by Eric M. Twiggs, Ted Fells, Dr. Sharon H. Porter, Dawn Bornheimer and Maisha B. Hoye
When we spoke about the December Coffee and Conversation we knew we wanted to excite the What Now Movement group about 2022. We all had expectations that we were going to be done with Covid and go back to our new normal. We knew that we have to continue our mission of being there for our members when they pivoted or needed to pivot. What we didn’t realize until we read the transcript was how much that we, Eric, Ted, Dr. Sharon, Dawn, and Maisha, have to share beyond our Zones of Geniuses. Here are our top takeaways to get you ready for 2022 and beyond.
Don't allow perfection to become the enemy of progress.
Maybe one of your goals is to complete a project and it looks so overwhelming. And the easiest thing to do is nothing right. You’re inspired by the idea but don't know where to start. What if you focus on progress and not necessarily having it all figured out right up front. What's the next best step you can take?
Identify mentors, find somebody who did what you're attempting to do, get curious, and learn from their process. Don't allow perfection to become the enemy of progress.
Ask
Maybe the one thing you can do to get promoted is to ASK the person who is in charge of your promotion. What actions can I take to put myself in the right place and space when an opportunity arises? Or has kept me from being promoted? Asking questions will open up an honest dialogue so that you can have a meaningful conversation that outlines key actions, what you need to do, what you need to fix, and what you can work on.
Consistency overcomes a lot
Oftentimes we look for that silver bullet when it comes to marketing and we overlook the power of consistency. What's one thing I can do that is going to take my business to the next level? Some experts will say, you must be consistent over time. This is not wrong but what I choose to do consistently to move my business forward might be different that what you choose. The key is aligned decisions, intentional and consistent action.
Most people are eager to see results and they don't give enough time to see what is actually working. As an example, when we started The What Now Movement Facebook Group, we weren't collecting names and email addresses. Upon reflection, we realized we needed more data around the group. We need to make sure that we create a system so that people know and get information from us that we want to deliver.
Change is not the Enemy. Fear is.
Change is not the enemy fear is. It's okay to make a change. That's what The What Now Movement is all about… pivoting. Don't wait until the end of anything to make that change.
If you see a change is necessary, assess it and make the change when you need to make it. Change is not the enemy; fear is okay. Fear is not the enemy
Say YES to Yourself
We're not meant to do this alone. Collaboration, networking, partnering, the opportunity is on the other side of, YES. We need to say YES to ourselves. You need to say YES to the opportunity and surround yourself with the people that will help you get there.
Get a Personal Advisory Board
Everything that I desire to create is not in my zone of genius, that doesn’t mean it is not an epic idea. Surround yourself with people who have different expertise than you, a different zone of genius, and allow yourself to tap into that knowledge. When you combine talents and efforts, you not only have build in accountability, your ideas can expand!
Ask yourself, how can I partner with subject matter experts or just others in the space that can help me amplify my impact by working together collectively and learning from those individuals in your life.
Go Digital
The first marketing advice we can give is to go digital in 2022. The first step in this is to add Google Analytics to your site. This powerful tool can help you identify who your customers really are, when they visit, the pages they visit, how long and other important metrics you can use to run smart, intuitive campaigns.
Next, you need to make sure your social media platforms are connected to your new Google Analytic tools. There is no need to have ad hoc systems when they can all work together. The bigger companies are using data to created personalized campaigns and so can you. Going digital in 2022 is one step closer to more sales.
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