Today’s Weekly Thought is inspired by an email from Tyler Gardner. Tyler has over six million followers online thanks to his humorous, no-nonsense communication style as he offers practical lessons for investing and money management.
His latest email shares the story of a friend who completed hiking the Appalachian Trail. Tyler writes:
“[He] told me that he only followed one rule the entire time: never quit the trail when it’s raining. He would allow himself to quit, but he would only allow himself to do so on a good day: when the sun was out, his feet were dry, and he had had a decent breakfast.
“His point… is that the rain is the thing that makes us want to quit, not necessarily the endeavor itself. And there’s a crucial distinction between, “I don’t want to do this anymore,” and, “I don’t want to do this in the rain.”… If you’re happy and rested and you want out, awesome, and you’ve just gathered real information. But if you quit just because it’s raining, that’s the weather making a decision that ought to be yours to make.”
Marketing and sales aren’t nearly as challenging as hiking the Appalachian Trail in the rain, but sometimes it can feel that way. The ad campaign that doesn’t land like you expected. The leads that ghost you after they initiated contact. The proposals and estimates that turn into cold case files because you never got a decision. Those “rainy days” in business can feel like the Universe is telling you to quit. Don’t do it. Don’t quit in the rain.
Instead, take the time to evaluate what is really happening, absent the “rain.” Gather the real information.
Successful businesspeople, salespeople and marketers constantly reevaluate tactics and make adjustments. They gather data, convert it to knowledge, and learn from the experience. A tactic that doesn’t work out doesn’t necessarily mean the strategy is bad. It may just be raining.
