In the hilarious (and – be warned – raunchy) video I'll share at the bottom of this post, Axis of Awesome goes through a medley of pop songs with the exact same 4-chord structure. From The Beatles' 'Let it Be" to Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" to Banjo Patterson's "Waltzing Matilda" to Toto's "Africa," it's amazing how many different – and great – tunes can come from this one simple structure.

Marketing, like music, can seem to be a highly complex activity. But like music, marketing follows basic rules and principles. When people fail at marketing, it's generally not because they don't have incredible technical skills, or they aren't hypnotically persuasive, or they haven't bought the latest course on using Twitter or Facebook or Gazoomba (made that one up, as far as I know). 

Instead, people fail mostly for ignoring the basic 4-chord structure.

Here it is:

1. Market – Who's your customer? What do they want? Where can you find them? 

2. Message – What can you say to convince them to buy?

3. Medium – Where can you reach them predictably and affordably?

4. Money – Can you make a profit on the transaction, including the marketing costs?

Everything else about selling stuff to people is an advanced technique. I love advanced techniques, but only when they're built on solid foundations.

Free Pre-Camp Checkmate Training Series – a Solid Foundation

Sign up below for the Camp Checkmate training series – a 6-week online course designed to promote Camp Checkmate Chicago, held June 10-11, 2010. In the pre-camp training, you'll discover how to find and read the mind of your Ideal Customer, out-position your competitors, and become the Obvious Choice to your market. 

It's powerful – has to be if I want to convince you of the value of a live 2-day workshop – and it's free.

Sign up here:

And now, Axis of Awesome with the only four chords you'll ever need:

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