By What Method?

Does your marketing sound like this?

[QUOTE] These days, it is artlessly weird to find someone who did not take responsibility for with regard to your vigour ambien on, because it is so important. And so I bear a dispute how you can carry on your sparkle and tranquil prefer like in 20 years? [END QUOTE]


What was that? A bit of spam that was sitting in the comment moderation cue. The word "ambien" was a link. In this post, it has the blue color of a link, but it's not hypertext, it doesn't link to anything.

Does your marketing plan sound like the gibberish in that spam comment? To a marketing strategist, or worse, to your customers, it might.

When you think about increasing sales and improving your marketing, do you just list what you think could be done?

A list without a solid, sure-footed foundation is a waste of time.

When we consider what we do to promote our business, do we think a list of activities is a real marketing plan?

Even if the individual activities are relevant to your corporate goals, can you really call that mess of jumbled "I'm very busy" rushing around -- can you really call that an integrated, well-orchestrated, resource-optimized Method?

We like to thrust slogans and company-wide goal-setting, with a lot of fuss and fanfare, onto a problem in hopes that the magic of the wording and all the hoopla and gusto that accompany the introduction of the new initiative will seep into the employees and "by God get the job done".

It rarely works.

Slogans and speeches and systems don't achieve any objectives. They are just the icing on the cake. What is the cake itself?

Process.

Method.

How To.

Step By Step Instructions.

It's easy to make grandiose declarations.

You  can always find a charming, charismatic, comical presenter to deliver enthusiastic, inspiring speeches.

You don't need charm, charisma, comedy, enthusiasm, or inspiration.

Not yet.

First you need a Method.

It's easy to declare a goal and tell everybody to keep that goal in mind.

It's incredibly difficult to change attitudes and behavior.

Wearing slogan buttons and chanting the program cheer are fine for the fun of it, but we need specific guidance, universally applied, with no exceptions, and a set of references that determine if the tasks are being done correctly and efficiently, and generating observable, tangible, desired results.

Otherwise, your new campaign will be a dud.

You'll lick your wounds, then scout around for a new program. Next thing you know, there's a new affirmation, new posters, new parties, new announcements, new slogans, and new ways to pretend to be complying without really complying.

So it's easy to see we need Method. When anyone tells you of a result they hope to obtain, firmly but pleasantly reply, "That's nice. By what method?"

Ask this question of yourself constantly. When you think of something that needs to be accomplished, don't just add it to your To Do list. Mentally consider: what will be my method for getting this done? What steps will I take and when will I start the process?

"I aim to achieve a 40% growth in revenue this year, without cutting back on anything," someone says.

I look that person straight in the eyes and ask, "Wonderful! By what method?"

Most people would probably say, "Wow. That's ambitious. Well, here's hoping you make it. Good luck. I wish I was that optimistic!"

But it's not about optimism, hard work, or luck.

It's about Method. Defining a process, then sticking to it, even if you must tweak it a bit along the way.

To define a process, you may have to do some internet research, book reading, and painful introspection. You may want to discuss your ideas with peers and colleagues, people you know well enough to ask them to listen and give you some advice. You may want to watch some YouTube videos on "sales training", "sales techniques", "sales referrals", and similar topics.

You may investigate what your competitors are doing, industry trends, and consumer needs.

Your research and analysis will lead you into a more focused and strategically targeted platform upon which to build your method.

And that method will take you to your goals.

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