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Steve Lipscomb, creator of the World Poker Tour, has taken a dying sport and turned it into a national craze.

Not long ago poker rooms at casinos where closing ' nobody was interested. Today casinos are working like mad to build poker rooms and set up poker tables, and televised poker tournaments command millions of avid viewers.

What he's done with the sport of poker is nothing short of brilliant'and it provides some very good lessons for marketers and entrepreneurs.

His work is worth noting for a couple of reasons. One, he had the foresight to see that this game could be a huge hit (even though ratings for poker tournaments before he started WPT were dismal at best). And two, he implemented his game plan to perfection. And, in business it's implementation and action that counts more than anything else.

Lipscomb and his team have done a lot of things right, but here are four BIG marketing lessons that the WPT can teach to any business'Plus a few additional lessons worth noting.

1. It's all about presentation. Poker Tournaments used to get lousy fringe placement on ESPN. Steve Lipscomb said the presentation was, 'about like watching paint dry.'

Lipscomb's current combination of great camera angles, easy-to-follow graphics, shots of an intently interested audience, and fast-paced editing have made WPT one of the most popular sporting events on TV. One of his big breakthroughs was creating graphics that allow viewers to see the exact hand each player had, plus their bid, and their odds for winning. This made it easy for poker veterans and novices alike to follow along and get involved.

With current viewership of 3.5 to 5 million, the WPT now regularly commands more viewers than NBA and PGA broadcasts on major networks.

This just goes to show that presentation and customer perception are what really matters. So what are you doing to improve the presentation (and therefore the perception) of your products, services, and business? This doesn't just mean a new visual look for your company (although that may be in order). More importantly it means presenting your products and services in such a way that they are perceived as being MORE valuable than your competitions. It means stressing the features AND (more importantly) the benefits of your product or service. And, it may also mean improving the features and benefits that you offer.

2. Great Sources of Exposure. To create his tour Lipscomb approached some of the big name casinos ' Foxwoods, the Bellagio, Borgata, Commerce, and the Bicycle. These casinos gave him excellent exposure and the perfect locals to start his tour. What this also did was put his future competition at a disadvantage (anytime you create something as popular as WPT you WILL get copy cats ' and the WPT has a bunch). Because of his relationship with the Bellagio and the likes ' his competitors will have to find other venues and other sources of exposure, putting them at a disadvantage.

His concept for going to casinos is a reminder that every business should seek to partner with other non-competitive, complimentary businesses. In Lipscomb's relationship with casinos the casinos are probably getting MORE benefit out of the deal than he is'.So ask yourself, who could benefit from what you are doing as much as or maybe even more than you? When you find out who ' go to them and build a relationship.

These strategic alliances could end up being one of your greatest sources of leads, exposure, and income.

3. GetCustomers Involved. It took just a few months for the phrase 'I'm all in!' to sweep the nation. America is obsessed with sports and celebrities. But, until the World Poker Tour a person couldn't plop down $30,000 and play on the PGA Tour, or fork over $40,000 and be the star of a movie, but just about anyone can enter the World Poker Tour for $10,000. That's a doable amount for a lot of Americans.

This taps into something powerful inside people because everyone would like to be famous. And, people are fascinated with the 'high-roller' life style. Both are seen as real possibilities for almost anyone on the World Poker Tour.

While you may not be able to make people a 'high-roller' with your business, you can still get them involved, and make them feel like a 'high-roller'. One of the greatest ways to do that is simply to communicate with your customers (via survey), find out what they want, and then give it to them. The more involved a customer is in your business the more loyal they will become, and the more money the will spend with you. Get your customers involved.

4. Creating Profitable Spin-off Products and Services ' in this case, Merchandising. One of the greatest lessons in business is to take a successful concept and create profitable spin-offs. In other words to create ancillary products, services, etc. that are a natural fit with your concept. In the case of the WPT that mainly involved merchandising. A few of the first spin-off products created were WPT cards, tables, and chip sets. Last Christmas the WPT chip sets sold faster than their manufacturer could make them. Also in the works, are DVD box sets of the first season, several books, and a wireless platform that lets you play WPT on your cell phone. They've licensed and sold 'All-in Hold'em' poker tables to be set up at casinos across the country. The WPT brand has even be extended to the state lottery of 7 different states.

Spin-offs do a couple of things. One, they provide you with MORE exposure. Two, they promote deeper customer loyalty (in the case of the WPT the term fanatics would be more appropriate). And three, they get maximum revenue out of your good ideas.

*Note: A few more keys to Lipscomb's success. He didn't invest a nickel of his own money in stating the WPT, only sweat equity. How did he do that? Simple. He found others who stood to benefit even MORE than he did (namely Casinos) and he had them front the money. Also he fought to get the WPT consistent TV placement. He didn't want it to get a few air dates here and there. He sold a 1-year contract to the Travel Channel (of all places) where 'Wednesday is Poker Night'. Consistency is a critical for something to build.

Yes, WPT has created a sports revolution ' and a very profitable one at that. And you should take notes and see if you can create a mini-revolution in your business and in your industry.