In our personal lives, generally, we understand the importance of seeking a second opinion. We may seek a second opinion after a medical diagnosis, before having major repairs done to our home or car, or on whether a certain shirt and tie actually go together.
We understand the importance of seeking a second opinion in our personal lives. However, we often neglect to treat our businesses lives with this same level of care. Yes, we may shop around for the best bargain or deal, but that is not the same as asking a second opinion.
Asking for a second opinion does not mean you doubt or mistrust the diagnosis or strategy. It means you want to verify that you are working towards the correct end goal. That you are pursuing the appropriate course of action. That you are getting the right “treatment.”
Dr. Jerome Groopman, author of “Second Opinions: Stories of Intuition and Choice in the Changing World of Medicine,” said in an interview with WebMD, “[W]e all want to be polite and civil and don’t want to spark an adversarial relationship. Yet, I feel very strongly that any time a patient raises the issue of a second opinion, a physician should welcome and endorse it.”
You do this with your health. Are you doing it with your business?
Too often a business will develop a marketing plan, and then let it run its course. Unless you are working with a team of marketing strategists, you may not know if the “treatment” is working. Businesses should be seeking a second opinion at every step of developing and implementing a marketing plan.
If you already have a marketing strategy in place, how do you know it’s the right one? More importantly, does your existing marketing strategy reach your target customers? Online research may give you a few answers, but sometimes you need an outside opinion. You need a professional. Whether you are a sole entrepreneur, or you have a full marketing department, sometimes you need to seek outside, professional help.
Before seeking a second opinion on your existing marketing strategy, you need to know what questions to ask. These questions will allow you to compare everything in like terms.
Five key questions to ask when getting a marketing second opinion:
- How effective is my current marketing strategy?
- What would be the ultimate goal of a new marketing strategy?
- How will that strategy’s success be measured?
- How does this strategy measure compared to industry standards?
- How will this increase revenue?
Over the next several weeks we will explore each of these key questions in additional posts.
You wouldn’t trust the first thing you’re told about your health, why would you do the same with your business? It’s time for a second opinion.
For your free second opinion related to all things marketing, contact The Light Digital.
