Jim's Marketing Blog

I shared an idea earlier with some entrepreneurs, which I think you may find useful. It’s a powerful, yet very simple difference in how they run their day. It’s about the need to plan your work then work your plan.

I’ve also included a tip, which you can use to accelerate the growth of your business.

It starts with an observation I’ve made, time and time again, since starting my business in 1995. When I speak with business owners, who work hard for too little reward, they tend to spend a lot of time reacting. Specifically, reacting to the demands of their clients / customers and colleagues. As such, they spend too little time developing their own business.

This scenario is most commonly expressed in that often-repeated business advice; “You need to spend more time working on your business and less time working in your business.”

Of course, every business owner needs to respond to the needs of their business. What I’ve discovered is that the most successful business owners respond differently from their average counterparts.

Plan your work THEN work your plan

It looks like this.

The smartest business owners remain focussed on their plans. This means they do what’s required for their clients, colleagues etc., and then refocus like a laser on their own plans. They plan their work, then work their plan. As a result, each day brings progress. Some days more than others. The key thing is they move their business forward every single day.

The average business owner also has a plan or at least a to-do list. However, they find their plans are often derailed by the demands of others. So, whilst they start their day correctly, their plans often go out the window. They work hard, but make little if any progress on their plans. Before they know it, a day of too little progress becomes a week of too little progress, a week becomes a month, a month becomes a year… drip, drip, drip.

What’s the answer?

The short answer is that we need to plan our work and work our plan. It’s the second part that’s tricky. As I mentioned a moment ago, most business owners have a plan of some description.

The challenge is sticking with the plan, when the day-to-day needs of their business come along.

Here’s what worked for me

I used the following, simple approach, to ensure my focus returned to my plan for the day. I set a reminder on my phone, which went off every 3 hours during the work day. When the alarm went off, a message would appear on my phone, saying work your plan.

Did you notice how the previous paragraph is in the past tense?

That’s because after a couple of weeks, I didn’t need the alarm. I learned to automatically refocus on my plan for the day, as soon as I’d completed an off-plan activity. It’s hard to overstate what a huge, measurable improvement this has made to my business and the businesses of many I have shared the idea with.

Plan your work then work your plan. Harder then it sounds, sure. However, it’s extremely valuable my friend.

Here are 10 inspiring reasons to get things done, for the next time you need a little extra motivation.

1. Do it because it’s the right thing to do.
2. Do it because you care.
3. Do it because you said you would.
4. Do it because it works… beautifully.
5. Do it because it matters.
6. Do it because they matter.
7. Do it because others will learn from it.
8. Do it because you’ll learn from it.
9. Do it because we need more leaders.
10. Do it because you may never get another chance.

And then, do it as well as you possibly can.

We rarely find a business that answers their support phone line as fast as their sales phone line.

We rarely find a business that has the courage to innovate.

We rarely find a business that shows genuine respect for the environment.

We rarely find a business that rewards their employees for using their initiative.

We rarely find a business that under-promises with its marketing messages.

We rarely find a business that is willing to take the lead on ethics.

We rarely find a business that sets deadlines and consistently achieves them.

We rarely find a business that offers a uniquely valuable service.

What’s even rarer, is to find a business doing all of the above. When we do, they attract our attention, our custom and our loyalty. And we tell everyone about them, too.

Could this be the best kept secret in marketing? I don’t know. Is it easier said than done? Sure. But it’s worth it my friend.

You’re a professional. You have a superb business. You offer an excellent service. And you care passionately about your clients.

My question for you today my friend, is this: How clearly does that message come across in your marketing?

Greed, Need or Deed?

Think for a moment about the marketing messages you receive, from emails and social media updates, to advertisements, cold calls and direct mail, etc. Every marketing message is based on one of the following three motivations:

1. Greed motivated: I want your money. Buy my stuff.
2. Need motivated: I need you to buy from me because I’m in a tough financial situation. Please buy my stuff.
3. Deed motivated: There’s something that I believe will help you, so I created it for you.

Greedy marketing repels people. Greed is one of those universally disliked attributes. It’s ugly. It’s selfish. We avoid greedy people and greedy businesses.

Needy marketing also repels people. We don’t dislike people because they’re needy. However, in business, as soon as the marketplace thinks a provider needs sales / money urgently, it sets alarm bells ringing. They worry that the provider may go broke. In either case, they’re way less likely to buy from them.

Deed driven marketing attracts people. A message of contribution makes us feel good about people. It’s an easy message to connect with. Deed driven marketing is about helping the community you serve. It attracts people’s attention, makes them feel good about you and and creates a powerful connection between you. Tip: I wrote something about this for you recently. Read this.

Here’s where the challenge comes in. Many small business owners who are deed focused, have no idea how greedy or needy their marketing looks. And it’s hurting their business.

Here’s what you need to know.

A couple of very common examples

One common example is the use of freebies, such as free initial consultations. These are widely used by service providers, who dabble with their marketing and have no idea how much damage they’re doing to their reputation.

When you attach zero value to your time, you send a toxic message to the marketplace. The marketplace knows that the best service providers can’t afford to give their time away. So, if they see a provider offering freebies, it tells them that the service provider is under-employed, getting too few referrals… or in need (needy). This keeps the service provider in a negative loop, as the best clients are repelled and the freebie hunters (those who never pay anyone for anything) are attracted like moths to a flame.

Another common example is special offers.

These can also come across as needy or greedy, when handled incorrectly. And that’s exactly how the vast majority of small business owners handle special offers. They put their offers together, outside of a professional marketing strategy. In doing so, they can cause the marketplace to think there’s a so-called fire sale going on. Equally, the DIY use of special offers can train your marketplace to wait for the next special offer… making it hard to sell anything at the regular price. This eats profits and it’s totally avoidable.

In short, it pays to be extremely intentional regarding how you market your business. Think of the image you’re creating and whether it’s consistent with the kind of business you want.

And if it isn’t, improve it.