It's always been a great analogy; the similarities between a ship and a business. Changing conditions, crews to manage, depreciation of assets etc. For most entrepreneurs we get so caught up in the day-to-day operational issues that we lose sight of where we are.
So, I'll relay the analogy now for those that perhaps don't know it '
On a ship you have a Captain who's on the bridge watching for the unexpected and keeping the ship on course and you also have sailors in the engine-room who're shovelling the coal to keep the ship moving forward. Sometimes the sailors shovel faster or slower depending on the destination and the conditions, which are constantly being monitored by the captain.
If the captain leaves the bridge and joins the sailors in the engine-room shovelling coal, who's watching out for the unexpected and who's keeping the horizon in focus?
I think it's particularly significant in the marketing context. So many marketers are in the engine room, shoveling the coal by dealing with the details of the implementation of marketing activities.In fact they're so busy checking this and arranging that, that they often don't look up and check for the icebergs until, like the Titanic, it's too late.
Where are youengine-room or on the bridge? For the one-man marketing manager or entrepreneur it's not so easy to differentiate or separate the activities. Often urgency outweighs importance and keeps one on the back foot. Often one person is expected (by necessity or choice) to do both aspects.
This juggling act is so much easier when one has a clear but concise marketing plan to follow. By taking the time to sit and think about your marketing in a structured and methodical way, you are then freed up to focus on the 'doing' within a logical framework that provides a filter for ad hoc decision making.
It is said that anxiety is the price you pay for not being adequately prepared. Start the preparation by reassessing the market you're in and making sure you understand what's happening at the coalface in those markets. By doing this you will have better, more current, information on which to base your decisions, and you will have a greater understanding of what alternatives are opening up to you. You will also find that assessing business goals and market opportunities is much easier within a guideline and structured framework.
Stop now and put aside half a day within the next month to develop a marketing plan that adds real value to you and takes you and your business where you want to go.
Author: Dianne
Author Bio:
Dianne Perrett is an international marketing consultant who is passionate about getting the basics of marketing right, irrespective of the size of the organisation. She also runs www.TheMarketingManual.com
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