The problem with "it"

Every now and then Randy (our customer service manager) gets a call from an irate customer. Here's how it usually goes:

Loud customer: I bought your package two months ago and it hasn't made me any money whatsoever, you rip off artist!
Randy: Let me ask you a quick question, sir: what strategies have you implemented from the two detailed manuals that came with your package?
Loud customer: Uhh, none.
Randy: Have you read your manuals?
Loud customer: Uhhh, no.
Randy: What, specifically, have you done to market your websites, drive traffic and get customers?
Not so loud customer: Uhh, well, nothing.

This, unfortunately, happens more than it should. Someone orders a product that tells you how to make more money, does absolutely nothing with it (many times not even opening it) and then calls to complain "it" hasn't made him or her any money.
And therein lies the problem--"it." Not "I," but it. See, we never get calls saying, "I ordered your package, I didn't read it, didn't do anything at all with it, heck, didn't even open it, but I want to know why I'm not making any money."
Consider the call from the guy who is getting results: "Hey, I ordered your package, read through the manuals, and implemented two of your strategies. The first one worked very well, but I'm having a few issues with the second one. I did "this, this, and this"--any ideas of what I'm doing wrong? OK, thanks--I'll test it out, tweak it a bit, and see what kind of results I get." That's a successful guy. Why? Because he took responsibility for his own success and didn't pawn it off on "it." I'm always amused when I see two emails back to back, one from a guy hollering that "it" didn't work, another from a guy raving about his success, talking about the actions "I took"--and they both ordered and received the same product.
The truth of course, is, it's NOT the product, it's the individual. The person who's willing to take responsibility for his/her success and outcomes, who is willing to ask themselves "How can I make this work?" (instead of "IT won't work for me, because...) is the one who will ultimately be as successful as he or she CHOOSES.
The person who continually buys "magic system" after "magic system," forever chasing the one that will "finally work for me" is destined to failure. There is no magic system--there's only tested and proven information, and individuals who are determined to take responsibility for their own success.
So, if you're not currently getting the results, you want look to "I," NOT it. The good news is, once you put "I" to work for you, you'll be amazed at how fast success will come your way.
Let's get to it...

Mr. X.
Group M Marketing
Kimble and Kennedy Publishing