“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” John Quincy Adams
I’m writing this post in the dark. Well, I have some illumination from my screen because my battery is charged on my laptop. The power went out in my neighborhood at about 5 am. The power company said trees were down near a transformer and they would have it fixed in two-hours.
I took a deep breathe.
All I can do is wait patiently for it to kick back on so I can make my Italian Roast coffee to help me jumpstart the morning.
I have always been a calm and patient guy, and since I can’t make the electricity come back by getting upset, I’m sitting quietly in the dark – writing and enjoying the peacefulness of this time of day without the humming of my refrigerator or the clicks and pops from the thermostat.
Marketing requires patience.
I’m well-suited for my career in marketing.
Marketers typically demand a systematic and thoughtful approach to growing a brand. Being patient and realistic are critical traits of a marketing pro. Sales professionals tend to think in terms of months and quarters – marketers take a more long-term view.
Growth and building a flywheel doesn’t happen when you plant seeds and expect them to bear fruit later that same day.
The best marketers I know focus on the problem in front of them and maintain focus. Then they move on to the next challenge. They are action-oriented but realistic about how much time it takes to produce results. Marketers are always leaning forward and looking for ways to quickly test and learn. They don’t expect results overnight.
Marketers tend to be quite pragmatic.
Setting Expectations
I recently turned down a marketing project. That doesn’t happen too often, but on occasion, through careful listening, I realize I’m not a good match to meet someone’s unrealistic expectation.
After a long Zoom call with a prospective client selling a line of beverages, I had to tell him I wasn’t the right person for him to hire. I didn’t have any magic beans or a wand to wave and make things happen at the pace he demanded.
His concept had zero point of differentiation, and, as I explained, he was competing in an incredibly crowded category. While I remained calmed, he got angry when I patiently explained why differentiation mattered so much. And that it took time to make it happen.
I shared with him a few examples of brands that did things differently and grew slowly. I referred him to this great post by my friend Derrick at Branding Strategy Insider that gives 61 Ways To Differentiate Your Brand. (this is a must-read for marketers). These aren’t overnight successes, but brands that found a way to tap into unmet needs.
We reviewed a timeline of how long it takes to do different activities, and he rejected it as lame and not aggressive enough. He told me I was trying to extend my consulting period and he knew this could be done faster, quicker and cheaper.
I reminded him that his marketing budget was woefully small to do what he wanted. And, to expedite this stuff will take much more dough.
He was testing my patience. I said, I’m not a good fit to work with you.
Steady and Deliberate
When I work with clients, together we create a plan. It is based on reality – how long things take to accomplish.
We adapt, adjust and shift gears.
But we have clear strategic goals and understand the problem right before us. We move quickly but are realistic in our expectations. Anyone who has ever worked with me will remark at how ” I never let the grass grow under my feet.” Once a plan is clear, I’m deliberate – just not impulsive and rash.
Yes, you can build a website in a day.
But your messaging takes time, and a core message is like the notes on a musical score. Without it, you have noise (or silence). Figuring out what you want to say is the heavy lifting for most websites and it doesn’t happen overnight.
If you hire a marketing consultant, agency, or advisor – make sure your clocks are set and in alignment.
Have clear and realistic expectations. Push each other to move quicker – but don’t be unrealistic about how hard it is to get consumers to buy from you. Great partnerships come from having an aligned cadence and reasonable expectations.
Fortunately, the power just kicked back on.
Time to make the coffee and start my day.
Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
