I was reminded of this simple yet profound truth on a teleseminar I was conducting just last week. This one is important my friends, and very deep. Tune in. And listen to what I am about to share with you.
As I always do, I asked my coaching students for their recent good news / bad news stories. I do this so we can all learn from each other, both good and bad.
The topic was distribution, and more specifically, how we can increase our service distribution path. I offered an idea and one “student” immediately shared the fact that she had done exactly what I was talking about … and that it worked to perfection.
I applauded her positive efforts before asking her when she enjoyed her marketing success story. Remember, this was on a seminar conducted just last week. Her reply was met with disbelief and more than a modicum of chagrin.
“1978” was the year she last performed this “successful” marketing gambit. 1978!
I suggested that she forget everything she has ever read about sales and marketing since that day in 1978 and simply do what she did back then. I meant it.
People (you and me) study, read, buy books, go to seminars, attend conferences and go to church on Sundays to pray for ideas that just might work. Then, on a good day, something we do does work. Then, for some unexplained phenomenon, we sign up for another seminar.
My mind drifted back to my days as a collegiate football quarterback. We had a play book with at least 3000 plays inside its three-inch girth. You have probably noticed on television one play being called after another … seldom looking or unfolding in a similar fashion.
This never made much sense to me. If I called a play and it worked for more than three and a half yards, I would call the same play until the defense wised up and stopped our forward motion. “Why try numerous plays when one worked?”
The same holds true for marketing. When you stumble across some idea, strategy, tactic or gambit that works, do it again … and again … and again.
I truly hope my coaching student returns to 1978 and do whatever it was she did back then. I doubt that she will. It appears to be more fun to fail at a new challenge than to benefit continuously from some old news.