Have patience.
I have been reading a lot about patience lately. In this hyper-connected, 24-hour news cycle world, it seems patience is becoming a virtue rarely practiced. Yet countless business coaches continue to emphasize the importance of time and perseverance. I couldn’t agree more.
My husband used to sing this song to our kids when they were younger,
“Have patience. Have patience. Don’t be in such a hurry.”
“Have patience. Have patience. No need for you to worry.”
His song reminded the kids to slow down, take a breath or look around, and think about their next steps before taking them. I think the same approach would benefit many companies as they develop their marketing and communications approach in the age of apps and connectivity.
- Patience = thoughtfully considering how marketing can help reach business goals.
- Patience = getting to know customers, not just their purchasing trends.
- Patience = being a respected part of the community.
- Patience = knowing your own resources and your company’s capacity for long-term communications.
Above all, a patient communicator must be prepared to consistently evaluate and tweak marketing plans and reinvent if necessary. Whether you are focused on Indianapolis or planning a global strategy.
Still don’t believe that patience and timing are important? Consider this. Apple developed the Newton before the iPhone and iPad.
Marketing is a process. PR is about building a relationship. Both take time.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lisa Sirkin Vielee, Tony Faustino. Tony Faustino said: RT @lisavielee: New blog post about practicing patience in marcom: http://bit.ly/cOC9Yg [Your insight on resource constraints is so true] [...]
Lisa, your insightful post resonates with me on multiple levels especially because we often forget that our best-laid plans can change in a heartbeat. So many times we can be too stubborn to change course (or re-adapt) because we don’t want to admit we were wrong, economic conditions changed, or maybe the consumer’s required lead time is simply much longer than we thought. I constantly have to remind myself that the audience will make a decision when they’re ready (and on their terms) as opposed to when it’s convenient for me.
Tony, you are absolutely correct that the audience determines the decisiom timeframe and framework. Too often businesses get so caught up in metrics they don’t see that what is being measured is no longer relevant. That’s why communications has to be about relationships; for the long term. Relationships are flexible. They grow and they change over time. Thanks for your comment!
Hi Lisa,
I really appreciated your posting because so many times I want fast, immediate results from a particular communications strategy. Over time, I have come to recognize the value in focusing on the relationship with a collaborating organization and those benefiting from my work. This approach does require patience, but I have found that it has afforded me the opportunity to be proactive and not reactive with my communications because of listening to their needs. Again, thanks for sharing!
Hi Lisa,
I really appreciated your posting because so many times I want fast, immediate results from a particular communications strategy. Over time, I have come to recognize the value in focusing on the relationship with a collaborating organization and those benefiting from my work. This approach does require patience, but I have found that it has afforded me the opportunity to be proactive and not reactive with my communications because of listening to their needs. Again, thanks for sharing!
Tony, you are absolutely correct that the audience determines the decisiom timeframe and framework. Too often businesses get so caught up in metrics they don’t see that what is being measured is no longer relevant. That’s why communications has to be about relationships; for the long term. Relationships are flexible. They grow and they change over time. Thanks for your comment!
Hi Lisa,
I really appreciated your posting because so many times I want fast, immediate results from a particular communications strategy. Over time, I have come to recognize the value in focusing on the relationship with a collaborating organization and those benefiting from my work. This approach does require patience, but I have found that it has afforded me the opportunity to be proactive and not reactive with my communications because of listening to their needs. Again, thanks for sharing!