Marketing Plan Implementation Starts Now!
This will come as no surprise and several people have mentioned this in my presence recently; the best time to implement your marketing plan is now! Implementation is something you must not leave until your plan is complete.
The principle is “imperfect action” and that means you start implementing your plan as early as possible. Is this even possible? Well, let’s consider three options …
Verbalism
If you are like me you prefer words to action. To you, the plan is the thing and once it is perfect, every i dotted and t crossed, you can sit back and contemplate a job well done!
You will have heard the saying: “the best is the enemy of the good”. This is especially true in business, where every minute you spend writing your plan is one minute less to promote it.
Activism
You can of course, take the opposite approach and follow every idea with immediate action on the basis you are at least getting out there and becoming known.
Becoming known as what? Endless opportunities present themselves in business, how do you know you have chosen the right one? You can waste a lot of time or get tied into someone else’s agenda if you have no plan.
Praxis
Your third option is Praxis or Action/Reflection. Marketing Plans can be complex and take time to development. But you can test elements of the plan while you reflect on other aspects. As you encounter problems, modify your strategy in the light of developments.
Sometimes you need to pause and reconsider but aim to be an actor, a leader in your market, try not to become bogged down. If one activity needs to be reconsidered, test something else in the meantime.
Praxis is a circulation between action and reflection. Each cycle improves performance because you bring fresh observations to your thinking and new insights to your actions. Ideas and insights informed by actions, will bring a unique perspective, rooted in reality, to your business and so will make a real difference.
Let me know if you find this helpful. Would you like me to expand on any aspect?