Do we need a strategy, or do we need to just ‘ship it’?
Five years ago, at the very beginning of TAC(t) (formally known as Pretty Little Bow), I landed my first ‘legitimate’ client. He was a real estate agent and owned his own brokerage. He needed someone to come in and manage his marketing department— create strategies, develop content, run social media platforms, and so on and so forth.
After working with this client for just one month, I learned one of the most valuable lessons about marketing (and really life, in general). This client would often ask, “Do we need a plan, or do we need to just ship it?” ‘Shipping it’ meant execution— just going forth with the plan already developed and adjusting as we move forward.
Today, I use this lesson in EVERYTHING. From working with my content development clients, to coaching my small business owner clients, to even my own personal life, I am always asking, “Do I need a plan for this, or do I need to just go?”
If you’re struggling with what to do next, here are a few questions to get you curious:
What consequences (good and bad) are there if I just move forward/‘ship it’? There are consequences for all things and all decisions— some are good; some are bad. Some have a big impact; some have little to no impact. In this thought exercise, you are laying out what the stakes are to take immediate action.
Do I already have a plan developed? And if so, what is keeping me from moving forward? There are times when we’ve worked out a plan, set deadlines, and somehow, goal marks keep getting missed. Asking yourself what happened/is happening get help us uncover the road blocks. Sometimes it’s hiring another person or contractor to delegate the tasks of the plan to; other times it may be there are other, more pressing items on your plate. Whatever the reason, it is critical to get honest about why something isn’t happening.
What happens if the plan fails? This is, by far, the biggest hurdle to clear and work with a lot of my clients through this thought. A plan is simply a roadmap from where you are to where you want to go. Let’s say you have a big holiday campaign you’re running right now. You, or you and your team, worked through a plan/strategy on how to engage with your client/customer base to get engagement and perhaps generate sales/leads. The thing to remember is a plan is not a promise. A plan is there to keep you organized and intentional with your logistics/execution and your messaging/content. Beyond that, no plan, no matter how perfect, can promise the results you’re hoping for. If someone is telling you otherwise, I recommend exploring that ‘promise’ a little more and seeing what’s behind it.
I work with a lot of different industries, each one unique with their own ‘busy seasons’ and client networks. I coach my clients on the importance of strategy; the importance of being intentional when creating content to encourage client/customer engagement. I also coach my clients through the ‘yuck’ of “what will we do if this doesn’t work out as planned.”
2020 has taught us a valuable lesson. Let’s not go into 2021 glazing over this opportunity to learn how to ride the wave and manage expectations.
In good health,
Are you looking for some help getting organized? Let’s talk.
