I recently read the New York Times bestseller, REWORK, which debunks traditional ways of running a business.
I finished with several eye-opening nuggets about scaling, hiring, long-term planning, productivity…and why drug dealers are savvy business people.
But, it is the last few paragraphs in the book that stuck with me:
Inspiration is perishable.
We all have ideas. Ideas are immortal. They last forever.
What doesn’t last forever is inspiration.
Inspiration is like fresh fruit or milk: It has an expiration date.
If you want to do something, you’ve got to do it now.
You can’t put it on a shelf and wait two months to get around to it.
This concept also applies to marketing, which at its core, is meant to move people to action. And, it most cases, the sooner the better.
- If you’re investing in paid ads, do you want people to wait months before buying your product?
- If you’re promoting an event, do you want people to wait months to register?
- If you’re launching an online course, do you want people to wait months to enroll?
Like inspiration, your marketing needs to have the NOW factor.
Because the longer it takes for your prospect to take action, the greater risk THEY have of missing the opportunity and YOU have of losing the sale.
5 Ways to Add the Now Factor to Your Marketing:
- Content: Know your customer so well they feel like you’re speaking directly to them.
- Benefits: Make it crystal clear how your product or service will help them.
- Value: Create an offer they can’t resist.
- Convenience: Make it easy for them to buy, register or enroll.
- Service: Provide so much value that they will tell others about it.
Inspiration is a magical thing, a productivity multiplier, a motivator.
But it won’t wait for you. If it grabs you, grab it right back and put it to work.