Over Reaching....

At a recent Chamber of Commerce luncheon, I reached across the table to get something for the person on my right. Unfortunately, I spilled the person on my left's drink all over the table (sorry Joel). Needless to say I was embarrassed.

I quickly jumped up to get extra napkins and a refill for my friend to fix the situation. However, it would have been better if I had not made the miscalculation in the first place.

I laughed it off.

But I've seen a lot of marketers who over reach with overly ambitious goals for their budget or timeline.

This is a lot harder to laugh off.

Marketing "over reach" can be running a bunch of ads over a short period and expecting instant results . Or worse, expecting huge results for a meager budget. It takes a lot of patience to wait for the results of an ad campaign.

Successful marketing takes a well thought-out balance of time and budget. An overnight success takes many long days to achieve. Having realistic objectives is key. Developing a solid strategy and committing to stick with that strategy is imperative. Being willing to commit the budget for the long run is what makes it all happen.

And just like I should have asked for help instead of overreaching, sometimes we need to look to someone else to help us get perspective and help us avoid over reaching.

When is the last time you saw an ad for a brand you never heard of and ran out and bought it? Trust is built over time.

Next time I'm at a table, I know I'll be more careful to judge if I'm over reaching. In fact, I'll probably ask the person next to me for help. It will help me save face -- and extra dry cleaning bills.

- Phil Sasso