Do more with less. It seems like that seems to be the mantra across the board these days. Business owners and managers are turning to their employees and asking them to go above and beyond the call of duty, and to do so with existing resources or less than they normally have to work with. That may mean continuing the same level of productivity with fewer staff members. Marketers may be responsible for continuing to run their brands with half the marketing budget they normally have to work with. Perhaps the sales department is expected to at least meet, if not exceed, its monthly sales numbers.
You can do it? Can you really do more with less? A recent article on BtoB Online by Pat LaPointe, Managing Partner of MarketingNPV, suggested that you can. LaPointe’s premise is that those who manage to do more with less follow one, if not all, of five common patterns that include strategically cutting back (when they have to) beyond typical travel and entertainment spending, making “smart” cuts. “that not only address the needs of the here and now, but also how those cuts will affect the business once it comes out of the recession. He also said that looking at key risk factors is important, and it’s critical to know which parts of your marketing program worked well and which didn’t before the recession began to affect your business. If you summarily cut across the board without understanding the ultimate impact of those cuts from past experiences, you may be cutting the wrong part of the pie.
We have all heard of the concept “more is less”. Consider a website, for example. Of two websites created for the same company, which one do you think you’d like to delve deeper into: the first that has simple, easy-to-read text and some accompanying graphics that immediately draw you in and explain what the company is all about? can do for you? Or the second that it looks like the writer was hoping to win a Pulitzer with his “novel” on the front page? I would choose the first and, most likely, you too. The same thoughts should apply to your overall plan as they do to every marketing project you run. Let’s look at some ways to get the best out of less:
– Set realistic goals and then achieve them. Choose two or three goals that you are sure you have the tools and resources to successfully achieve, and then do it. The key is to make sure that the goals you set are consistent with both the needs of your business today and those you anticipate in the future. Too many times, business owners and managers create expectations in the sky in the hope that big goals will produce big results. But with limited resources, they end up accomplishing nothing at all.
– Engage your team and set expectations with them. Crushing fears during a recession will help you succeed. Involve your team in setting and planning your goals. In this way, you will guide them to realize that while you have certain expectations that need to be met in order to maintain success, you also understand that times may be a little tougher than usual. Work together to determine which areas could be most affected by a reduction in resources. Then come up with solutions together and how you will achieve those goals anyway. If your team believes that you are part of the solution, it will build loyalty during tough times.
– Relate everything you do to your core values. As you implement measurement mechanisms for each of your programs or plans, make sure everything reflects your core message, which will reinforce your brand in the long run, building trust and loyalty. From the content of your website and e-newsletters to communications with your employees and relationships with vendors, stay true to those values. Every little step you take now to strengthen yourself as a stable and reliable solution provider will see you through the tough times to the other side.
Doing more with less is not easy. Careful planning and thoughtful consideration are needed to develop best practices with less time, money, staff, and resources. But the best managers and business owners, the innovators, do it successfully. Instead of going into your shell and letting the storm wash over you or take you down with it, be proactive. In the end, you will not only survive the down times, but you will also learn how to continue to prosper in a smarter, more efficient and profitable way.
