Whew! If you watched the vice presidential debate between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin you saw a great example of how a marketing plan works. Many pundits were anticipating how Palin would do on a national stage. Would she choke? Would she stumble? Could she take on the establishment - the well-known brand?
I think she did a pretty good job and started out as most new marketing plans begin - slow... questionable... uncharted... scary. For the first 20 minutes I saw fear in Palin's eyes - bright and wide like the proverbial deer in the headlights. But as time went on, her color came back, she started to feel comfortable, her message stayed on task, and the audience responded.
Marketers take note - you may feel a little scared unveiling your product for all the world to see, but as long as you showcase its "real" benefits, you should do fine in the long run. Give up too soon and you'll be remembered by your missteps and faults. Stay the course, plug along, and your buyers will eventually become receptive and open their pocketbooks and wallets.
But is there a time to quit... to move on to bigger and better things? Many scholars have argued this point ad infinitum. I don't know. Nobody knows. Sales, budgets, and timing are but a few of the factors you need to consider. What I do know is that I've seen businesses bring a new product or service to the marketplace and are just about to pull the plug when sales start to soar and they're the first to cross the finish line.
Remember... you can't win unless you enter the race.
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