Monday, January 01, 2007

No Excuses for 2007

Dear Marketing Pros,

2006 is over.

Done with.

Kaput!  

How was your 2006?   Did you do the things you wanted to do?  Achieve the things you wanted to achieve? And last night, amid a vast array of booze and indecent party snacks, did you make your New Year’s resolution?

Well, if you did, my advice is to…

…NOT make any resolutions.

New Year’s resolutions hardly ever work.  And I think it’s because most people don’t know that resolution, at its root, contains the word resolve.  When you resolve to do something, you are determined to do it.  Nothing should stand in your way.

But how long does it take after New Year’s for your resolve to fail?   And let's not just stop at New Year's.  In 2006, I saw the beginnings of many good marketing campaigns fail because the business owner lacked the resolve, determination, and perseverance to make it work.  

And that’s the point, my friends.  Marketing takes a firm resolve to see it through.  It’s about taking the time to build relationships with your clients.  Without resolve to see it through, even the best-laid marketing plans are a waste of time and money.  I’ve worked with plenty of entrepreneurs who swear to me that direct marketing doesn’t work because, “I sent out one letter and didn’t get much of a response, therefore it doesn’t work.”  

Phooey…if “instant” results is what they wanted, then they should not be in business.  It’s like the guy who asks a woman to marry him on the first date and when she refuses says, “Well, she must not like me because she doesn’t want to marry me.”  Sounds silly, but this is exactly how many people try to market—marriage on the first date.  

But in business and in life, it’s not always about marketing.  Success itself depends on your mindset.  

And this is why I’m telling you now…

…throw out those New Year’s resolutions.  

You can make those resolutions ANY TIME YOU WANT but make them only when you have the resolve to see them through!  Because without that resolve, you will fall victim to excuse after excuse and then wonder why you are failing.  

I’m not just telling you this because I read some stupid self-help book or watched some movie that changed my life.  It’s all from my own experience.  This year I stopped biting my nails.  And almost 4 years ago I stopped smoking (January 7th, 2003).  You see, movies and books don’t change lives…

…people do.  

And the person change starts with is you.  No movie or book worth its salt has ever told me anything different.  

2006 was a good year for me.  It was the beginning of my No Excuses mentality that has changed the way I approach business and marketing.  It was the beginning of new business ventures.  

And 2007 promises to be a great year for me, and I’m hoping to share that with all of you.  

So, let’s throw out those resolutions, and with those resolutions let’s throw out our book of excuses and get to work in 2007.  

Don’t let anything hold you back…

...especially yourself.  

To Your Success,

Carlon Haas
www.carlonhaas.com  

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Carlon-

Great post, very motivating. You are right, you can't just "want" to do something, you have to "do" something!

thom

Carlon Haas said...

Thanks, Thom.
Hope you have a great (and prosperous) 2007!