Do What Works | Travel Research Online

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Do What Works

 

As I often do, I asked my coaching students to share their recent good news / bad news stories. I do this so we can all learn from each other, from both good and bad experiences.

The topic was promotion and, more specifically, how we can promote our services. I offered an idea and one student immediately shared the fact that she had done exactly what I was talking about… and that it worked to perfection.

I applauded her positive efforts before asking her when she enjoyed her marketing success story. Remember, this was on a seminar conducted recently. Her reply was met with disbelief, and more than a modicum of chagrin.

“1998” was the year she last performed this “successful” marketing gambit. 1998!
I suggested that she forget everything she has ever read about sales and marketing since that day in 1998 and repeat what she did back then. Maybe, just maybe, it might work again. I meant it.

People (you and me) study, read, buy books, go to seminars, attend conferences and go to church on Sundays to pray for ideas that just might work. Then, on a good day, something we do does work. And for some unexplained reason, we sign up for another seminar.

My mind drifted back to my days as a collegiate football quarterback. We had a playbook with at least 300 plays inside its three-inch girth, complete with x’s and o’s and a bunch of zigzag lines. You have probably noticed on television one play being called after another… seldom looking or unfolding in a similar fashion.

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This never made much sense to me. If I called a play that worked gaining more than three and a half yards, I would call the same play until the defense wised up and stopped our forward progress. “Why try numerous plays when one worked as designed?”

In my eyes, marketing can be managed the same way. When you stumble across some idea, strategy, tactic or gambit that works, do it again… and again… and again.

I truly hope my coaching student returns to 1998 and does whatever it was she did back then. I doubt that she will. It appears to be more fun to fail at a new challenge than to benefit continuously from some old news.

NOTE: I realize that times have changed, and the Internet has helped to change many business practices. My message is simple. Do not change for change sake. Change when it is time to change.

 


Mike Marchev

Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club. Send for details.

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