It’s an all-too-common malady: sales are flabby or fundraising goals are lagging, so leadership determines that a fresh new ad campaign is just the thing to make everything right.
When we start asking questions to diagnose the situation, we often discover something else: an internal problem.
You may be too close to the situation to see it. But one or more of these reasons may be at the heart of the matter:
- your staff need training
- you need to get out of your staff's way
- your staff don't have the tools they need
- you have staff members who aren't a good match for the job
- your board members aren't behind you
You may not like it when we tell you this, because an ad campaign seems like a much easier solution. It's fun. It's glitzy. It beats restructuring personnel.
The truth is that in this case, a campaign is an expensive way to fix the wrong problem.
Before you consider a new external campaign, invest in an internally-focused campaign that ensures all your employees—not just salespeople—know your message, your Why and Reasons To Believe. Your job is helping them succeed.
step one
Give them a shot in the arm. They need:
- talking points
- training and a chance to practice
- tools like presentations, handouts and memorable, branded tchotchkes
- stretch goals
- a pep rally
- regular communications with benchmarks toward progress
step two
Once your internal rehab is well underway, everyone is healthy and ready for your outwardly-focused campaign. They'll make your investment in that campaign go so much further you won't believe your eyes.
Watch for off-the-chart results to follow.
If you need help analyzing the real reasons for your anemic results, call Martha Bartlett Piland direct at 785.969.6203.
