You Don’t Have to Know Why It Works
As Long As It Makes You Money
There was a time when I micro-managed every part of the businesses (there have been several) I’ve owned over the years. I’ve bought, grown and sold several very different businesses. I always wanted to know every detail of every aspect of what was going on. As I grew, and at times owned several businesses at the same time, I figured out micro-managing wasn’t a strategy that was going to work IF I wanted to continue to grow. I’ve since learned I need to function more like a symphony conductor – I need to know what’s going on but I can’t be playing every instrument. I needed to keep my finger on the pulse of the business and know quickly if it things aren’t right, and how to fix them, but I can’t do everything myself if I wanted to continue to grow!
I can tell you it is much easier to talk about than it is to do; like many entrepreneurs, I still struggle with it at times but I’ve made great progress and continue to work at it.
The same is true of your marketing – if you have proven ads use them and keep using them until they stop working. I often hear, “why does that ad work so well?” I have one ad in particular that I have been sharing with coaching clients for years that just keeps working. Kind of like the old Timex watch commercials, it just keeps ticking and ticking and ticking… If you’re not familiar with the Timex reference, Google it. There are some times I can answer why it works so well and others I’m not so sure. The bottom line is, I don’t always care why it works, just that it does!
When you go to the doctor because you’re sick and he gives you medicine do you ask, “How does this work to cure me?” I know I don’t, I’m just glad it does. That’s the approach you have to take when it comes to your marketing. There was an occasion during a Mastermind meeting when another member asked why something he was doing worked so well; his response was, “I don’t really know, I don’t care, I just know that’s why I’m with Dan, because he keeps providing us with great marketing that works.”
Do you know why so many uniform companies recommend or offer several different choices of blue as a uniform color for service businesses? Because the color blue conveys trust, the person wearing blue comes across to those they’re talking to as more trustworthy than those who wear black, for example. I don’t know the reason why blue has that effect on people, it has something to do with the brain, and I don’t really care why. I just know that I use the information to my advantage.
Not Knowing Why Shouldn’t Stop You
Marketing your business is much the same way – not knowing why shouldn’t stop you or slow you down when it comes to making marketing decisions. I’ve heard from consulting clients, “if I don’t know why it works, I can’t do it, that’s just the way I am.” I see that as another excuse for not getting something implemented that will make money for your business.
I recently had a coaching call with a coaching member in which I gave him a proven marketing piece to use to bring business to him quickly with very little risk. He spent 15 minutes giving me reason after reason why it might not work. Finally I said, we’ve spent all this time listening to you tell me why you “think” it might not work, why not figure out a way to implement it because I know it DOES work. It’s worked for others all over the country, in small towns, big cities, in affluent areas and not so affluent areas. It’s worked with bricks and mortar businesses and online. The bottom line is it JUST works! My next question was “Why does it matter? let’s just get it out!”
Now this doesn’t mean you don’t do your due diligence; what it does mean is, once you know something works or has worked, don’t let not knowing or not understanding why it works get you constipated about making a decision.
I can tell you – 97{4f9a0efffcb91fb5dd1a060545d3b715c77c30a3ee3625efeec81870f3519768} of the people who get on a plane to fly to vacation, or for business, or just to visit friends and relatives DO NOT know why that plane with thousands of pounds of weight gets off the ground and continues to fly, but they get on the plane any way.
If this makes you uncomfortable, GOOD! Getting out of your comfort zone is usually good for you and your business.
