My partner, Eric Anderson, shared this quote from Sherlock Holmes at our monthly partner’s meeting here at Outsource Marketing.
It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts.
Although this quote was meant to draw attention to internal measurements here at Outsource, it sent my mind racing to a presentation a I did recently.
In it, I asked a small audience of about 100, “How many of you are happy with your marketing results?”
Not a soul raised their hand.
Later in the presentation, I asked “How many of you are working from a marketing plan? Please be honest.”
To my shock, not a single person raised their hand.
Do you see a connection here?
It’s not just because your company will benefit from the focus, time and financial savings solid research and planning always brings.
It’s because you often end up with all the right answers—to all the wrong questions.
Without research, strategy and planning, you will never be happy with your marketing.
It’s elementary, my dear marketer.
Do you have a favorite quote you find yourself repeating often within a marketing context? I’d love to hear it.
Please comment below to share.
I totally agree with you.
I just as frequently encounter the opposite problem, which consists of execs and entrepreneurs who only do research and never act on any of it. I wrote about this in my article “Freeze: “Paralysis by Analysis” and other Joys of Marketing Research.” (http://coolrulespronto.wordpress.com/2008/05/10/research/)