Back Layout Salto with a Full Twist.

Today's Marketing Cookie is about the right time for riding the elevator or choosing to take the stairs. Both will take you to the top, but one definitely requires more work.

When watching some of the world's greatest athletes compete in the Olympics, there are several contests where contestants can earn extra points for difficulty. For example, in the balance beam competition, a back layout salto dismount to two feet is not nearly as difficult as a back layout salto with a full twist. I'm no expert, but accomplishing this feat, while landing perfectly on both feet, rightly deserves the additional points they receive. It is inspiring to watch these athletes push the limits of possibility.

I've found the opposite to be true in business, however. Whether you are hitting your lead generation goals or not, there won't be extra points awarded for how difficult they were to find. My college basketball coach used to tell us, "Why attempt a three-pointer when you can score with a lay-up?" I believe an easy win is always better than a complex loss. For this reason, we advise our clients to go straight after the easiest prospects, rather than wasting time on people who are highly unlikely to become a customer.

In marketing, difficulty is an excuse a good CEO will never accept. You must keep it simple. The more moving parts you have in your marketing plan, the more failure has an ability to multiply. We've found that removing complexities in marketing is often the first step on the path toward success. When we discover unnecessary complexities, we work to divide each difficulty into as many parts as feasible and necessary to eliminate them. As a result, our marketing programs are able to produce the highest volume of leads with the lowest levels of friction possible. There's no need to add a back layout salto with a full twist to any marketing plan. Don't do it.

While today's fortune is ill-advised for marketers who must reliably ring the revenue bell for their sales team, it does not discount the powerful message available to every individual player who aspires for greatness. I've found that the most admired aspects of one's character have usually been formed from great hardship. The strengths we adore in our best leaders have often been established with difficulty. While this idea is off-limits in your marketing plan, I do urge you to consider its truth for yourself. For whatever you desire to become, I encourage you to do as today's fortune says, and, "Reach for the high apples first; you can get the low ones any time."