Personal

We can see where impulsive behavior can get us into trouble in various parts of our lives.

One of the first things we learn about money as a child has to wait for something until we can afford it. Most parents even teach their children how to save and plan for purchases.

However, too many people discover credit cards and often get into financial trouble from needing immediate gratification.

Another area of our lives we also tend to satisfy immediately is our mouths. Unfortunately, too many of us have overindulged with our wants for food rather than what we need to remain healthy.

Marketing

I have watched many people react to opportunities to market their businesses. Unfortunately, this is the equivalent of overindulgence.

Just like money and food, we need a plan for our marketing endeavors.

If you have worked out your plan for your business, then you have worked through the criteria for what you will do for marketing.

You may have chosen not to mail a postcard to all of your contacts for budget reasons but rather target a small segment of your communications with postcards.

Now, if a great opportunity arises for a person with a marketing plan, they can easily weigh this opportunity against their agenda. But, on the other hand, sometimes you may have a great possibility that you know you shouldn’t pass up.

The key to knowing if it is a great opportunity is you have a plan to use for comparison.

What I learned from Teaching

I earned my master’s in communication through the education department. Due to being in that department, I took education courses. These proved to be the most valuable to me in my studies.

One thing I learned about lesson plans and Teaching is that when you have a clear objective, you can quickly know how to turn that divergence into a teaching moment when someone asks a question.

The Socratic method teaches by asking the students questions and letting them pull upon their life experiences to help them discover new concepts. Then, if the teacher has a good objective, they can easily navigate the dialogue and direct the process.

However, if you are unsure of the objective and know you need to cover these steps, then you cannot teach by the Socratic method. You will want just the answer as specific as possible. Looking for a particular solution will only frustrate the student and you as the teacher.

Vision

Knowing where you want to take your business can develop a solid business plan. But, of course, part of that plan will be how you plan to market yourself.

Like you must eat every day, so must you have an active marketing plan and not just occasionally done, or your company will die just as you would if you didn’t eat regularly.

Plan your marketing just like you do your diet and checkbook. Then and only then will you recognize an “opportunity.”

Once you have a plan, work on the plan, and success will likely follow.