Four lessons we learned from Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving has come and gone and, as you’re recovering from your annual dose of tryptophan, why not spend a few minutes and read about these five lessons we learned from everybody’s favourite family meal.
1. Watch out for overindulgence
We’ve all been there before: you’ve just finished eating and you realize the last helping you had asked for may not have been necessary after all. You’ve overindulged … and it can happen in the world of marketing as well.
Beware of saturating your marketing messages. By sending out too many messages to your clients and prospects, you may, like that third helping of turkey and mashed potatoes, leave an uncomfortable feeling in their stomachs.
2. Don’t mess with a good thing
This is just our opinion, of course, but Thanksgiving dinner should be the same every year. Even though the food channel told you that “shish kabobs are a fun new take on a stale holiday classic,” your guests aren’t interested.
What’s the marketing lesson? Think twice about changing the positioning or branding of a service or solution that’s working. A change like this can take the steam out of a long-term success story.
3. Stay positive
Nothing is gained from complaining that the turkey is dry or you don’t like corn. A good guest will just say thank you, dig in and appreciate the work that went into making the dinner.
Likewise, when you’re asked for feedback, be balanced and point out what went well in addition to the opportunities for improvement. There’s a good chance your co-workers toiled on the project, and too much criticism can be crushing.
4. It’s worth the effort
It’s 10:30pm, the guests are gone and the dishes are done. You’re exhausted. Was it worth it? Yes, it was.
When you’re grinding it out on a marketing project and wondering if it’s worth it, you have to remind yourself it is. Start by remembering what you love about your job and the contributions you make, and focus on that.
Who knew Thanksgiving could be so enlightening? Stay tuned for our next dinner-themed post around the holiday season.