Are you the type that throws yourself in to things, goes with the flow and adjusts along the way?
Most entrepreneurial types, from startups to seasoned enterprises, can be defined that way. When you jump in to the deep end—trying to define your business, develop strategy and execute your marketing plan—you usually end up multi-tasking and doing things on the fly. Certainly, there are valuable lessons, both in life and business, that you learn…especially in your failures.
But, this post isn't about that.
This is about the profound lessons in business, strategy and marketing that I’ve received flinging a fly—waist deep in a cold, crystal clear stream.
If we’re open to it, the passions and hobbies we engage in can often teach us invaluable lessons that have seemingly nothing to do with the activity.
Since fruitful fishing trips rely on deciphering patterns, these valuable business, strategy and marketing insights can be described, in what I will refer to, as the 7 P’s of Success.
P1 – Pursuit
This is the first and most foundational element of fishing. Without knowing what species you are pursuing, you’re destined to have a bad day on the stream. It may seem obvious but, you need to know what’s swimming in the water to determine your target. From bluegill to bass or salmon to trout your approach, tactics and even equipment will vary greatly.
Do you see the business parallel yet? With your brand, you might use the term “vision” or “positioning” but what that really defines is your pursuit.
P2 – Priority
Even within the same species, determining whether you’re going for ANY fish that takes the fly or “trophy hunting” will help to prioritize your pursuit. The outcome, satisfaction and profitability of your day depends on the expectations you set starting out. John C. Maxwell said, “disappointment is the gap that exists between expectation and reality.” Properly managing your priorities directly relates to mitigating your disappointment factor. If you set out on the “zero to hero” path, then you’ll focus on throwing big streamers in parts of the stream that will hold the biggest fish. Even getting a single follow but not landing that big fish will satisfy you and give you encouragement to continue another day.
With your business and marketing plan, what is your priority? A few big accounts or a more diversified mix of small to medium sized accounts?
P3 – Patience
Let’s be honest, this is where things usually break down. Inexperienced fly fishers generally rush into the water, flinging the fly line around, slapping the surface. And when they don’t get a hit, they say, ‘no fish here’ and move on, only to continue the same cycle upstream. The patient fisherman knows to slowly approach the edge of the stream, staying low and pay close attention to their environment. When you are patient, clarity comes. You notice the direction the wind is blowing, or the sun is shining. You can see if there’s a hatch going on and you sharpen your ability to read the micro-currents on or under the surface of the water. After taking in those factors, that’s when you start to put together the pieces of the puzzle and begin to see where the fish are holding. And, most importantly, what they’re feeding on. Only then you select the fly, the method and make the first cast count.
If this same principle wasn’t valuable in life or the business world, we wouldn’t have the adages: “Good things come to those that wait but better things come to those who are patient.” and “Timing is everything.”
P4 – Precision
Once you’ve determined your pursuit, priorities and taken the time to observe the environment you’re now ready to to put together your plan. The most successful outcomes happen when you are precise with the tactics. Every detail matters, from the type of fly line, the leader and tippet, floating or sinking, the fly you present and even the type of cast you throw. It sounds so simple but the phrase “make your first cast count” is actually quite complex and calculated.
Likewise, you don’t often get a second chance to impress a prospective client. Carefully plan and select the tactics, your approach and make it count.
P5 – Presentation
A plan is just a plan until it’s executed. This is ultimately the critical aspects that elicit the bite—the flash, the colors, the size of the fly and where and how you fish it in the water column. In fishing, the term often used is “match the hatch.” While most fly fishermen have their confidence fly, it really all comes down to the presentation. Authenticity is everything. Anything that comes off unnatural, will turn away the fish.
How does your company or brand present itself? Having a clear brand image is critical in attracting the right customers. Every aspect of your business, from your logo, graphics and typography to the way your speak, defines the full experience with your brand. Sometimes the littlest details add the most value. Again, authenticity is the critical and anything that feels unnatural will turn away prospects and limit your growth.
P6 – Persistence
Often times you’ve made all the right choices and presented the perfect dead-drift to a feeding fish and for some reason they still don’t eat! You could continue to throw the same thing and hope that the next cast will be ‘the one.’ Or, you can adapt your techniques and be willing to adjust course. Sometimes it’s as simple as taking two steps up or down stream and changing the angle of the drift. Other times it you’ll have to adjust your tippet size, weight or modify the fly size, color or type. Each time you make adjustments, you’re testing and learning which dramatically increases your chance of success.
Most strategy and marketing plans fail to reach their goals when the company is too rigid to make adjustments. Either you’ve made a significant investment in a particular tactic or you don’t have the right resources or expertise to know how and when to adjust. Applying a more nimble, test and learn strategy may be the thing you need to increase your odds of achieving breakthrough.
P7 – Pride
I leave you with this final lesson. When it all comes together and you get the fish in the net, take a moment, wet your hands and delicately hold your catch. As the sun glistens off of its scales, marvel at its beauty. Celebrate the effort that all came together for that moment—snap a quick photo and feel proud as you release it back into the stream. Don’t forget to share it with those that appreciate it.
“Pride” can certainly be two-sided but grounded in the right way it can be healthy. Some businesses measure themselves by the trophies they acquire. I don’t have anything against trophies, but that shouldn’t the only measure of our pride. On the other side, too often, we jump from one task to another and never stop to even acknowledge our accomplishments—big or small. Make sure to take record your work and be proud of it. And while it shouldn’t be what drives us, consider that some of it might even be award worthy. The recognition is nice but, more importantly, it might actually inspire someone else to get out there and step in the stream…so to speak.
May you have tight lines on the stream and abundance in your pursuit.
The Author — Jeff Gould
Jeff Gould is a marketing professional, family-man, coach, community leader and dreams of fly fishing all over the world. He’s the founder of Standing Oaks Marketing, where he’s a Fractional Chief Creative Officer for hire, helping businesses and brands of all sizes grow to new heights through marketing, strategy and creative execution. He brings over 25 years of experience in total brand marketing—both business-to-business and business-to-consumer—for many Fortune 500 companies.