This post is as much for me as it is for you. Lately I’ve found myself in such a rush, trying to juggle projects, family, and everything else. And every once in a while I hear something or read something that makes me realize that I need to stop, look around at what’s going on, and listen to the people around me, because there are things to be learned that will benefit me personally and professionally. That happened to me today, and I had to stop and think. But that’s often a hard thing to do…especially the stopping part.
One thing that I know a lot of people struggle with in marketing is the urgency of the now. You need more customers now. You needed to fill that event registration list yesterday. You have a quota to meet tomorrow. And so you jump in and do whatever you can to reach and grab at whatever it is you need. It’s easy to just run with whatever you’ve got (or whatever you can whip up on the fly) because it has to be done NOW. But the reality is, stepping back, slowing down, and putting a strategic marketing plan in place first will actually be of benefit for you in the future.
So take a few minutes right now. Turn off your phone, close Facebook or Twitter, and get out a piece of paper. Start thinking about what you need to accomplish. Make yourself a simple list of the what, how, and who for your tasks. Write out a vision statement for what you’re aiming for, and then figure out the pieces and parts that need to be in place so you can develop a marketing plan that will hit your target. Obviously, there’s more to creating a marketing plan than these steps, but if you at least slow down and start from this point, you’ll be on your way to better clarity about what needs to be done.
For me, doing this kind of thing in a vacuum is fruitless. I need to bounce ideas off other people who understand what I’m trying to do and who can help me focus on the things that are important and help me see the things that just don’t matter. So if you need to find someone else to work through your process with, call or email that person today and get a meeting on the calendar. But take the time. Or rather, make the time. In fact, I’m going to end this post now so I can do the same thing…
