We’ve all heard of the playground bully. The kid who walks around terrorizing the other kids, typically ones that are smaller than him or her. There are numerous movies out there with this character like in “A Christmas Story” and “Stand By Me.” The feeling a playground bully likes to prey on is fear. Fear can be a very a powerful emotion. It can cause a person to make poor decisions, draw irrational conclusions, plus limit themselves and their choices.
In marketing there exists a playground as well. Businesses will encounter marketing options, both strategies and tactics, that can create the same emotion – fear. The fear can come in the form of:
- missing an opportunity if I don’t act now
- perceived limitations to the growth of my business
- I don’t want to be the last professional to utilize the strategy
The point is that fear should never be a factor in your marketing decisions. Rather, strategic thinking that is not impulsive is the ideal. So the next time you hear the words:
- “Act now”
- “Limited time”
- “While quantities last”
- “Proven results”
- “Increased ROI”
Take a step back and do your research. Resist the urge to try everything and do everything to market yourself or your business. The options will always be plentiful, but spinning too many plates becomes self-defeating. Many times, less is usually more.
Keep it disciplined.
