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It is obvious that any business or marketing campaign needs a leader. Without a leader your efforts become rudderless.
Entrepreneurs often take charge when there is a leadership vacuum, just because someone has to. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t, but at least some direction is applied. In larger organizations the structures in place can often work against your success.
See if one of the following applies to your situation:
- You have too many bosses – This is the “too many cooks” problem, where you do not know where your priorities, metrics, tactics or goals fit, or even if they make sense. Often this is caused by “management by committee”. Try to get one person to take responsibility with ultimate sign off, and get them to sign off.
- You have one obstructive boss – It’s pretty difficult to work around an obstructive boss, but sometimes they either just need proof or some education. Most bosses actually want to make progress, much as it can seem otherwise. Work with them rather than butting heads. Butting heads just gives you both bruises and a bad mood. Communicate, and test. If you get small but promising results with tests, they will normally see sense for larger tests.
- You are using the competition as the leader – Just because another company is bigger doesn’t mean they are smarter. Also another company might employ a tactic that will just plain ruin yours. For example, if you are up against Walmart you can’t discount because they have deeper pockets. Instead raise the perceived value of your offer to meet your price!
- Trying and failing to listen to the market – Listening to your market does not mean taking the advice of the one lunatic who keeps calling to complain. If you are going to use the market as a guide do real, consistent and effective research, and most of all test before betting the whole company on your findings.
- Relying on focus groups – Related to point 4, focus groups are not listening to your market. They can be useful in a limited capacity but all too often focus group participants will tell you what they think you want to hear or are lead by the loudest and most opinionated member of the group. If you must run a focus group, make sure you run your groups with an experienced focus group leader who takes no nonsense and has a tried and tested methodology.
The best way to avoid most of the above is to educate yourself and to base your direction on sound principles based on actual success and experience rather than any biased egos that surround you. Any ideas you are not 100% sure about test with a limited trial campaign, just keep what works then tweak, tweak and tweak.
The New Year is 2 weeks in, but our resolutions for change are still in full swing, or are they? Well, let’s rehash all the feelings we had when the “ball” dropped at 12 am January 1st, 2009 – what was last year like, and why is this year going to be any different? Don’t answer yet, because your answer can actually qualify you to win a free Ipod touch! 
The power of welcome emails cannot be underestimated. They provide a prime arena in which to strike when it comes to convincing prospects to establish a relationship with you and buy from you.
