I was challenged to come up with some marketing methods by my intructor. What I did was PhotoRead 8 marketing books and the mind map the ideas that came to mind. I came up with 17 marketing ideas that were workable for my project and managed to write 1.5 pages. Had I used the traditional method I'd probably have spent a week activating those books. In all it took me 30 minutes to PhotoRead, 10 minutes to mind map and 20 to write up neatly (final draft).

The qestion is do you need to have the whole book activated to get started on writing the marketing plan? Probably not in fact getting started writing helps to activate it. Once you've PhotoRead the book it is available to you and manual activation isn't the only method of activation where you show evidence of having understood the material.

Consider also. At any point you get stuck in writing the marketing plan you can come back to activate that section or any other books on the subject.. Considering that the mind forgets in order to make room for new information you cannot keep everything in the forefront of your mind. Keeping in mind your purpose.

Which in my case would be PhotoRead and activate the relevant parts of the book so that I can write a workable marketing plan. My mind probing questions, What needs to be in the marketing plan? Is there a layout that I can follow/ Is there a check list that I can use to be sure that I include what is needed in the marketing plan. If not then my purpose would be to mind map and create one.

Now I know no one book is going to give me all the best marketing methods, ideas or advise so I would again get a stack of books and PhotoRead the lot, considering the budget I've established the type of customer I am trying to reach.

Since acting on the information becomes activation. I like to apply it as soon as possible. Working with the 80/20 rule. 20% of your time is going to yield 80% of what you need. Look out how you spend the other 80% of the time. It's by far more useful to establish a new purpose for the book at a later stage. It becomes possible to finish the book in less than 10 the only difference is instead of having only one purpose of 'needing to know it all' having a purpose to get started, purpose for the next step, purpose of the step after that, purpose of adding a final polish.

It's a case of what do I need to know now to get ready for the next stage? Then identify what is the next stage and decide what to you need to know .

The biggest mistake in trying to define a purpose is to try and come up with one that covers the lot. The purpose really is what do I need to know first? When I know that what do I need to know ne next ... so that I can....

That is why I keep saying after a 20 minute activation, 'check your purpose'.

When you've got it it may mean the book is done or it may mean you're ready for the next purpose that builds on the knowledge you've already gained.

Alex