You want to create a new and improved marketing plan. You do some research, talk to some people, figure out the steps, allocate funds, set some goals, and schedule time to do what you need to do.
Logical. Thorough. But often a waste of time.
Why? Because you don’t know what you don’t know. You don’t know if the information you’ve collected and the decisions you’ve made will get you where you want to go. The only way to know that is to start.
Do something and see what happens.
Once you see what happens, you adjust. You do more of what’s working, change or abandon what’s not.
If it’s working, or you feel good about those first few steps and want to keep at it, you give it more time, add more elements, change your pace, change your words, and fine tune your approach.
Research and planning are fine, but at some point, you have to do something. The sooner you do, the sooner you know if you’re going in the right direction.
Pick something and start. Before you’re ready.
Call some old clients, even if you don’t know what you’re going to say. Outline an article or presentation, ask a friend if you can join him at his next networking breakfast, get some quotes for a makeover of your website.
Starting may be the toughest part, but it is the most important.
When you take action, even a little, you learn things, meet people, get ideas, establish some momentum, and feel good about taking the first step.
Or you don’t.
You might mess up, hire the wrong people, waste time, spend too much money, hate everything you see or write or do, and want to give up.
That’s okay, too.
Get some help. Try it a different way. Take a break and come back at it with fresh eyes. Or kill the idea and do something else.
Try lots of things. You’ll learn what you like, what you hate, what you’re good at, and what you never want to do again.
Progress.
Eventually, you’ll find something that sticks.
And that’s your plan. Messy, exciting, and ultimately your path to success.
Helen Keller said, “Life is either a big adventure or nothing.” Clearly, she was talking about marketing legal services.
This will help you create a simple plan
