Marketing is a Process.
The process of asking lots of questions. And listening.
Conducting research. Listening some more.
Prototyping. Listening.
Measuring and prototyping some more. Listening.
And then, when something starts to work, do more of that.
Keep measuring. Keep testing. Keep listening.
Especially listening.
Because, what works today may not necessarily work tomorrow.
by Rebecca Cochran
What did you practice today?
Practicing isn’t just for musicians. Or ballerinas. Or Olympic athletes.
We all need to practice in order to improve. In order to learn. In order to ingrain strong habits within ourselves.
Practice enables us to do things. Even simple things like cooking. Or gardening. Or blogging. Practice also enables us to do things well.
The act of regular practice helps us to get better at innovating within our companies. Practicing innovation skills such as questioning, observing, networking, experimenting and associating, can enable us to effect change within our organizations.
Practice doesn’t have to be complicated or even time-consuming. Any of us can do it. The key to accomplishing anything is to establish a practice routine. Your routine may be weekly, semi-weekly, daily or whatever. The important thing is to carve out time on your calendar to engage in regular practice of the activities or skills that are important to you.
I think we all need to practice practicing. Or, as Aristotle so adeptly put it, “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”
When was the last time you listened, really listened? Some people go through their days and never listen at all. They talk. When someone is talking to them, rather than really listening, they’re only preparing to respond.
They forget the #1 rule of listening. To listen is to be silent.
Listen. Silent.
Interesting that the two words are anagrams of one another. We can’t do the first without the second.
Talking is easy. Listening is difficult. Yet, it is only by listening that we really learn — learn what our clients’ needs are — learn to be a better friend, better spouse, better parent, better human being. And, by listening, we learn to truly appreciate the world around us.
As a musician, I’ve learned that listening makes me better at my musical craft. When I listen, really listen to my fellow musicians, on or off the stage, that’s when I really learn, really improve.
And, by truly listening, I am able to understand more about my favorite composer, J.S. Bach. Each and every time I listen to a work by Bach, I learn something new.
Don’t forget to listen.
Cochran Creative Group 