By Stanley El
If I were to tell you that you can get 10 of the best ideas for building and marketing your business, you would probably jump for the opportunity. Well, what if I told you there are dozens of books with marketing ideas to help you build your business? Now you’re probably wondering what I’m up to.
Well, as important as creativity is, I just find too many business owners jumping and even spending money on the best idea at the moment. The worst part is many of them change direction before they get the idea off the ground. Why? Because another good idea came up. It may appear to be better — at least it seems more exciting.
Some of you will try to launch that great idea. Of course, it stops when the money runs out. To have lots of ideas is good, if you’re going through the steps of picking the best ideas for the success of your marketing. It is the plan or strategy behind the ideas that’s important. I often say, “Ideas are a dime a dozen.” You can always get ideas. You can look at competitors. Go to the library. Hunt through magazines. Talk to friends and associates. You can even cook up your own. You’re familiar with brainstorming: you get a few people together, and let everyone throw out whatever comes to mind. Then you sought out the best ideas.
How do you know what are the best ideas? Well, according to my experience with business owners, the best ideas are the most exciting ones. They may even be exciting only to them. It’s great to be motivated by an exciting marketing idea as long as we remember that the purpose of marketing is to build business. That’s one of the qualifiers for finding the best ideas.
If you’re the only one excited about the idea, we have a problem. Marketing Point Number Two: people must believe in the idea. And you have to get them involved in the beginning. Coming up with an idea and giving it to people to carry out without them having any say is obviously asking for trouble.
Now there’s the other extreme — People who can come up with a million ideas, but fail to get them off the ground. Why? Because they’re afraid to let their ideas out. They believe others will copy or steal their ideas. I call these people “idea worshipers.” Perhaps you know some people like this. They’re the frustrated marketers — full of ideas, only they won’t put them to work. In most cases, this kind of person can do as much harm as good for business.
Regardless of your marketing creativity, you must remember that good ideas don’t work — good plans do. In fact, an idea is only as good as the plan and actions behind it. Of course, all your ideas should tie in to your main purpose — build business. Carefully think out and write what you want to achieve. Then match your ideas up to that to be sure you’re going in the right direction. This may not mean that your ideas won’t work. It could mean that you’re getting into something you can’t handle at the moment. Think it over.
Another test for your ideas is to have either your customers or business friends hear your ideas. Make sure they know what you’re trying to do.
If you truly know what you want to achieve, and you’ve tested your ideas fully, perhaps you’re ready to begin planning a successful marketing program.
When you’re brainstorming for new ideas, look at all ideas as good. Don’t be critical or judgmental. Check to see if any of the ideas relate with other. This helps to build strong ideas quickly. Then rank your ideas by comparing them to what you’re trying to do and are able to do.
Republished from the newspaper column “Building Business”
