Giving Up Too Soon: The Benefit of Purposeful Practice

In addition to being business marketing superheroes by day, many on the Rogue team dabble in the fine arts at night. Creative people doing creative things outside of working hours. Go figure, right? It is from that lens, however, that we identified something that business leaders discount that can have a multiplying effect and drive significant business growth…

If asked, many people will say that they can’t sing. They say they have two left feet and can’t dance.

Really?

Have they ever taken lessons? And if they did, how long did they stick with them?

Something similar happens in the business realm. I can’t get the multiple I want for my business. I can’t get the engagement I need. I can’t get the leads I need. I can’t break into the market space I’d like to. I’m trying stuff, but nothing’s working… and then they give a group like Rogue a chance.

You’ll definitely want to check out a few of these videos before going much further in this post… it’ll put things in better perspective! We suggest watching the 2 week, 7 week, 1 year, even 10 year transformations.

Now did you spend probably spend more time than intend watching these videos?There are more than 2.2 million videos that can keep you busy. With purposeful practice and guidance, it’s pretty incredible what can happen. But you probably believed that already.

“With purposeful practice and guidance, it’s pretty incredible what can happen.”

Here’s the observation we’d like you to see:Were things better seven, eight, twelve weeks in? Sure, they were. But were these the next Celine Dions of the world? Uh, far from it.They certainly showed better pitch, stronger rhythm…and while you might listen and think “that was better,” for most – two or three months in – these vocalists are still pretty painful to listen to.Did you watch any of the videos that showed week one versus year one… or year 5. Their story wasn’t that different two or three months in. But come year one, they’re singing a different song. Quite literally. Many have found their stride, have built a following, and are using that audience to build a market to support them pursuing music commercially. Could there be a business lesson here?

Sadly, as marketing strategists, we see businesses give up far too quickly. You say:

• “I want a higher multiple for my business…”
• “I need ___ leads…”
• “I need customers to stay longer and buy more…”

And eight weeks in, revenue gets tight (like it’s probably done other times). You get a cancellation that hurts. There’s a budget cut of some kind and you look at the eight weeks of work and wonder why you’re not a superstar yet.To be fair, you would never actually say that. After all, we all know that nothing worth having comes easy. If asked, we’d agree that there aren’t really any overnight successes. And it’s so reasonable to consider that we didn’t find ourselves in our situation overnight and that it’s going to take some time to get out…Yet, in the moment that’s not how most businesses respond. In situations like these, they rationalize that their business hasn’t sold yet. They wonder why they don’t yet have the full number of leads they need. And feel that things just need to happen faster. And that’s when they dismiss themselves from the process. The knee-jerk reaction tells the bigger story of the real expectations they had. More often the commitment is to a quick fix, not an achieved outcome.

“More often the commitment is to a quick fix, not an achieved outcome. But why?”

Change always takes time. Progress takes a while to manifest itself visibly. And you almost never see the changes others see (consider what it’s like if you’ve ever dieted, trained for a race or hired a personal trainer.)Eight weeks isn’t really a long time, and yet, if you look deeper, change has definitely taken place. You’d probably see that your data collection is becoming more accurate and usable. You’d probably notice that you’re understanding what is resonating in your target marketspace. You’d probably recognize that you see things different and even talk differently. You’d see your frequency, consistency and confidence growing stronger. You’d see that the trajectory, while not ultimately where it needs to be – is trending in the right way. (Of course if none of this is happening, THEN maybe it is time to find a different agency.)The difference between these YouTube singing “stars” and the businesses that give up too soon is their sticktoitiveness and vision patience. They accept the instruction of their guide, and show up week after week taking victory in the small wins.It’s only when they look back from a significant distance of time that they can say, “I do look/sound different and I am achieving what I set out to do.”Can you just imagine where your business would be in 12 months-time that would be radically improved from 12 weeks-time? Are you committed to being purposeful in your linear approach? Are you willing to allow a larger chunk of time before deciding the agency you’re working with is a lost cause that can’t help you achieve your outcome?If you are, you just might find the business growth you’re truly seeking. It’s incredible the possibilities lost by giving up too soon.