How does a holiday make you better at marketing and goal-setting?

Have you ever noticed how sometimes the best way to get new inspiration is simply to take a holiday?

You also find you are clearer about what you want to do more of and less of in your life? A holiday represents a time to pause and reflect on what’s working and what’s not: what we want to keep doing and what we want to let go of.

As we enter the 2nd decade of the new millenium, it is a great time to pause and reflect on what things we may be doing that no longer serve us.

I recently reflected on what beliefs and paradigms either no longer serve us, or need serious updating in business. Here’s two of the conclusions I came up with. When you implement them, you may just find that they positively and fundamentally affect the way you do marketing and goal-setting

The 7-touch rule is dead! The 7-touch rule is the marketers “rule” that you need to “interrupt” someone 7 times with your message before they are likely to buy your product. In fact, some commentators are even saying that today it is as high as 13, because people are so inundated with information.

I simply don’t believe either statement. Firsty, because it is premised on the idea of interrupting someone and bludgeoning their subconscious mind into submission through repitition. I don’t believe this works any more. The slow death-march of television advertising effectiveness is proving this.

What I think we need more than ever before is the one-touch rule. In a world where there is more electronic communication than ever, someone who can listen and relate to people one-on-one is as like a glass of cool water in a desert: rare and welcomed with both arms.

Goodbye seven-touch rule. Hello to real human-to-human connection.

2. SMART Goal-setting. SMART stands for Systematic, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timebound.

SMART is dead. Why? Because for one thing it only ever worked for people who had the psychometric profile of a project manager (ie: they were left-brain, detail-minded, follower-uppers by nature). Everyone else simply felt guilty that they were unable to apply this artificial formula to their life.

I did some research on this a little while ago, and found that since ancient times there have been 5 levels of manifestation. SMART represents the 2nd-lowest level.

The great achievers in history set unrealistic goals, had massive conviction and the ability to manifest in a way that was almost magic through the power of their own imagination. Any goal-setting technique you use much make room for the power of the imagination.

The best goal-setting technique I’ve found is to ask great questions such as “What would my website look like if it were to perfectly capture the combination of professional and fun”. Then meditate. Then act immediately on the inspiration that comes.

So in sales, focus at getting better at face-to-face relationship building. It is the ultimate “one touch”.

And in goal setting, remember to leave room for fun, and the imagination. Otherwise you are simply setting yourself up to feel guilty about not applying a SMART forumula that was never smart in the first place

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