Bonita L. Richter

Marketing - Secrets Of The Marketing Flywheel

Do you ever feel that it is taking forever for you to see the results of your marketing efforts?  You are not alone. This phenomenon can be compared to something called the "Flywheel Effect".

The Flywheel Effect is a term coined by Jim Collins, author of the best-selling book, Good to Great.  In this book, he analyzed companies in the U.S. over a forty-year period to find out what made them outstanding in their industries. One of the traits they had in common was sustained focus - being able to stick with an activity or direction until they achieved the goal or desired outcome.

In his flywheel analogy, he describes a massive metal disk. It is 100 feet in diameter, 10 feet thick, and weighs 25 tons. Wow! Think of that flywheel as being your company. Your job is to get that flywheel to move as fast as possible, because momentum is what will generate superior economic results over time.

Right now, that flywheel is at a standstill. To get it moving, you must make a tremendous effort. You push with all of your strength and might, and finally, you get the flywheel to inch forward.

After one week of sustained effort, you get the flywheel to complete one entire turn. You keep pushing, and the flywheel begins to move a little bit faster. It takes a lot of work, but at last, the flywheel makes a second rotation.

You keep pushing steadily.  It makes three, four, five, and finally six turns. With each turn, it moves faster, and then -- at some point, you "break through" the invisible barrier that seemed to be holding you back.  The momentum of the heavy wheel makes it spin faster and faster, its own weight propelling it. You are not pushing any harder, but the flywheel is accelerating, its momentum building, and speed increasing.

This analogy describes the effort that must be put in to marketing activities before results are noticed. It takes effort, sustained focus, and patience. Many people give up before they even get the flywheel moving.

Keep pushing on that flywheel. Don't give up. With the right mix of marketing activities effort, and professional guidance, you'll get your flywheel moving and begin to see results!

Copyright 2008 Bonita L. Richter and Profit Strategies.

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