The Marketing Wagon

Remember those red radio flyer wagons that you would pull your friends around in as a kid?  Okay, maybe you didn't, but I did.  It was always fun to see how fast we could go without tipping it over.

Now I use the wagon as a mental image for all things marketing.  Pile it up and fly down the street with my latest marketing projects, feel the wind rush and love the excitement.

What I find is that many coaches have wagons overloaded with marketing "to-do's." They want to feel the wind rush and love the excitement, but for some reason they seem to be struggling to move it an inch down the street.  What could cause all that struggle?  Trying to put too much in the wagon all at once!  Pulling with all their might when they don't realize, they lost a wheel about a mile back.  Imagine how frustrating that can be!  Pulling and pulling, without really going anywhere.  Has marketing ever felt that way to you?

Okay, stepping out of the metaphor now.  Marketing covers a HUGE amount of activities.  No one can do all of them. I know, the experts say you MUST!  I'm here to tell you the experts might just be wrong.  Okay, please don't throw the tomatoes at me!  I know many Coaches have spent a large amount of money and time learning about marketing, so they can successfully market their businesses.  That's great!  This will give you a great place to go when you need to make decisions.  At the same time, you are only one person and you only have so much time.  Um, and I’m sorry to inform you, but your brain can only handle so many projects at once.

To keep the wheels on your wagon, here are some suggestions:

1)    Prioritize - Take everything OUT of your wagon, put them in a line (create a list) and put them in order of which ones you want to play with most.  Rank them.

2)    Gather information- There are some things you already know about the tasks ahead of you.  There are also some things you aren't clear on.  Gather information to help you get clear.  Ask an expert, your advisor, your marketing assistant, whoever you know can answer your questions.

3)    Create a timeline - Many times this is where the wheels start coming off the wagon.  Give yourself time.  Even if you have help while accomplishing tasks, there are some things that only YOU can do.  Make sure you allow yourself time to get your pieces done.

4)    One thing at a time - I know, I know, most of us are excellent at multi-tasking.  However, multi-tasking can sometimes help you lose focus.  Then you and your wagon end up going in circles.  So, take a moment to plan out one project at a time.  Go through steps 1-3 with only ONE project.  Take a look at your calendar and see where that lands you.  If you see some time in there for another project, then go ahead and add that in.  Just make sure you really do have the brain power and time to stay FOCUSED on what needs to be done.  Only fill your wagon with the highest priority project(s) and what your plan says you can handle.

5)     Keep a stockpile - When you unload your wagon, there will be some things you won't put back.   because they were a lower priority.  That doesn't mean they are forgotten.  They are just waiting for you to empty your wagon.  So, keep a list…a notebook…a toy box, full of your ideas and keep stacking them on.  Get two if you have to, and know that you can always fill your wagon again, when you are ready.

6)     Share the fun - Most Coaches didn't start their business to become marketing experts.  They started it to actually Coach.  So, while there are some pieces you must do, there are many others that someone else could do for you.  Find a trusted partner that you know can take on the project management and hold you accountable for your work.  This will keep you focused, on track and allow you to do what you are best at!

Marketing doesn't have to be a constant pull, with no progress.  If your wagon is filled with just one or two things, you'll be flying down the business street in no time.  It's all up to you.  Make some choices, stick to them, and make sure you aren't over-filling your wagon.  The wheels will stay on and you WILL feel that exciting wind rush.

Kristen Beireis Marketing Implementation Expert

Kristen Beireis is the Marketing Implementation Expert for Group Mastery.  She works with successful coaches who are so buried in marketing they are leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table.  Kristen and her team free coaches up to earn those hundreds of thousands of dollars without breaking a sweat.