He’d traded up to a massive new bike from what he called his “learning bike.”  He wasn’t comfortable on it anymore as he was moving on to longer rides.  He needed comfort.  And didn’t want to continue to build confidence while gaining experience with his existing classic.

His friend’s wisdom – “yeah, learning is never comfortable.”

The story reminds me of what so many business owners must be feeling.  As technology influences customer mindsets and the ways they spend their time, owners and executives are forced to learn new behaviors. Learning means change – if only in the way you think.  And change is stressful.

Learning makes you venture into the unknown, pushing you out of your comfort zone.  But you know what can be even more uncomfortable?  Losing customers.  Missing opportunities.  Losing money.

A business that allocates a certain amount of its resources to testing new marketing methods and learning what works will lead the field when the economy ultimately recovers – and will maintain and extend its lead over time.

Got learning?

The pursuit of perfection costs money…lots of money.  And the ROI on perfection is minuscule.

I was listening to an interview with a psychiatrist specializing in neurotic behaviors when she began discussing “pack rats.”  You know, people with an obsession to keep everything they’ve ever accumulated.  She described a case study wherein two brothers accumulated so much, and their surroundings became so cluttered – chokingly packed really – that they perished among the debris.

Pack rats are irrationally afraid that they might throw away something important.  They fear they might miss something.  It’s part of what the doctor called “the pathology of perfection.”

We often encounter clients with degrees of this pathology.

Usually it manifests in a such a microscopic attention to detail that they never actually do anything except proofread, wordsmith, scour lists, debate nuance, etc – even after a painstaking effort has already been completed.  They simply won’t sign off on a project to begin.

They believe that they are demanding perfection, when in actuality they are nearly guaranteeing failure.  Like any investment, marketing your business is a calculated endeavor.  It begins with a series of informed decisions, but no guarantees.  A program is begun, results observed, adjustments made.

Professional marketing management requires ongoing adjustments.  By definition, therefore, perfection is unachievable.  And the closer a program is to its inception – the farther away from perfection it will be.

Demanding perfection at the outset will only paralyze a launch.  Then, should a marketing adviser be able to convince a client to launch in spite of a client’s fears, the inevitable failures (that’s right, I said failures) of an early stage marketing plan may cause a client to get angry.  Deliver a series of “I told you so” and force a campaign shutdown.

This exactly at the moment that learning has first begun.

A mentor of mine often reminded me that failure is but one step closer to success.  Perhaps you’ve heard this old adage as well.  Being 50, 60, 70, or 80% correct at the start of a campaign is a fair beginning on the road to success.  The costs of trying to move too quickly from 50% to 80% are exponential.  It can create unending research, tension, delays, mistakes, loss of enthusiasm, paranoia and other negativity – often resulting in total loss.

Perfectionists will fail without ever knowing how close they may have come to reaching their goals.

In a recent article on Mashable.com, Christina Warren made a mistake that I hear all the time. She writes:

“Social media does inherently mean that you are giving up the ability to centrally control the message.”

While her article is interesting (it’s about social media and the Grammy awards), I think she’s a bit off base on that point. Getting involved in social media does not mean giving up control of your message. It means accepting that you weren’t in control to begin with.

She goes on to talk about why companies who do ‘give up control’ tend to succeed in social media:

“However, what is interesting is that the companies that embrace and accept that grain of truth are usually those that are most successful with social media.”

It’s no mystery why this happens. It’s the same reason that a person who can admit his or her weaknesses is the one who eventually overcomes them. Once a brand accepts that the message is beyond it’s control, it can begin to influence the conversation in the right direction. It can begin taking steps to get people talking positively.

It’s not about giving up control. It’s about giving up the illusion of control. And the sooner a brand can do that, the better they’ll leverage new media.

You’re cranking out that report right on deadline…in the flow as it were.  Focusing on capturing your best work, you plow through until its done.  Then you lean back, satisfied.  One more look see for typos and spelling errors and then print and deliver.

You hit print, enter and then….nothing.  Frozen.  It’s OK though, just reboot and you’ll print it after it fires up.

Panic!

You were so focused on pumping out the words, that you forgot one little thing….SAVE.

If you hit restart, it’s gone…

All the stages of grief begin to flow…shock, anger, sadness, and finally…resignation.  You’re going to have to start over.

How do you think your customer feels when suddenly the “server” goes down?  When service stops.

Sure the economy stinks – and you need every customer you can get.  So how can a company afford to stop marketing for new customers, especially in a downturn.

How can they afford to lay off customer service personnel…or those long-time staff who know the company inside and out – and have relationships with all the key customers?

The answer…can’t afford it – gotta survive.

OK.  So as their competitor, what does this mean to you?

It sets up a unique opportunity…but it takes some foresight and guts.  In other words – leadership.  The first companies to restore top-notch service and aggressive marketing will pick up customers as they return to the market.

Is it time for you to reboot?

It’s not hard to understand why.

The Great Recession has made everyone gun shy. Using temporary workers is a way to hedge your bet. Wait until you can be sure business is back before taking on the expense hiring full-time workers.

26% of America’s workforce are “non standard” – temps, contract workers, and part timers. And from a risk-control perspective it makes sense.

But here’s a question:

Is your business part time? Is serving your clients and customers a part-time gig? How about sales?

The danger of a temporary work force is that they may have no real investment in your Company’s success. Caring about the job is a paycheck thing, not a customer thing.

Investing to add a qualified member of your team or paying to have a specific task done or hours filled -

Which is the bigger risk?

On Saturday 11/21, Lego – they of Danish building block fame – put on an event called Lego Kids Fest at the Hartford Civic Center in Connecticut.

They promoted it in their magazine received by Lego Club members across the country, on their website, in calendars, all over locally and was picked up in many corners of cyberspace.

My son and his mom drove the 2 1/2 hours from Albany yesterday afternoon, he’s a Lego-head and a member of the club.

Turns out, they weren’t even allowed to get off the exit for the arena.

The event was mayhem.  It was oversold and over capacity.  The fire department started to eject attendees.  Hundreds of 7 year olds stood outside with their parents howling in disappointment.

My wife called Lego in San Diego and a customer service rep said that they hadn’t promoted it and were taken by surprise.  When informed that it was promoted everywhere an event could be, a supervisor came on and came clean.  “I’ve gotten calls from several families.  We just weren’t prepared.”

OK.  Fine.  A case of be careful what you wish for.  Now we’ll see how Lego will respond.

What would you do?

Posted by: Steve Banis

The ambitious goals and strategies of my new business required that I recruit like-minded, motivated, and competent partners.  When I found them, the fun and momentum of a new venture kicked in and we were soon off and running.  Well, sort of.

Something wasn’t quite clicking.  The idea and profit potential was there.  The skill sets.  The market need.

But just when you’d think things were ready to roll, another distraction would pop up.  Went on like this for about a year.

Our wheels were stuck in the mud.

Time to change the wheels.

Not only did partners change, I chose a different type of partner.

Now we’re cruising down the road at 65mph, driving towards a relaunch with business in the bank and a growing pipeline.

Hitting the skids along your planned route is like the pain you feel when you’re hurt.  It’s a warning system.

It means you’re faced with a decision of change – whether a mild adjustment or a major overhaul.

It’s important to maintain the perspective that almost every plan needs adjustments along the way to goal achievement.

Heed the warning and pause. Review your strategy, make corrections, and rededicate yourself to your vision.

Posted by: Steve Banis

The truth about where you stand.

When I conduct strategy sessions with business owners and managers – The first thing I do is guide them towards a clear, unbiased view of where they stand at the current time.

Sometimes a company comes in on a winning streak.  Sometimes it’s trending down.

Regardless, it’s imperative to distinguish the difference between the fundamental strengths and weaknesses of a business – and not let them become masked by outside factors. Like the economy.

Good times can mask weaknesses and strengths.  But bad times show the blemishes your business has like a fluorescent light in the bathroom at 6am.  It can be a little unnerving.

But it has to be done.

Like it or not, your core weaknesses and strengths have been exposed. Ask yourself some questions. Then ask yourself why?

• - Have you lost key accounts?
  
• - Are key employees leaving or showing up at your door?
• - Are you unexpectedly winning clients you never could?
• - Are you losing business that used to be a slam dunk?
• - Have you been able to hold the line on pricing?

Believe me, you can’t blame it all on the economy.

Figure out what’s actually in your control?

The truth is, there will be fewer competitors in just about every industry when the dust settles. In fact, I believe that firms will be bought, sold, or fold in even greater numbers when things pick up a bit.

And the nation’s long-term problems will surely dampen any recovery once one does begin.

But that doesn’t mean there ain’t money to be made.

So there you are…basking in the bright light of truth.

Can you look at it long enough to do what needs to be done?

Posted by: Steve Banis

I start nearly every day by checking email. You may hop in the shower or choke down a breakfast bar.

Some finish dressing with sock-shoe-sock-shoe. I’m a sock-sock-shoe-shoe man.

Habits. We are all creatures of habit.

These rituals provide consistency and comfort. They help us deal with a complex world.

Customers are creatures of habit. Companies are creatures of habit too. And old habits die hard. Problem is, if some habits aren’t broken – the results can be devastating.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about habits. What changes them, where things might be going, opportunities, and threats. And the potential actions we may want to consider as a result.

There’s something life changing going on. I can’t quite put my finger on it and I need to – we all need to.

There’s a world disturbance upon us. It’s the sum of many factors.

Here are just a few:

- 24 x 7 communication and the Internet

- World trade and shifts in global economic power

- An unfocused effort towards alternative energy

- Heightened fears from all sorts of stuff; too many to name

- An aging population in the industrialized world and a younger one in the Third World

Did you know that of the 6.7 billion people on the earth, China and India account for over 37%. The U.S. has 4.5%.

Think these things aren’t about marketing? Your business? Your family?

It all plays a part. Old habits and expectations are going to change. It takes a world disturbance. A series of cataclysmic events. That’s what forces them to change.

And you know what? It can be a good thing. A very good thing.

As long as you recognize where it’s all going.

When I need to get a handle on something, I usually think it through out loud. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m gonna think out loud right here.

Feel free to add your thoughts.

Posted by: Steve Banis

A giant peanut may not be your definition of fun, but for many others it may be just the right fit.

Millions of Americans take in one or two of the hundreds of quirky roadside attractions each year. The family roadtrip wouldn’t be the same without it. Neither would sales at the gift shops and local merchants surrounding these landmarks of kitschy architecture. They bet their livelihoods on it.

Business owners are often worried about alienating some portion of the marketplace. “If I focus my marketing towards older customers, that’ll put off the younger end of the market, won’t it?”

Maybe, maybe not.

One thing’s for sure though. If you try to be all things to all people, then you’ll be nothing to nobody. To be successful in your marketing efforts, you’ve got to stand for something. It takes a little courage. But think of it this way.

Square peg, square hole

If you were looking for the best steak in town, would you think first of your local diner or of the place with the picture of a cow out front? Diner’s have huge menus – there’ll be a steak there for sure. But the place with the cow and all the cars in the lot tells you that this is where your red meat craving will be satisfied.

Creating a business of excellence is naturally exclusionary. Developing your detailed expertise, your customer service, even your accounting process is all tailored to fit the unique relationship you have with your customers. It’s not meant to fit every type of customer.

Competing in a crowded market, especially in more difficult times, requires you to focus on the segment of the market that’s the best fit for your business. There are 300 million people in the United States. Almost 30 million businesses. And a couple more outside our borders.

For most, capturing even a small fraction of their market will constitute a huge success.

So don’t worry about pleasing everyone, it’s not possible. It’s not even desirable.  Be who you really are. Be authentic. Strive for excellence – and you’ll attract your kind of people.

You’ll be more profitable and happier for it too.

Posted by: Steve Banis