“We don’t have enough bandwidth…” is a common complaint that I hear when consulting with organizations. I’ve concluded this phrase actually means, “We’re so busy doing unproductive activities that we don’t have time to add new activities that would be more productive.” Does this problem exist in your organization or personal routine?
Consider how plants grow best when they are carefully pruned. Cutting away old dead branches or removing sprouts headed in the wrong direction allows trees and flowers to reach their peak growth and beauty. Plants remain stunted when old limbs aren’t removed.
The same principle applies to your marketing plan. You cannot add new, more productive activities unless you stop doing some old, unproductive activities. For example, social media can be a huge time suck. Or, the level of corruption that exists within online advertising can waste a major part of your advertising budget.
Too many entrepreneurs and organizations try to have their cake and eat it too. They add more actions on top of what they’re already doing. There’s a level of false bravado that implies we’re capable of handling everything. It reminds me of carnival clowns who attempt to spin a bunch of plates all at once. It’s only humorous for those who are watching. Trying to do too much just causes personal burnout and employee resentment.
Take an aggressive step this week and ask yourself these questions:
1. What activities should be pruned from your marketing process?
2. How much bandwidth could you regain by cutting those activities? Add up the actual hours per week that are lost or recovered.
3. What new marketing activity could you add with the time you get back?
Pruning a plant won’t cause it to get smaller. New growth occurs and the plant continues to expand. Likewise, pruning away unproductive marketing activities will help grow your business. But, you must be willing to replace fruitless actions with new activity that is more profitable. Your business can’t grow if your bandwith is full of deadwood.
Is your marketing plan getting stale? Is limited bandwidth preventing your marketing team from reaching your growth goals? Bring in fresh ideas that are proven to work. Contact me to discuss.
Bandwidth image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
