work, try something else. 

I continue to be surprised that so few business owners test their marketing.

Especially their copy.

We’ll talk more about that later.

But maybe today you can take a risk – even a small one – and test something new in your marketing.

Maybe tweak a headline.

Or the color of your call to action box.

Or mix it up with your graphics.

I love testing new ideas and approaches.

If you need someone to guide you down the side of the mountain, why not schedule a quick chat?

You’ll learn a few specific things that will take your marketing to a new level.

Leaping toward more profitable ways…
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