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Stop asking 'What if?' and start doing right now!

One sure way to never accomplish anything is to never start anything.

October 31, 2014 by Daryl Stokes — Media Solutions, Hughes Media Solutions Group

I will be the first to admit that I metaphorically run with my shoes untied. I am willing to try reasonable new ideas quickly, and if it doesn't work don't do it any longer. I have frequently come across my opposite, and that is the person who will spend so much time analyzing the possible variations that they never act. Both of us can learn from each other.

When it comes to digital media, we are now past the phase of analyzing what can be done and what would happen if we did something. We are now in a time when we must act. Employees and customers are now demanding that communication be real-time and that video be a cornerstone of that communication. 

When I speak with organizations that are hesitating, I ask them this two-part question: "Does your CEO have passion for the company? And how many of your front line people have heard the CEO speak firsthand?" Usually the answers are "Yes" and "Very few." 

There is absolutely no reason for this to be the case. If you aren't ready to justify the budget for live broadcast capabilities, start with recorded programs. Put the executive and various subject matter experts in front of a camera and let them talk. Then deliver the files to the edge of the organization and let those people farthest from the c-suite hear first hand how they plan to make the organization successful. 

SaaS services make it easy and affordable to place content within reach of everyone. Employees are your most important assets. Informed employees are more engaged and more productive. Don't leave them wondering what's going on; talk to them, motivate them and see how much better the business runs. 

Retail must constantly adapt to changes in the market. Competitors, inventory and supply issues, consumer preferences, all influence what the retailer wants to say to the guest at the store. Why depend on the printing and distributing of materials, when a digital media solution lets you react within minutes. Recently a friend in the retail industry told me that their organization has less than 40-percent compliance for point-of-sale materials in the stores. This means that after the marketing department worked to decide what to say, the operations department worked to make the material and deliver it, the in-store personnel only used the material two out of five times. How many millions of dollars are wasted? And to be fair, I am not pointing the finger at the in-store staff. Certainly some are simply not complying, but in many cases I believe that the store personnel know their market and know that certain messages and materials will not be well received and will cause a net negative impact on their local business. 

Digital media can fix these issues. With digital media you have ultimate flexibility. Get 100-percent compliance with point-of-sale materials and adapt to the changing needs of the marketplace and the local site. 

My message is simple: Start a pilot now. Get with a trusted solution provider, implement these technologies and start measuring the impact on business. Not everything will be successful the first time, but use the Plan, Implement, Refine and Update cycle.  

Some things will work and some will not. But one thing is for certain — doing nothing is not going to work!

Photo courtesy of Oscar Rethwill.

About Daryl Stokes

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