2 Ways to Work on Your Marketing Plan

The first one? Compare what you're doing against some "ideal marketing system" and start filling in the gaps.

That's the approach I used when I started out. It quickly became a never-ending game of catch-up.

You're missing email automation, so you build that. Then you realize you don't have a LinkedIn strategy. Then someone tells you about podcasting. Now you have to become an AI prompt engineer if you don't want to fall behind.

It's shiny object syndrome in action. Instead of building a marketing system, I was collecting tools I saw someone else use.

So I went back to what I learned as a CPA and consultant - using the Theory of Constraints to improve a system's outcomes by fixing the biggest bottleneck first.

Marketing for professional services boils down to four outcomes: increasing your authority, generating high-quality leads, closing sales, and retaining clients.

To improve these outcomes, you start by determining your biggest bottleneck. The thing that's holding you back and will have the biggest impact when you fix it. Once you tackle that, you move to the next bottleneck. Rinse and repeat.

This approach is the foundation of my Core4 Method.

It keeps you focused on outcomes instead of activities. Instead of asking "What am I missing?" you're asking "What's holding me back from the result I need right now?"

Here's what's great about this approach: you get built-in feedback.

When you fix the right bottleneck, you see results. When you don't, you know quickly and can adjust.

No guessing. No waiting six months to realize that content calendar you built isn't doing anything.

The “ideal system” approach treats everything like it matters equally. The bottleneck approach tells you what matters right now.

There's no sense in generating more leads if you don't have an offer that sells.

Fix what's actually broken first.

So what's your biggest bottleneck today? Not what's missing from your marketing stack, but what's actually stopping you from getting the outcome you need?

Figure that out. Fix it. Then move to the next one.

And if you’d like some help, give me a shout.

Bill

913.962.9261

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Thanks for reading.

Bill

913.962.9261

P.S. Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways I can help you grow your business.

1) Connect with me on LinkedIn

I'm on LinkedIn primarily to grow and support my network. Connect with me and let me know who makes a good connection for you.

2) Try the Offer Scorecard

When you have a great offer, everything in marketing and sales becomes easier. Reply to this email with “Offer” and I’ll send you the guide so you can evaluate and improve your offer.

3) Work with me One-on-One

Reply to this message and put “One-on-One” in the subject line. Tell me a little about your business and what you'd like to work on together, and I'll get you all the details!