Pedaling Somewhere In Linwood.

There comes a point in many marketing programs when you feel like you're headed in the right direction, but somehow you aren't getting all the results as quickly as expected. You start to second-guess the research you did. You begin to question your assumptions and wonder whether you should stay the course or pull the plug. On the other hand, you know that your plan should work. You know it in your head, in your gut, and in your heart, but why does the program seem stalled? Why aren't you hitting the numbers you anticipated?

I grew up in Whitinsville, MA, just like Cynthia, and had a good friend who lived in the next town over, in Uxbridge. My mother would drive me to his house in about 15 minutes. Back then, my primary mode of transportation was my bike. So, one Saturday, I decided to ride my bike to his house so we could hang out for the day. What seemed like a million hours later, I was still pedaling away and had only made it to Linwood. It was taking FOREVER.

I began to question myself.

Even though I left at about 7 o'clock in the morning, I started to wonder if I would get there before the sun went down. I hadn't brought any money, so I wondered what I would do for food. What if my chain fell off? Without any quarters for a pay phone, how would I call home for help? (No, the cell phone hadn't been invented yet.) Should I turn back? Although I believed I could ride my bike all the way to Uxbridge, and I knew exactly how to get there, I hadn't arrived within the time I expected... and I questioned my plan.

I rode on. At times, I pedaled standing up to go faster, and slowly but surely, the "Entering Uxbridge" sign appeared, and the trip seemed to go faster. Then, I passed Helen's Garage, Victory Market, and Buma Funeral Home. Before I knew it, I had arrived safely at my friend's house. I knocked on the door, thinking it was mid-afternoon. When his mother welcomed me inside, she said it was only 8:00 in the morning, and my friend was still in bed. Really?? After all that, the whole trip had taken only about an hour?

Don't give up! You may be closer than you think. However, I should also say that there are some marketing plans that will never work and should indeed be put out of their misery. But your plan is a good one and might just need a little more time. If you are getting pressure from management because they are expecting results faster and they're still pedaling somewhere in Linwood, then ask for their patience if you can. We experience this pressure a lot too, and so we created the "fast track," which generates leads and sales immediately while we build the larger plan. If you know exactly where you're headed, find a way to pedal harder, because your current plans are going to succeed!