In May of 2016 I wrote a blog about fishing, which will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me. Actually, it was more about business lessons from fishing, and more specifically, something called the six Ps: Proper, Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.
I wrote that article during a very special week, the Minnesota fishing opener. Well, this past week was also very special as it was my annual fishing closer on Lake Vermilion. Like all fishing trips, it too provided many adventures, laughs, stories and shore lunches. But it was one event in particular that led me back to this blog.
My less-experienced fishing partner figured he would catch fish regardless of how fast he trolled. Prior to our trip I had suggested he pick up something called a drift sock, which slows a boat down from wind or motor speed. Well there was no drift sock in the boat, and guess what, there were also no fish in the boat.
We decided we would borrow one left behind in a friend’s boathouse, and after tying it off to our boat – and slowing our speed – guess what, the walleyes started biting! One after another until we had a limit and we headed to the frying pan.
Gotta be prepared.
This well-intended fisherman knew he wasn’t prepared, and standing around during the shore lunch I told him about the six Ps.
As the leaves change and the peak of the fall season is upon us, the holiday season will be here before we know it. For many businesses, especially in the retail space, this can be their make or break season. So very much like my fishing buddy, are business owners aware of the six Ps, and they’ve prepared their marketing plans before the craziness of the holiday season hits.
My fisherman buddy said to me, “You’re right, it’s always better to be proactive than reactive.” In our case we lucked out and found a way to catch fish. In the case of your fourth quarter of business and year-end revenues, no business owner wants to leave anything to chance.
So take advantage of the season, and prepare a solid marketing plan in October that can carry you through the holiday season and into 2018. If you do, and you follow the six Ps, you will prevent poor performance and reap the benefits with a strong bottom line!
