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3 Steps to Getting Buy-In and Overcoming Marketing Inaction

Flying Hippo

By Flying Hippo

If you’ve never seen the movie Rocky, I suggest you take some time to check it out.

Aside from being a great film, there’s a great lesson for marketers buried deep inside – waiting for just the right time to strike can cost you dearly.

In the movie, Rocky Balboa works as a muscle man for a loan shark on the mean streets of Philadelphia in the 1970s. It’s not quite the “city of brotherly love” that it makes itself out to be. When he’s not beating people up for money, Rocky spends his free time beating people up for free in the boxing ring. (He also has a major crush on Adrian, the girl who works at the pet store down the street.)

When a promoter wants to book a fight between Apollo Creed, the heavyweight champion of the world, and a relatively unknown fighter from Philadelphia, does Rocky shirk away from the opportunity? Not a chance. He trains. He guzzles raw eggs. He runs up flights of stairs. He punches raw meat in a freezer. He’s a beast.

And he eventually (spoiler alert) defeats Apollo Creed, wins the heart of Adrian and has throngs of adoring fans.

Action vs. Inaction

So what makes Rocky different than Apollo? How does a “bum” from the wrong side of Philly end up whomping the world champion? Action.Rocky2

While Apollo came into the fight with the expectation of winning, Rocky trained hard to get into shape and took over the ring. Inaction – lack of training, really – cost Apollo dearly, and Rocky capitalized on his haughty attitude. What’s to say your competitors won’t do the same?

Everyone is capable of doing awesome things with the resources available to them, and opportunity presents itself when you least expect it. Taking advantage of opportunity and your competitors inability to move swiftly can keep you in business.

Here’s how you do it:

Understand Complacency

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results. Why should marketing be any different? Overcoming the status quo is a powerful, important part of succeeding in most anything you do. Great things happen when you get out of your comfort zone.

In our experience, the status quo is one of the most powerful competitors you face during the sales process. But guess what? Your customers have already decided to migrate toward companies that value individuality and change, even at the cost of ROI.

Think of Rocky. He didn’t have anything to lose, and your company has nothing to lose when trying out something outside of the norm. Figure out precisely how your business can benefit from acting now to get out of your comfort zone and try something now.

Make the Case for Change

You understand that the time is right for a change, but getting others in your office to buy into the plan might not be as easy of a task.

The first thing to do when presenting your plan on overcoming inaction is to help everyone else learn that inaction will cost you. Getting a universal buy-in to your idea is the only way to start. If you’re stuck, we’ve got some tools to help you along.

Offer More than ROI

It’s no secret that offering a sweeping change in your marketing strategy can positively impact your ROI. But should ROI be the only reason for a change? Not entirely.

Ultimately, your case for action needs to provide a compelling combination of cost, risk and consequences. If you act now, you can make waves. But if you wait, will the same opportunity be available? It’s hard to tell.

When you’re calculating the ROI on a new marketing plan, the cost of inaction needs to come into play as well. What about the internal morale of your company, or the customer satisfaction? What will your competitors take advantage of if you don’t do anything or delay its rollout?

So you might not be a world-champion boxer. So what? You know the right time to strike and can offer a one-two punch that KOs anyone who might not be interested in your plan. Your marketing plan can take off, and so can your success.

Photos courtesy damongreen and jasethebass

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