Picture the CEO of a major corporation. Say his office and
those of his principal staff occupy the top two floors of the
building they own in New York.
When a major decision is to be made, the CEO calls together
the key people on his staff most likely to be of help. Then he
asks for their views. Will these experienced, talented, and
well-paid people provide the information required to move
decisively?
It's unlikely. Here's why.
Gathering A Consensus
Suppose the inherent political in-fighting characteristic of
this level of enterprise is absent. Suppose each person at the
table really wants to get it right. And suppose the CEO is a
good listener, a person who seriously wants to make the best
move.
To the extent the issue relates to the core business, views
will differ. Reconsidering the goals of the advertising
department, for example, is nearly bound to bring disagreement,
even argument.
Opinions Rule
We can't know it all. Nobody can. To fill in the gaps,
we have opinions. And they're handy, when hard info is
lacking. The more complex the problem to be solved, the
more likely opinion will best define much of the input.
In the end, the CEO must decide. It's a lonely position
to be in. First he must separate fact from opinion as possible.
And he must consider what he knows of the person who voiced each
view. And he must seek to retain the support of these people he
depends upon, whatever he decides.
It's unlikely there is anyone close at hand to help even
in sorting out his own thinking. Let alone in the evaluation
of the information provided. Not a fun position to be in.
You And Your Business
While you probably have not given yourself a title, you are
the CEO of your business. And at times, it's a very lonely
position. The same position ascribed to the hypothetical CEO
above. Loaded with the same elements of uncertainty.
You also have solid information. And you also fill in the
blanks with opinion. But if what you have is not sufficient
to deal with a specific problem, you'll need to hunt up further
information.
Since you don't have a team of qualified people handy,
you'll likely turn to the Web and poke about as possible. If
your concern is the need for better advertising results, you
may see things such as...
> At $299 per year, Yahoo provides the best ROI on the Web.
> Let Overture.com double your sales in six months
> Banner ads are making a comeback; don't be left out
> Paid submissions at Inktomi are the only way to go
> Ezine advertising gives the best return on the dollar
> Forget advertising; build link swaps
> Sign here. I'll get you N thousand hits a day.
So Choose, Already
How can you do so? Each of the above largely contradicts
all others on the list, relative to a "best approach." If you
read the supporting arguments, you undoubtedly found some facts
to support the view. But opinions included added to the
uncertainty of conclusions.
To be in a position in which you are forced to reevaluate
any major aspect of your business, is one in which you stand
alone. You're fortunate if you know even a single person with
whom you can chat about the dilemma. And in the end, you alone
must make the decision, execute it, and live with the
consequences.
I don't know of a tougher spot to be in. A struggling
business can be made or broken by a single decision. And even
a successful business may take a heavy hit given a bad one.
Give It Time
Unlike the hypothetical CEO above, you do not need to make
any major decision today. This week. Or even by the end of the
month. If it's your ad campaign that is floundering, cancel it.
Then get on with business. Add fresh content. Seek new products
easier to sell. Improve your newsletter. Stay on top of
support. And so forth.
And, of course, begin dealing with the problem. But not
the whole of it. Nibble at it in little bits and pieces.
And let results show you over time what will work best for you.
Break The Problem Into Manageable Parts
For example, focus on what you're read about banners, and
lay all other advice about advertising aside. Explore as time
permits. If you become convinced it won't work for you, move
on to another item. But if you decide this is something you
must try, do it.
But only as an experiment. Don't for a moment consider
10,000 CPM at Yahoo, for that's utter foolishness. Begin small,
test carefully, and do so over time. Given anything resembling
positive results, maybe try a different banner. And monkey with
other variables, such as location. All in hopes of better
results.
Little Decisions Are Easier To Make
The key is in making small moves and tracking results with
care. Each action will succeed or fail. You only need to give
it time. Move on to a different element of your plan for
improving your overall advertising campaign, only when you're
confident of your decision on the latest move made.
Let time help you make the decision. And you can spare it.
For the element being considered is sufficiently small that
total failure will not have significant impact on your business.
Success, however, is one more positive step toward achieving
your goal.
About the Author
Bob McElwain, author of "Your Path To Success" and
"Secrets To A Really Successful Website." For
info, see
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