Maybe you’re focused on accelerating the growth of your email list. Possibly creating a new lead magnet for an upcoming marketing campaign is priority number one. Or you’ve decided to develop a webinar focused on educating prospective customers. Perhaps your company has a major product launch approaching.

You know exactly what needs to be done. Or do you?

If it’s an activity you’ve gone through before, dozens of times, then you have a good idea of what needs to be done and when. Such as exhibiting at a trade show. Someone on your team is charged with implementing a step-by-step game plan; and nothing is left to chance.

The key is everyday there is an activity, probably several, that can and should be accomplished to move closer to you goal -- a successful tradeshow with lots of fresh leads for your salespeople.

Yet, there are just too many companies that “know” what to do and still accomplish a big fat zero.

I see it all the time; the CEO or company’s marketing guru reads an article about how someone increased email subscribers by 1700% in one week. Then they go off and try to replicate this success. The result is zilch.

One thing is for certain; knowing something isn’t the same as doing something.

Document past activities that have proven track records. Checklists are a wonderful invention. Particularly when they are based on something that worked. Take the example of exhibiting at trade shows. The first time a business with no previous exhibiting experience attends a tradeshow things will go wrong. Sit down afterwards and talk through what went well and what to try differently next time. The key here while it’s fresh in your mind is to make a list, a sort of paint-by numbers checklist. After each show repeat and update. Now, before and during future trade shows everyone will be on the same page, ownership of tasks will be clearly spelled out, and expectations correctly set. Life will be grand!

Training for success. We’re all guilty of trying to find shortcuts to success. You know the drill. There’s a pressing need to get more customers NOW and you start desperately searching Google for articles on how to make that happen. Then you say, “ah I see how they did that.” And it only gets worse when you think you know an awful lot about the subject at hand. No homework or hands-on experience to worry about. Go out and get real hands on training to learn new strategies and tactics – with homework to help close the gap between what we say and know with what we actually do.

Action plan. The key to success is following a proven framework that leads to action. An action plan outlines the sequence of all the steps you intend to take to implement your strategy. It helps you to prioritize activities to maximize impact. Start by break your strategy into steps and then prioritize which ones need to happen first, second, third, and so on. Put the steps in order, and you have an action plan. A proven framework can be based on your experience or get help with a coach or through training by an expert that will transfer the knowledge your company needs.

Precisely defining a business objective is important. Knowing the why of a goal is critical. Yet, knowing the how, the actual steps and needs along the way is central to success.

Ron Stein is President of FastPath Marketing (www.marketing-strategies-guide.com) and the author of the Rapid Impact Marketing & Selling Playbook. As a speaker, coach, and consultant he works with small business owners helping them to accelerate the path between their vision and the actions needed to reach, win, and keep customers. Ron is the creator of the FastPath to More Customers Now! 7-step marketing system based on more than twenty years as a successful business owner, corporate CEO, business development executive, and salesman. He is also a mentor at two nationally recognized business accelerators. Ron offers one-on-one and small group mentoring, conducts seminars, and consults. He can be reached at 727-398-1855 or Ron@FastPathMarketing.com.