In the early 2000s I worked at a business media company called Penton Media in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. For about a two-year stint, I reported to Mr. Bill Donohue.
Bill was both a salesperson and entrepreneur. He snagged a nice exit when his magazines were purchased by Penton. Once acquired, he was given the title of VP/Group Publisher and, by sheer luck, he was given responsibility for the custom media department I oversaw.
We got off to a rocky start, but after a while, we started to understand each other. So much so, that Bill began to take me on sales calls with him.
While spending time together, Bill must have told me that “hope is not a strategy” a thousand times. He’d say it on sales calls. He’d say it in full-company management meetings. He’d tell it to my face directly.
Here are some examples:
“If the market turns around a bit in the fourth quarter, I’ll hit my numbers.”
Bill: “Hope is not a strategy.”
“I just met with the customer and I have a good feeling she’ll buy from us.”
Bill: “Hope is not a strategy.”
“That restroom was closed last time, but it’s probably open today.”
Bill: “Hope is not a strategy.”
You get the idea.
And I definitely learned the lesson Bill was teaching me.
Every time I went into a management call or a performance review, if the numbers were ever contingent on something we did not or could not control, I adjusted my plan.
In addition, I never said, “I think” or “we should.” Those are two big no-nos.
We either “are going to” because of “this or that reason,” or “we will do” because we will take “this action or not take that action.”
Again, you get the idea.
Strategy is about saying no to many things, and saying yes to a few things with detailed plans associated with each yes.
This is why the United States plan for dealing with COVID-19 grates against me like fingernails on a chalk board. The best I can figure out, our plan is “hoping there is a vaccine…and that right quick.”
Bill would say: “Hope is not a strategy.”
I encourage you to look at what you want to accomplish in your life or business or marketing. Are there areas where you are pinning your desired outcomes on hope? If so, either say yes or no and get on with being strategic.
The following was an excerpt from Joe’s newsletter. Only subscribers receive the full version.