Suffering From "Time Poverty"?
July 31, 2008
Yesterday I was visiting with Tiffany Menke the executive director of the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce when she mentioned "time poverty" as being one of the major factors that impacts volunteers.
"Time Poverty"...Can you relate?
We see it everyday in private business where major decisions on marketing and advertising are pushed out of the way to make time for ___________. You can fill in the blank, there are lots of things that seem to come before tackling "that fuzzy marketing stuff".
So, what's the answer? (Excuse me while I break out my sticks...time to "beat the drum"...again.)
Planning...setting aside time to really think about the brand, the market, the product and what is the very best, most productive and effective to tell your target about "it".
But...due to "time poverty" folks rarely really think about these things. Making that decision damages the future of your product or service.
There is another problem about "thinking". So many people equate it with "inaction". "What, you spend your time thinking? Me? I spend my time doing!" Yeah...
Tiffany said one other thing yesterday that struck me...she talked about "value". That often intangible thing many fail to build into their product or service. Mind you this Chamber has one of the lowest membership rates in the Metro and no lack of members at 500+. Yet she talks about the value members get well beyond their investment.
Refreshing conversation.
Bottom line...fight "Time Poverty" by proper advance planning and...in these economic times start to re-focus on the value of your product or service.
What say you?
Michael P. Libbie - Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications where we value our relationship with these folks...nice job.