One of my guilty pleasures is listening to “faulty” ideas and plans. Why? Let’s just say that someone who is looking toward self-improvement, starting a business, or putting forth a marketing effort – and comes packing with a lot of tools and absolutely NO PLAN, is a train wreck waiting to happen.
Many folks start the new year by focusing on losing weight. Most of those folks do not succeed. One of the problems is that the weight-loss solution only focuses on one aspect of what’s REALLY involved in a long-term weight regulation solution. It might be the nutritional aspect or it might be the exercise aspect. It might even be both, but neither touch on a long-term solution for the real “cure” – an overall healthy lifestyle.
I recently ran into an old friend who had attempted to start a new business with a marketing plan that he believed was a “sure thing.” The plan involved the distribution of FREE reports that covered a variety of topics connecting back to the business. The FREE reports were well written and looked very professional.
Want to know how many customers
were acquired via the FREE reports?
Zero.
What happened?
In short, the FREE reports were not actionable. Yes – they included a call-to-action, but a call-to-action is NOT an actionable plan. A call-to-action is like a rapid response card or a limited-time offer, but neither constitute an actionable plan that generates customers.
An actionable plan is – in my world, one in which the goal is fully realized. With regard to the FREE reports, the question my friend should have asked himself was, “Will these FREE reports actually translate into new customers OR are they just very nice reports?”
Whether it’s the personal or professional side of life, a plan that is NOT actionable is a plan that will inevitably fail. Sure, there may be small “samples” of success IS NOT the same as a successful plan. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about raising kids, doing a school project, exploring a new career, starting a new business, planning a wedding or anything else in life that has meaning and value; your plan MUST go beyond just sounding good. It MUST be actionable.
Have A GREAT Day!
…Dr. Marc & The Mind Virus Team