Posted on Jan 14, 2013

The Value of Activeness in Marketing

The value of activeness means moving or acting rapidly and energetically; disposed to action; exerting influence.

Marketing Questions:

What happens after a customer makes their first purchase with you? What is the next set of touch-points planned?
Do you have a new product or service in development? How perfect must it be before it is released into the market? What would happen if you released it when it’s only 80% complete?
Do you simply ask you customers for feedback, or ask them to get involved in real R&D, behind the curtain of Oz? How many places along the R&D path are you engaging customers?
How is your organization influencing the future direction of your industry? How many employees are actively involved in industry committees, trade associations, or advisory panels?
Are employees rewarded (paycheck, prize, praise) for taking action, even if it leads to failure? Are employees punished (reprimanded, rebuked, ridiculed) whenever they make a mistake?

Canada vs. United States

Many years ago (28 to be exact) I made an interesting observation about the volume of activity between business owners in Canada (where I was born and raised) versus the United States.

In Canada, I recognized a more risk-averse business culture. Thus, a business owner might take more time in considering alternatives before initiating 10 different actions over a defined period of time. Because of his careful analysis, he might see 6 or 7 of those actions produce positive results.

In America, I noticed a business culture much more tolerable of risk. This in turn translated into more activity within the same timeframe. So a business owner in the same field as above might then initiate 40 actions (4 times more). Of these, he might only see 40% – 50% produce positive results. BUT his 16-20 successful outcomes were more than double his Canadian counterpart, thus causing him to move farther, faster.

Some might translate this as simply working harder. I view this as a function of activeness. While no one likes failures, having more wins within a defined period of time can make the difference between simply surviving and building a successful business.

In other words, the volume of action matters.