Staying the Course is NOT Stuck in the Mud

The business environment is shifting so fast these days that I'm continuously seeing companies jump from one idea to the next in some kind of frenzied attempt to force results to happen on their time line. If something doesn't work immediately, they move on to another program or idea. This lack of patience and "sticktuitiveness" often has companies appear a bit schizo to their prospects and customers.

B2B marketers need to diagnose this condition and treat it...fast.

Don't get me wrong, it's great to move at the pace of change and try new things, but why the heck do we think that what we have now must be kicked to the curb in order to move forward?

Here's an easy example:

We launch a new marketing program, do three touches on the theme, and then look for something new if we don't get "stellar" response. Or perhaps it's because it's a new quarter or even more likely - WE get bored.

What many of us don't understand is that we know our markets, products, capabilities, etc. like the back of our hands. Our prospects don't usually have that foundation. They need time to assimilate and embrace new ideas and strategies.

Heck, it takes at least 3 experiences with an idea for a prospect to get in sync. So, what we've just done in the example above is set the idea and abandon it. What you may not realize is that companies who are staying the course are now in the prime position to pick up where you left off, pulling your prospects who've embraced that idea to pay attention to them—not you.

10 reasons companies abandon marketing programs too soon:

1. Our themes are too small; so after a few articles, a white paper or a webinar, we can't see where to go next.


2. Our competitors latch onto some new facet and we want to show we're no slouches on the topic.


3. Product development comes up with a new widget or feature and we jump back on the feeds-n-speeds bandwagon.


4. We forget that thought leadership is about more than publishing an article or two.


5. We get roped into the short-term window of sales and drop everything to focus on getting more sales right now.


6. Executive management gets hyped about about something and mandates a shift without considering the consequences of abandoning an idea they've spent money to create engagement around.


7. We haven't learned to think beyond our products enough to focus on the needs of our prospects and customers—from their perspective.


8. We want metrics that blow the roof off with minimal effort and think if we just keep trying something new, we'll find the right "viral" idea that makes it so.


9. We base our marketing programs on quarterly objectives and discard continuity to align with the way reports are reviewed and budgets approved.


10. We get bored.

5 suggestions to keep your marketing programs on course:

1. Create an editorial calendar across an entire buying cycle.
2. Make quarterly objectives a subset of overall program goals.
3. Embrace a thought leadership mentality.
4. Focus content on your buyers' perspectives.
5. Use both hard and soft metrics that prove pipeline contribution.

Staying the course doesn't mean being rigid and stuck in the mud. It means creating your marketing programs within dynamic frameworks that allow you to embrace new market directions while maintaining value and continuity. Don't shy away from shifts in your prospects business environment but learn to incorporate them into the context of your expertise. This way, instead of seeing you as a schizo company, you'll be showing buyers your company is the best choice to help them solve today's problem—preparing them to face the future as well.