Tom Asacker

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Alan Alda on assumptions

"Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in."

There are two types of change: change within a system of beliefs; beliefs that stay the same. And change in your system of beliefs; e.g. your assumptions about the marketplace, customers, and your role.  If you want to change, you have to change twice. Yes, you must change the reality of the situation. But you must also change how you view that reality.

The business world is teeming with companies engaged in the first type of change.  They continue to erode profitability and morale by changing within their old, ineffectual system of beliefs. A system of beliefs perpetuated, by the way, by many well-intentioned people (and many not so well-intentioned).

Here's an example of some well-intentioned, yet misguided advice. Now I'm not picking on the authors nor MarketingProfs.com for their latest commentary on marketing strategy. Yes it's elementary, but that's not the problem. The problem is that it's dated. Here is their "simple but effective formula" for creating a strategy:

1. Figure out what you want to accomplish. In marketing, this is usually described as the change you want in the marketplace—in buying habits, distribution methodologies, or whatever the strategic goals dictate. To achieve this, it is often necessary to change market perceptions and attitudes. That's where advertising, marketing and public relations come in.
2. Figure out what you have to do to make what you want to accomplish happen. It's easy enough to run an ad or produce a brochure and hope something good happens as a result. But unless that ad or brochure is specifically targeted toward bringing about a desired change in the marketplace, results are a hit-or-miss proposition or, at best, only temporary.
3. Do what you have to do to make what you want to accomplish happen. Finally, it is necessary to execute the strategy, which requires resources in terms of both time and money, and there is seldom enough of either to do everything well. That's why it's important to be able to prioritize, to apply adequate resources to the most critical tasks to achieve the necessary results. Otherwise, it's easy to get caught in the trap of trying to do so many things that nothing gets down well, and there are no real results to point to, despite significant expenditures and an abundance of effort. Prioritization and the application of resources is a formula that has proven successful for countless clients over the years.

Do you see the problem? It's one of perception. To get at the essence of marketing strategy today, all you have to do is change one little word four times:

1. Figure out what they want to accomplish. In new millennium marketing, this is described as the business's purpose. A business exists and thrives today by helping customers accomplish, achieve, become, etc. To achieve this, it is often necessary to change your perceptions and attitudes.
2. Figure out what they have to do to make what they want to accomplish happen. And then figure out whether you can do it for them, in such a way - be it faster, less risky, more enjoyable, etc. - that they are willing to exchange their time, attention and money for it.
3. Do what you have to do to make what they want to accomplish happen. A never ending journey.

The choice is yours. You can either change within your system of beliefs; e.g. change logos, ad agencies, direct mail and email copy, etc. Or change your beliefs and then change within that new system of beliefs. Either way, you will change your system of beliefs. It may simply take longer, cost more, and take a toll on your sense of humor, honesty and passion.

Posted August 31, 2005
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