YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT!

When I first heard this contention I didn’t really think much of it.

For instance, if you’re thinking about making money do you automatically become a millionaire? No!

More realistically still, if you think about how to become a top class marketeer do you just become one? No!

You only become one, if at all, if you invest all your time, energy and ability in becoming fully effective in your chosen field.

You become something you aspire to be because you directly or vicariously invest the majority of your time in doing it/living it/loving it/becoming it.

I know someone who really wanted to be a top marketeer.

She read every book she could lay her hands on related to marketing. Unfortunately for her she wasn’t a very practical person and even worse had no innate innovatory capabilities or instincts.

So do we really become what we think about?

Well I think we can.

But, over and above our decision to become something of our choice we do need to have  some related qualities. Imagine wanting to be a triathlete but not being able to swim. Not a good foundation really.

However, in terms of marketing and sales functions, you can become what you think about if you care enough about one fundamental issue:

‘Do you really want to help people to solve their business/marketing challenges and problems ethically, quickly and cost effectively’?

If you do want to be an effective marketeer I do think you can learn or develop all that’s necessary to become what you think about or aspire to be!

If you’re honest and helpful by nature!

If you need any help, you know a man who can

TOLD & SOLD

When I asked him, “Do you know which of your advertising is working for you”, he said “no not really”. Not a good start; but pretty typical of most small companies.

Which reminds me, I once read that someone had stated that ‘half their advertising worked; but they just didn’t know which half’!

Following on from which, after some discussion, I suggested that it would be a good idea if he filled out a form that informed him who was buying which of his products.

Why?

Because this is a very methodology that anyone can put together.

Down one side of a piece of paper record all the promotions you have invested in; on the other axis list all your clients that have bought your advertising/products.

What it will clearly show you is who bought what.

Which is really powerful stuff, because it actually tells us which ‘half’ of our advertising is working!

If you need help, you know a man who can.

DO LESS-EARN MORE!

Have you ever had too much to do and too little time to do it in?

Well, I’m there right now; in fact I seem to be there all the time of late.

Stuff just seems to keep coming through the door all the time and not surprisingly the folk that have sent it expect an instant response; and so they should. Why not, it’s easy to supply strategically important marketing strategies, tactics and communication tools, isn’t it?

But seriously, when the pressure is on, how can we actually do less and earn more at the same time?

Well, I find the following of some positive use; I ask myself:

• Is this request important, urgent, or both?
• Am I working longer and harder than I planned too?
• Is there a fast/easy way to do what is required of me i.e. can I find a relevant and accessible answer which already exists in-house or is publically available, or am I attempting to reinvent the wheel all over again?
• Do I know someone who can help me or accelerate my ability to respond effectively?

What I actually find best, is too simply prioritise what is required of me and respond accordingly, even if I can’t satisfy everyone within their chosen timeframes.

No exceptions or excuses!

I am also conscious that there is often no excuse for good old experience.

If you need a formula to follow, you know a man who can provide you with one.

EVERBODY IS REALLY BUSY, BUT NO ONE HAS ANY WORK!

What!

Lately a lot have people have said this to me in one form or other.

They might have also said “we are being busy fools”.

In these deep recessionary time most of us seem to be really short of time.

Why?

Well, it’s probably because our clients have become more demanding, we have lost a few so the pressure is on us or it might be they have found us wanting in some way.

Wanting!

What do you mean?

Well, when clients are in the driving seat again, they can and will be more selective in terms of who they are prepared to work with.

Lost a clients or project opportunity recently?

I have had a string of company’s come to me because the tide of business has turned against them.

‘We are busy, but we are not making any money’ is the cry!

In reply ‘no problem’ I confidently reply!

What!

Yes, we can all be confident if we know what to do in terms of effective marketing.

If you feel the need to know more, you know a man who can help.

WHY DOES RICHARD BRANSON SPEND 25% OF HIS TIME ON MARKETING?

Because, he knows from experience, that without effective marketing nothing of any significance will happen; no services will be delivered, no one will be employed and life as we know it will come to a crashing halt!

But Richard Branson is mega successful and rich!

So why does he focus so much of his time on Marketing?

Probably, because he knows that it is the one real action open to us all that will make a real change to our business circumstance and futures.

You could align it to the old adage ‘no pain, no gain’.

Where ‘pain’ represents investment and ‘gain’ represents ROI (return on investment) i.e. profit!

Arguably, no other form of investment can deliver the same levels of return that marketing can.

Also, it can not only help to build businesses, it can create its value and in certain circumstances it can even save the business from going into bankruptcy!

Marketing done properly can change every business for the better.

I have endless numbers of clients and examples of how marketing has changed their worlds.

Ever heard the phrase ‘fail to plan, plan to fail’.

This phrase can be interpreted as ‘If you fail to plan your marketing efforts effectively; you are actually planning to go out of businesses! Remember the Polaroid camera!

If you need help with your marketing, you know a man who can.

DON’T MAJOR IN MINOR THINGS

I used to do this.

Quite a lot.

I don’t any more, because I have learnt, often from being lucky enough to have worked over the years with a lot of very smart colleagues and clients that focusing on the wrong issue at the wrong time for the wrong reasons can get you in to real trouble.

Because, if you do find yourself majoring in minor things, you will not only miss the point by miles, you often deny yourself the chance to redeem things later on.

Always remember to give your thoughts, ideas and impending actions a ‘Sense Check’ before embarking yourself and your team on a particular course of action.

Always try to determine what represents a best fit or best course of action to follow before finalising your decision.

Over the years I have met so many people who have found themselves ‘majoring on minor things’, or in other words focusing on one unimportant issue, rather than being able to spot what is the real problem to solve.

So in order to make progress we need to major on the key or core issues confronting us and determine a best course of action: that way you won’t go far wrong.

If you need some help in this regard you know a man who can

LOTS OF PEOPLE CONFUSE ACTIVITY WITH ACCOMPLISHMENT

He never stops working. He starts every day at about 5:30 am and and goes ‘hell for leather’ all day long, every day!

Sadly he doesn’t seem to ever meet his targets and often lets people down.

That’s not very productive or satisfying, is it?

I have often told him that he needs to be less focused on getting stuff out of the door and be more focused on working through his ‘to do list’ in a more prioritised fashion.

He sadly confuses being busy with being productive.

Ever heard the phrase ‘being as busy fool’?

My mother always said “less haste more speed”!

So, if you are, or any of your colleagues appear to be confusing activity with accomplishment, try to point out the error of their ways. They may not thank you for it initially, but we all need a friend who cares enough about to be able to tell us when our breath smells!

If you have bad breath, you know a man who is brave enough to tell you!