Is planning just a platitude?

I can list off a bunch of adages about planning.  And as I do, you're going to nod and agree.  After all, it makes good sense.

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

"Measure twice, cut once."

"A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

"It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark."

So then, why don't you have one?  Don't look at me like I'm crazy.  95+% of you do not have a marketing plan.  Does that mean your business will fail?  Probably not.  But it does mean you'll:

• Spend more money
• Reach fewer of the right people
• Be swayed by persuasive sales people rather than staying the course
• Be less efficient
• Grow your business more slowly

Think of it this way.  If I told you I was going to pay you to drive to Salt Lake City and that your compensation was going to be based on how quickly you could get there, would you use a map?

Same thinking applies to marketing plans.  Could you be successful without one?  Sure.  But it's going to cost you more and take you longer.  So why not just use the map?

After all, isn’t running a business like a journey?  You have finite resources and you’re trying to get as far as you can while using them as wisely as possible.

If you don’t have a marketing plan --- tell me this.  What is your substitute for having the map that will conserve your resources and extend your reach?

Flickr photo courtesy of steve_w.

Comments

[Timothy Johnson]

Great post, Drew. In project management, we live or die by our planning abilities. And since marketing initiatives are another type of project, it would follow that a plan would be necessary.