Jim, when will things pick up again?

Here’s what business owners are telling me, in increasing numbers every day.



Our website used to generate regular sales or leads. Now it doesn’t.



Our newsletter used to attract client enquiries . Now it doesn’t.



Our Linkedin, Facebook (whatever) activity used to regularly drive decent traffic to our website. Now it doesn’t.



Our business used to grow steadily each year. Now it doesn’t.



Our future used to look promising. Now it doesn’t.



When things are heading in the wrong direction, literally the only commercially viable option you have is to change direction. To try something better. Something different. Something new. This means either adjusting elements of your existing marketing strategy, replacing elements of your marketing strategy or creating a new marketing strategy that’s designed for the unique economic conditions we all face.




The main challenge here is that everyone, including me, finds the process of change at least a little scary. However, when used correctly, that uneasy feeling can be what drives you and your business forward.




Allow me to explain.



There’s a business maxim I’ve heard many times over the years. You have probably heard it too. “If it doesn’t feel scary, it’s not moving you forward”. In other words, when you’re heading in the wrong direction, you can use fear as your compass, to guide you forward.



And conversely, if you feel entirely comfortable about putting your changes into play, it could be that you’re aiming too low for the kind of improvement you need.



For a multitude of different reasons, these are truly challenging times. And there’s nothing to suggest that things will ping back to anything like the way they were before the 2020’s.



None of us (small business owners like you and me) can tough this one out. It’s a 100%, totally open-ended situation. This means that every day you try to stay as you are, you’re actually going backwards at an accelerating pace, compared to your proactive competitors.



So, use your compass. And embrace the changes you know you need, even if they are a little scary.
Jim, when will things pick up again? was written by Jim Connolly and originally published on Jim's Marketing Blog