Is Business an Art or a Science?
What do you think , Is Business Art or Science or both.
By science, I mean you follow the process, just like followingthe steps to make a burger. It is like maths. 1+1 = 2.
By art, I mean quality and creativity. 2 persons can do the same process and yet the result is different because of the quality of work. The ingredient is creativity.
If you are unwell and you see a Chinese sinseh doctor, you cannot document exactly how much of each herb to prescribe. You cannot automate the expertise of a sinseh doctor.
Why am I talking art and science?
A friend of mine showed me his email marketing process. He ask me for help to see what has gone wrong , and why is he not making money.
He followed the rules to a T and yet the sales were not as good.He has an opt-in page with a lead magnet. He has a prepared sequence of emailpost. He promotes affiliate products. He uses the promotional material providedby the vendors.
But his earning is about $1 out of every 250 subscribers, makinga low 3 figure a month.
I could see that based on the vendor's promotional material andsales letter, it can still sell. The product itself can sell. People can stillbuy the product without knowing the seller.
But why was the selling still so low, why was the conversion like once in a lifetime.
My theory was that if the subscribers know the seller better, andfeel an emotional connection, it would generate more sales.
We started a questionnaire campaign and a free give away. We invited them to join his Facebook group, and he started to connect with them. He posted on Facebook on a regular base great tips and some freebies.
1 Month later we started again the campaign with the same product. Out of 250 subscribers he got 95 sales.
My belief is that in email marketing, it is better to build a trusted relationship with the subscribers first than start selling.
If they know you as a person and read about your personal experience with using the product, they will trust your recommendation.
If you had tried a product and you tell your subscribers 'Don't buy this one. It's not worth your money", imagine what they think of you.They think you have their interest at heart and not trying to sell them ten different weight loss books.
The problem is that most people promote affiliate products without using them first-hand. They cannot speak from personal experience. Yes they do research and write than a review but if you do not have first hand experience, than don't write a review it comes over in the blog the customer will know and sense it most of the time.
You ask why, when you use a product you can easily differentiate in the pro and cons. If you have not used the product you will write based on your research. Written with experience is a different style of confidence as writing based on research.
I want to buy from someone who knows the product first hand. I want to buy from someone whose' recommendation I can trust.
I believe in selling yourself first before you sell your products. If people buy you, they will buy anything you sell cos they trust you.
What do you think?
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Thanks for reading this article
Cheers Sylvia
Recent Comments
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Good afternoon Sylvia,
That was a good post and nice to read you helped your friend with such a positive result, well done.
Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske
Thanks, for reading it. Yes, he is quite happy with the results and he uses now the method and makes a great conversion.I am happy to help him.
Just ask yourself if you do not trust, you don't buy you move on until you find someone trustworthy.
Hi Sylvia, great example from your friend's business. It's probably more art than science. I thought of operating machinery, for example. There's the science of how it works and the "art" of using it. For instance, think of a sewing machine. Two people can know how it works but have completely different results. One could struggle using a pattern and the other become a world class seamstress.
Lets be grateful gaining experience is part of the equation!
~Bob
I can relate to your example as I started out as a seamstress. The Moment you put Art and Science in place all the other ones come in place. Both grow with Experience, My former Boss always said to get a new customer is easy but to keep the customer that is science.
I think it is an Art because even if you follow a proscribed procedure, as in WA, you put your own spin on it, and also because everyone uses the creative side of their brain to strive to be unique, as in WA.
I believe it is both as it goes hand in hand, you can not do one without the other. The art of creating and the science of learning.
Good question and one that got the cogs turning. I think it is both. One will not work without the other.
With Grace and Gratitude
Karen
Hi, spurway
To answer the question ,is business an art or science? I would call it a skill, which you develop with practice. Just a thought!
Hi Fancyn
yes, it is a skill but would you put it into a skill of Art or Science.
Any Business needs practice.
Thanks for stopping by
Cheers Sylvia
While I agree that first hand product reviews are best, it’s just not feasible To go out and buy every product or system I want to write about. Kyle tells us in the training to write reviews. Sometimes a well researched article is the best we can do.
I agree with you, it is not feasible but how many products can you review before the customer knows this is not a product you use yourself. Many companies do give out the product either free or less the price when doing a genuine review. I prefer not to write a review if I do not use or bought the product. Sometimes I interview my friends and colleagues when they got a product and I like to write a review.
To your original question, in college you don’t earn a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration nor a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. You earn a BBA, a Bachelor of Business Administration.
I’m not saying artfulness and science aren’t involved, just that business is it’s own domain.
Let your mind go with it. Not everything is black and white, a lot of things are painted in the colour that goes for our mind too.
I believe it is both. A Bachelor of Business does not make you successful it is how you implement it. That is Art and Science.
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Trust is the best method I believe. Jay
Yes, it is, thanks for stopping by.