17th August 2020

Five minutes everyday can make a lifetime of difference

When you got up today what was one of the first things that came into your mind? Was it the problems you face or the hurdles you must overcome today? 

Or did you think about how you can grow as a person and improve your business?

It is not easy to start the day with stress, and yes problems must be faced and overcome, but isn’t it more enjoyable to focus on solutions rather than negatives?

Success can be defined in many ways but if I’m asked what success is, I always think of the quote from 3-time Pulitzer prize winning journalist Herbert B Swope:

“You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction.”

It’s that determination that differentiates successful people from those who try to succeed. 

Take a minute to think of successful people you know. How did they achieve what they have?

Was it given to them on a plate, or did they have determination, drive and a plan?

We are living in challenging times that is for sure, but as with all periods of crisis it will pass. Those that have a plan will be the people that will benefit from the opportunities that change always brings.

In life, we experience failures. We make errors in calculation and judgment and could get the rug pulled from under our feet sometimes. Many of us never get up to try again.

Achieving success means having the courage and plan to bounce back and take risks despite adversity and initial setbacks.

Planning, resilience and vision are the essential keys to success and have been used by most of the successful people you may have thought about earlier.

Resilience, I will leave to you, but I can help with vision and planning and I’d like to share with you a simple technique and tool you can use every day, I call this the five minute marketing plan. 

This looks at the 5 Ps of marketing: 

• Product: Your offering to clients and potential customers
• Price: What you charge for what you offer
• Placement: Markets you operate in
• Promotion: Methods you use to communicate with people
• People: How you grow as a person and deal with clients

This is a simple tool which allows you to capture your thoughts and write down ideas. If you do it on a regular basis you will see a plan start to form. If you carry it out with determination you will soon see positive results. Why not try it now?

Five Minute Marketing Plan 

First minute: product

Does your current range of products and services meet your customers' needs?

How can you improve the quality of your offering in your customers eyes?

What additional product or service would your customers most like you to offer?

Second minute: price

What could you do right away to cut costs without affecting quality?

What offers could you afford to encourage new customers to try you or encourage current customers to be more loyal?

Third minute: placement

How could your distribution process work more efficiently or more effectively for your customers?

What new approach could you use to reach different customers or reach existing customers in a different way?

Fourth minute: promotion

How can you make your customer communications clearer and compelling?

What new ways of communicating with customers could you try right away?

Fifth minute: people

What could you do to increase your motivation and enthusiasm?

What could you do to make your customers feel more enthusiastic and loyal towards you?

I hope you found this useful and I’d like to return to the quote from Herbert Swope and remind you that it’s counter productive to start the day with negatives.

Instead focus on the positives, develop a plan and carry it out with determination and you will end the day with satisfaction.  

I wish you all success, a positive day and great ideas.  

John Joe McGinley Glassagh Consulting August 2020

John Joe McGinley, Glassagh Consulting