Greatest Marketing Lesson I Learned: The Wheel

One of the greatest, core, fundamental marketing lesson I ever learned is what I call the Wheel! Virtually the first marketing question I ask any business owner, professional or speaker when I do consulting is: What’s your wheel?

And years later I still have so many people I’ve masterminded and consulted with give me their “wheel” updates on their business model and current successes.

I first learned about the wheel from a promoter friend I met in Houston in 1991, Jack Rediger. Jack was promoting Harvey Mackay, who at the time had just released his new book, Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive. I was still fairly new in the seminar business and was in town promoting a half day seminar with Jim Rohn. I invited Jack to lunch and he accepted. At lunch I found out Jack was the original founder of Results Seminars and had helped launch Tom Hopkins. He left Tom to market this unknown guy in California named Tony Robbins, and after he left Tony he went to work with another newbie, Brian Tracy. Jack had an amazing pedigree. Much of our early friendship was based on me finding ways to be valuable to Jack — going to bookstores on Tuesdays to buy Harvey’s new book by the case (a strategy they used to reach number 1 on the best-selling charts), helping him market his event in addition to mine — I even remember helping him collect parking on the day of his seminar (I had really applied the servant/student principle Jim talked about… lol).

Fast forward 2 years to 1993 when I launched Jim Rohn International. Jack was now totally out of the seminar business but agreed to come visit me for a few days and do some consulting on my new venture. Honestly most everything he shared

That the fix was sometimes shelves need one – in mascara Mark who.

during those 2 days I was already doing, and in some cases better, but the one thing that more than paid for those 2 days a thousand times over was the principle of the Wheel he shared with me. Side note: Many people refer to this as a funnel but I feel like the wheel is far more robust.

He explained that from a marketing perspective every business was like a wheel, and you typically had a core product or brand that is the hub of the wheel. Then of course the spokes – all the individual products and/or services you offer – go out from that hub. Once someone gets on your wheel, the goal is for you to take them around as many spokes as possible.

As I started to identify the wheel we had with Jim Rohn it was just a handful of things such as public seminars, corporate speaking, an occasional 2 day event and a handful of products.

The piece I added to Jack’s model was customer acquisition. I believed getting someone on the wheel was ultimately top priority so I created multiple spokes designed simply to acquire customers. The most successful spoke I created was Jim Rohn’s Excerpts from the Treasury of Quotes booklet. To date it’s sold over 6 million and still counting. The key to that particular viral marketing idea was people would buy 10, 100 or 1000 and give them away (and usually with an endorsement). They used them as business cards, gifts, card stuffers, etc. – all by design on our part. It literally was the number one source that made our phone ring for over 10 years. Today when you see all the Jim Rohn quotes people share on Facebook, those quotes were all compiled in 1994 when I released The Treasury of Quotes (365 quotes by Jim) and the excerpt booklet containing 125+ quotes. We also did quote booklets for Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Denis Waitley, Mark Victor Hansen and others through Your Success Store, one of my other companies. I even had one company buy 30,000 of Zig’s booklets, all with our contact info and mini-catalog on the back page (YourSuccessStore.com). So each of those quote booklets became spokes on a wheel. So each of those quote booklets became spokes on a wheel. All in all, we created literally dozens and dozens of viral marketing tools in addition to over 2,000 articles (all viral marketing), and well over a hundred products (books, CDs, DVDs, downloadable) to add and take people around our wheel.

When I would do a big one day, two day or three day event with Jim and other big name speakers I often ran newspaper, radio and magazine ads. My goal was to sell tickets but equally I wanted to acquire names and emails of all those who were interested whether or not they could attend. That was a big part of my marketing goal, not just to sell tickets but add more people to our wheel. Eventually we launched 8 different newsletters reaching over 1 million total subscribers. Yes, it was a lot of work but the broader opportunity was to reach more people and build a bigger wheel to then offer all our products, seminars and services.

So whether you are a speaker, a professional (doctor, dentist, accountant, etc.), a consultant, own a small business (landscaping, construction, salon, spa, etc.), I’m 100% confident the wheel principle applies to you. And my question to you is: Do you have a great strategic plan to get people onto your wheel, including lost leader products, advertising, JV marketing deals, etc. plus an abundance of complimentary products and services to offer customers?

Remember the greater variety of products and services you have the more potential customers you can attract onto your wheel. I love focused businesses but I also think you should have plan B and C products and services too. A roofer that depends on bad weather and a pool or landscape company that does 80% of its business during warmer weather can benefit from a second and third business model that not only helps keep them strong 12 months of the year but also has additional products and services on their wheel to promote to each potential customer.

Now keep in mind the wheel works best when you also have great systems, great customer service and great products. As we all know acquiring a customer is nice but keeping them and turning them into raving fans is the ultimate GOAL!

Apply the marketing lesson of the Wheel to your business and watch your customers grow and profits SOAR!

To your Success,

Kyle

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"I guard my endorsements carefully. Regarding Kyle, he is simply a marketing genius! No joke. Kyle was the wizard behind the successful business of my mentor Jim Rohn. Every marketing dilemma I have ever had, Kyle has given me the brilliant and elegant solution on the spot. Kyle’s consulting has saved and earned me hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years."
Darren Hardy
Former Publisher SUCCESS Magazine
"Kyle, thank you for our partnership and friendship all these years. Friendship is wealth and you make me a rich man. Much Love & Respect"
Jim Rohn
(1930-2009), Internationally
Renowned Speaker and Author
"Kyle Wilson is brilliant and very knowledgeable and an icon in this industry. He was the power behind Jim Rohn. Kyle is my longtime friend and someone I have a great deal of respect for."
Les Brown
Iconic Speaker and Author
"Kyle you were a master to work with when filming and producing at my house. Also, Helen and I have toured and done so many 'meet and greets' and have had all kinds of cool activities and opportunities on the road, but last year at your house at the Inner Circle Mastermind ranks at the top as one of the all time best experiences we have ever had on the road. At your house the people and the love was so amazing. We are use to doing all the giving, but that day we felt loved and cared for. It was just an amazing experience! We still talk about it to this day. It is at the top of our tour memories from over all these years!"
Phil Collen
Lead Guitarist, Def Leppard
"Thank you Kyle Wilson for being such a magnificent leader and creating a powerful, humanitarian thinking group of leaders. You’re such an amazing human being. Always inspired by who you are!"
Lisa Haisha
Host Amazon Show, Producer,
Philanthropist
"I have worked closely with Kyle Wilson for 20 years. He is one of the best all-around marketers, promoters, business-builders and entrepreneurs in the business today. We have generated more than a million dollars together.
Brian Tracy
Professional Speaker,
Best-Selling Author,
CEO of Brian Tracy
International™
"If wanting to break into the speaker, author, marketing world, no one knows and does it better than my 10 year friend, Kyle Wilson. He is responsible for millions of people having access to the brilliant wisdom of Jim Rohn and so many other business thought leaders. He attracts the best people to his Inner Circle, something I'm proud to be a part of. I’m also excited to be working on a new book with Kyle, Lessons From Sports. Honored by his friendship."
Newy Scruggs
7x Emmy Winning Broadcaster,
NBC Sports Dallas/Ft Worth
"Kyle is one of my old and dear friends and one of the smartest marketing guys I have had the opportunity to work with. He is the scrappy marketing guy. Kyle is the real deal and finds ways to create product, add value, help people, build community, he’s unbelievable."
Eric Worre
Founder of Network Marketing
Pro and International Best-Selling
Author of Go Pro
"Kyle Wilson, single handedly changed the way I look at life! And the way I participate in my own! Kyle's wisdom, loyalty and commitment to seeing people soar is unmatched in the industry. He is a spring board, sounding board and ultimately a launch pad for anyone committed to pursuing their deepest dreams and ultimate goals! He is the most authentic mentor, friend and business parter I've ever had. I'm so thankful I ended up in your sphere 'KW,' Kyle Wilson.”
Erika De La Cruz
TV & Media Host, Speaker,
Trainer and Author of Passionistas
"Kyle Wilson is the man! When I made the decision to transition from my 15 year MLB career to being a speaker, best-selling author and business consultant I researched and then sought out the man who has been behind such iconic speakers as Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy and many others. Hiring Kyle as my coach has been one of the smartest decisions I made.
Todd Stottlemyre
Author of Relentless Success,
15 Year MLB Pitcher
and 3x World Champion
"Kyle is a valued friend, a marketing superstar and one of the most knowledgeable people in the personal development industry.
Robin Sharma
Author of The Monk Who
Sold His Ferrari
"Kyle can I thank you for something and congratulate you in the same breath? I've done easily 500 interviews in my life. This has been my favorite one. One that went on and allowed that deeper dive because that's one of the things that time limits can rob us of. And I thank you for that because it's been very healthy and very cathartic. And you kind of brought me back in touch with how ready I am to get back on stages. I'm ready."
Glenn Morshower
Actor in Over 250 Movies and Shows
"Kyle is one of the wisest and most brilliant marketing consultants in the world. He is the man behind the great marketing of Jim Rohn International and so many other personal development legends. He is not only someone I’ve enjoyed collaborating and working with for over two decades, but is also a close and valued friend. I recommend Kyle without equivocation."
Mark Victor Hansen
Co-Creator of World’s
Best-Selling Book Series
Chicken Soup for the Soul
“Kyle Wilson is a masterful marketer and there is a good reason why top investors, entertainers, sports figures, leaders in personal development and entrepreneurs call on him as a coach, mentor, business partner and friend. Kyle knows what works in business and most importantly relationships and always over delivers. As an Inner Circle Mastermind member for over 2 years, it’s been the very best thing I could have done to level up my circle of influence, surround myself with success and have the platform to launch a best-selling book, be invited to speak, partner, invest and take my brand to the next level. I highly recommend you invest whatever is necessary to be a member of the Inner Circle or hire Kyle as your coach.
Kelli Calabrese
Wellness Mompreneur,
#1 Best-Selling Author
Mom & Dadpreneur
“Kyle Wilson is the best marketer I know. In the 20 years that I have known him, everything he touches and every idea he generates, turns into money. If you’re looking for a degree of fame, and a higher degree of wealth, I recommend you get YOUR ass to Kyle as fast as you can.”
Jeffrey Gitomer
Best-Selling Author The Little Red Book of Selling
"I've known and worked with Kyle Wilson for over 20 years. Kyle is the ONLY person that ALWAYS under-promised and over-delivered every single time my dad Zig and I worked with him. He is a valued friend and someone I have great admiration and respect for!"
Tom Ziglar
President of Zig Ziglar Corp
"Kyle's Inner Circle Masterminds have been some of the most enlightening events I've been a part of. I've met so many incredible people outside the world I live and work in. It is the pinnacle of places you can go to upgrade your network. Plus, Kyle's coaching has helped me create and additional six figure side income that allows me to impact more people."
Seth Mosley
2x Grammy Winner,
Billboard #1 Producer and
Song Writer of the Year
"When I met Kyle Wilson I had been speaking professionally for 12 years and my biggest ‘achievement’ was $60,000 in debt to the IRS, a truck I prayed every day would start, and a simple 6 CD memory training set. Kyle coached me to market that CD set and in less than 12 months my IRS debt was gone and I was speaking in Australia, Bangkok, Belgium, Singapore, Malaysia and all over the USA with the biggest names in the speaking business. It was almost magical how Kyle took my business from giving speeches in the back room of an IHOP restaurant to audiences as large as 8,000 in what seemed like overnight. I can honestly say that Kyle Wilson was not a major factor in turning my business around. Kyle Wilson was THE factor. I can’t strongly recommend his wisdom, knowledge, business mind or who he is as a person enough."
Ron White
Best-Selling Author of
Black Belt Memory,
2009 & 2010 US Memory Champion
"Kyle Wilson is not only one of my most valued friends and mentors, he is a marketing genius and brilliant business man, always providing the most honest and insightful solutions to any challenge. I am honored to have him as my book partner and life-long counterpart."
Jeanette Ortega,
Jeanette Ortega
Best-Selling Author of
The Little Black Book of Fitness
& Celebrity Fitness Trainer
"Kyle, you ROCKED the EOFIRE show. You are a great storyteller and shared great lessons. Truly impressed…and thank you for what you do/have done for this Entrepreneurial world."
John Lee Dumas
Host of EOFire Podcast with
over 100 million Downloads
"Anytime I'm in a conversation with Kyle Wilson, I always take my notepad out and start taking down notes cause there's so much to learn. Kyle it's a real honor for me to know you."
Bob Burg
Speaker and Best-Selling Author
of the Go Giver
“Kyle Wilson literally built an empire over 18 years working with one of the true legends in the entire speaking space, Mr. Jim Rohn. Somebody I look up too, somebody who was a hero of mine that I wanted to be like because of the way he had great integrity. Kyle has that same integrity, he truly cares about making you look good. He cares about you having quality materials and I will Guarantee you will be so grateful you partnered up and got into one of Kyle's books. Kyle cares truly from the heart about your success. And about representing you in the way you want to be represented. With your great content, and your great information and with who you are as a business, as a brand, as a person. So do yourself a favor, work with my friend Kyle.”
James Malinchak
Featured on ABC’s Hit TV show
Secret Millionaire &
Founder of Big Money Speaker
"Kyle Wilson’s insight, marketing acumen and business knowledge are guru level. His consulting, friendship and brilliant solutions have changed the trajectory of my career and life. His strategies don’t just elevate, they transform you and your brand.
Olenka Cullinan
Speaker, Passionista, Founder of
Rising Tycoons &
#iStartFirst Bossbabe Bootcamps
"From the moment I met Kyle realized that he was a unique individual. In life their is 'talent' and then behind that 'talent' there is always the business savvy behind it. We say that when the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear. Kyle Wilson IS that teacher and that consultant....are you ready? Kyle, I know our best work is yet to come. Thanks for the friendship and expertise."
Nick Bradley
PGA Tour Mentor,
Speaker, Author
"Is there anyone in the world who is better at grooming and managing a speaker than Kyle Wilson? Absolutely not! Kyle was the man behind Jim Rohn. Kyle, while managing my speaking career, took me to 60 speaking engagements a year while increasing my fee, and helped me publish numerous books that sold nearly a million copies, produce two best-selling audio programs, taught me how to sell product from the back of a room (with a number of $50,000 days and one $110,000 day) and got me my own television show and a co-host with Zig Ziglar on his television show, True Performance. There is not a single person alive who not only knows but has mastered the speaking business from beginning to end like Kyle Wilson. Take my highest recommendation and multiply it by ten and you have what I think about Kyle. What? You haven’t picked up the phone yet to get on board with him? Get going!!"
Chris Widener
Best-Selling Author The Angel Inside
"Kyle Wilson has been a life changing mentor, friend and business partner. He not only has extreme marketing knowledge, is talented and gifted at speaking, coaching and leading, but he also has a unique focus, drive and charisma that magnetizes others and helps them to succeed and become more motivated. I would recommend anyone wanting to propel to higher levels to work with Kyle"
Kim Somers Egelsee
# 1 best selling author
and Tedx speaker
"Kyle Wilson's Inner Circle is nothing short of Life Changing! It offers insights and valuable outcomes for entrepreneurs, champions, and business leaders. IC is high-trust, honest, and encouraging, an integrity-filled environment that generates awareness, understanding, and wisdom from the team for you. IC provides one a board of trusted advisors... the ""GPS to help you get to the next level."
Tim Cole
(Business) Managing Director,
(Military) Colonel, USMC (Ret)
"After only working with Kyle for a few months, I felt my professional world opening up in new and inspired ways. Kyle’s marketing brilliance and business wisdom combine to make him a one in a million in this coaching world. I found that I literally would just listen to whatever he says and that is not common for a strong-willed woman like me, but his guidance is pure gold and his goodness shines through it all. I am so very grateful to him for his coaching.”
Dr. Stormy Hill, OTR/L
Entrepreneur, Author, Educator, Mom
"Kyle you have greatly influenced my life and career. You and Jim made a perfect team with a legacy that will continue to change lives more than any otherthought leaders with timeless wisdom."
Denis Waitley
Author Psychology of Winning