Ate too much at all those holiday parties and family gatherings?  Me, too.  Ritualistically, nations like ours are forced to look in the mirror and scream, “D-I-E-T!”  It’s probably one of the most common New Year’s resolutions.

So you make that discriminating trip to the grocery store looking for the things that are “good for us.”  Your eyes are peeled for sugar substitutes, lower fat alternatives, and healthier options.  You reach for the traditional can of pop (oh, that’s for all you Northerners – down here in Texas, every soft drink is a Coke.  Like every tissue is a Kleenex.).  But your eyes are drawn to the striking logo emblazoned across the packaging next to your formerly favorite beverage.  DIET soda.  “It’s gotta be healthy” we say to ourselves.  You take a step down the aisle already feeling 10 pounds lighter.  But then, suddenly, like a hallelujah chorus belted out with a sudden angelic spotlight, there it is.  Sleek. Inviting.  And not only DIET, but it’s nutritious.  It’s DIET PLUS!

My wife and I have been Diet Coke fans forever!  My wife actually took one of her wedding pictures surrounded by cans and sipping on a Diet Coke (see above – isn’t she gorgeous . . . still looks that great!).  I have not had Diet Coke PLUS, but even I find myself a skeptic.  If I want nutrition or extra vitamins and minerals, I doubt I’ll consider Diet Coke my source for it.  The product’s web site claims that Diet Coke Plus, introduced in late 2007, “provides 15 percent of your RDI for niacin (a B-vitamin) and vitamins B6 and B12, and 10 percent for zinc and magnesium.”  I don’t think they are misleading, I just wonder why try and get your vitamins and minerals with a syrupy 16 oz. soft drink?

Apparently, the FDA took their time studying the new product.  One year later (and just days before Christmas – who’s the Scrooge?), the FDA slaps the wrist of the #3 carbonated soft drink brand in the U.S.

We are impressed by the lure PLUS options.  When we recognize the urgency of transformation and change – we look for any and every advantage we can get.  Similarly, you’re starting out 2009 looking to make some changes in your marketing.  You look around for ways to make better marketing choices and you start looking for substitutes or strategies that have worked for others.  The problem is that the packaging includes words you don’t understand nor can pronounce.  Some you’ve never heard of.  And then there are ways touted as the PLUS option!  You’re not sure what you’re getting, but you figure any marketing technique is a step.  You say, “Any marketing tool is good, right?”

Dieting is one of the most popular resolutions EVERY year and it’s that way for a reason.  Changing our marketing ways is similarly one of the hardest things to maintain and continue over the long haul.  You start quick trying a few new ideas.  You buy a new software, read a new book, listen to the latest marketing podcast.  You get excited, but just as quickly, you bottom out when they new strategy doesn’t produce immediate results.  If you’re not intentional, consistent and systematic, you’ll likely lose your way and revert to the things that got you into this mess in the first place.  Small businesses default back to our former ways and find ourselves content in doing nothing . . . until it’s time to look in the mirror again next year.

On our own, the majority don’t tend to do well with change over a sustained period of time.  Temptation creeps in and convinces us to turn back.  We don’t see the results instantaneously and we slug the mirror with our proverbial fist and shout “this doesn’t work for people like me!”  Discouragement can so quickly rob you of that motivation that propelled you from the start gate of change.  And somewhere around Day 41, your ability to self-motivate seems often trumped by the seemingly impossible challenge of carrying out a systematic, sustained plan.

Coaches and trainers typically provide much more significant results than doing it alone because there’s someone helping you implement a well-thought-out plan.  Coaches help you you make a comprehensive plan rather than gravitating to the loudest sales pitch or fad of the week.  And when the demon of reversion rears its ugly head, the coach is there to hold you accountable to the strategic plan you and the coach at one time had collectively determined best for you.  Remember that?  Oh, and if you never made a plan to make a significant change in strategy, well you’ll probably want to go back and do that.  A marketing plan is essential just as an architectural map is for the contractor building your dream home.  Imagine doing one without it.

Seeking the services of a marketing coach might be the most proven solutions for you.  Without the assistance of someone at your side,  Don’t make the same mistake in 2009.  As Fort Worth’s only Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coach, I’m here to help you make better decisions, choose the best plan, and keep you accountable throughout the year.

-Randy