Traction is an interesting concept

As defined by Webster’s Dictionary:

traction |ˈtrak sh ən|
noun
1 the action of drawing or pulling a thing over a surface, esp. a road or track : a primitive vehicle used in animal traction.

• motive power provided for such movement, esp. on a railroad : the changeover to diesel and electric traction.
• locomotives collectively.
2 Medicine the application of a sustained pull on a limb or muscle, esp. in order to maintain the position of a fractured bone or to correct a deformity : his leg is in traction.
3 the grip of a tire on a road or a wheel on a rail : his car hit a patch of ice and lost traction.

The word itself contains the word action. Action alone may not produce traction.The right actions will give you traction.

Picture yourself on a slippery highway rain is coming down in fact it may be cold enough that there is ice as well as rain on the road. If your tires don’t have enough tread hydroplane. When your tires are in good shape plenty of rubber and all of the gripping action that comes from plenty of tread you will have traction as you drive across the road. In the fall of 1986, I was driving the Oakville grade on my way to work. Those familiar with this road know it is particularly steep and narrow, and starts high over the Napa Valley.

It was September and we had a light rain the first of the season. This road was part of my daily commute from Sonoma to my job at the Robert Mondavi winery in Oakville. I was quite familiar with the road. The factor I was not familiar with was the oil and debris that had accumulated on the road that made the surface slick from the first rain. I just started my descent from the top of the grade into the Napa Valley. I was startled when I saw a large logging truck coming from the other direction. Reflexively I tapped my brakes and that’s when everything changed. My car lost traction and I started spinning. As soon as I realized what was happening I took my foot off the gas pedal my hands off the wheel and let the car travel on its own. In those few moments of sheer terror as they waited for the car to stop moving I realized just how important it is to be sure my car tires are up to the task of driving under any conditions.

Fortunately for me just the evening before I was watching a program on what to do if you ever are in a spin out in your car. The safety experts recommended the actions I took the very next day. They said if you are in a spin the best action to take is take your foot off the gas keep it off the brake and take your hands off the wheel. Many drivers try to over correct for this span and consequently they lock up the drive train of the car. My actions resulted in my car stopping safely on the other side of the road which happens to be at the edge of a very steep mountainside. I was able to walk away from the accident with a few bruises and scrapes but I was able to walk away. Had I tried to steer the car once it started spinning it is very likely I would have ended up a at the bottom of the mountain.

Your marketing activities may resemble an out-of-control spin. One moment everything is fine and the next finds you in danger. If you assume you have control over the situation when in fact tools enter vehicle are in poor repair and have put you into danger. Granted it’s not likely that you’ll find yourself in mortal danger as I did, but he could be risking the health and success of your business when you lack useful systems and the proper tools to give you traction in your marketing actions.

The five things that will give you traction in your marketing

One: a written plan

Two: schedule time for marketing

Three: measure your results

Four: follow-up consistently with the people you meet

Five: do something positive everyday

Sounds simple doesn’t it? Want to know a secret–it is. What happens to most of us is that we get busy doing and delivering services and we forget the importance of making a plan, a scheduling time to execute the plan, measuring our results, and while we may be busy networking how many of us consistently follow up with the people we met so our investment in networking returns dividends. The last piece, do something positive every day, is there to remind us what we think influences what we do.

Keep yourself from a marketing spin out by incorporating these five simple practices. You will be pleasantly surprised at your results when you start with a plan, purposefully take time to focus on marketing, you measure your results, and grow relationships by following up with people you meet, and every day you put your mind in a positive space and take positive action. Do this, and you are sure to gain traction from your purposeful actions.

 

The lure of Amazon often trumps going to your local bookstore. Buying shoes from Zappos can sometimes be easier than purchasing the same items from the shoe store in your town. But, wait, something is missing. The personal touch of your relationship with your neighbors and the people in your community.

When we buy locally it is a vote of confidence in the community. When money stays and circulates with in your local economy, that money circulates many times over and tends to remain among your friends and family. When we send our money overseas, the benefit goes to anonymous companies while our local businesses go wanting. Helping to stimulate local businesses raises the stakes of your investment in a place where you live.

The first 10 years I lived in Sonoma I commuted to work in San Francisco, Napa, and Petaluma. As a commuter, I got the dark, went to work in the dark, and most often, I came home in the dark. My waking hours were spent away from home as were my dollars. Most of my income went outside the community where I live. When I began to work where I live I began to send money more regularly to in the community. One day I realized I was also connecting to people in town. It felt good to exchange money with people I know. It was at that time I finally felt like I was once again part of the economy and the vitality of the place I call home.

With the prevalence and the ease with which all of us can purchase with the click of a mouse, a local businesses need to pay attention to what brings customers in the door. Knowledge and trust are a factor in my buying decisions. Relationships, history, personal care, a sense of belonging, mutual respect, connection, all of these factors play a part in my decision to spend money where I live.

I find mega malls and cookie-cutter shopping experiences boring. I look for unique, one-of-a-kind, special items and shops. I enjoy finding out the stories behind unusual products. When I travel, I want to experience the ambience of the place rather than looking for the same things I can find anywhere. When I’m at home I want to find the special things that make the Valley of the Moon one of the top places to visit and to live.

Just as the locavore movement in food has taken hold, I am an advocate of buying local business services, clothing, whatever I need if it is available locally, I will try that option first before going far afield. But, many times local businesses are unaware that they are making it hard to buy from them. They make price their goods and services higher without providing premium service or connection. Those local businesses that get it right are involved, aware and engaged with those they serve.

Some of my friends created a network of local businesses, business owners, independent contractors, and people who live inside of Sonoma Valley. The group they created is a combination of online and face-to-face interaction. They initially started the group to fill a need they had and a desire to find talent within the geographical radius of Sonoma Valley. Because they created WiredSonoma, new businesses have started, people found people to populate their businesses, and individuals in the community are more connected to each other.

Before you consider outsourcing hitting the button and making a purchase online, or sending the work you have overseas or outside of your community, take time to explore whether it is possible to find what you need in your own backyard. You may be surprised that just what you need is a close as your next-door neighbor.

When you are in need of a friend to comfort you in times of trouble or when you want to celebrate a success, will that anonymous online presence answer your call at 3 am? Will they be there to help you move into your new house or say a prayer when someone you love is hurt? Get to know your neighbors. And make a difference.

This is a photo of my friends, Randy and Deb Myers. He is wearing a hat I brought back from a fabulous hat store in New Orleans, Meyers Hats. Myers Hats is a family owned business, with five generations of Meyers on board. I was thinking of Randy on our vacation in New Orleans. When we saw the name of the store, we had to go in and they helped us find just the right hat and fit for our friend. We were delighted to bring bag this piece of the Crescent City in the form of a hat for Randy.

Randy is battling cancer. Both he and Deb have given to those they know and now it is time to give back.If you live in Sonoma County, come and help support my dear friends, Randy and Deborah Myers at the Create Ease Benefit, October 24, 2010. If you can’t come in person, you can make a donation at www.AstateofEase.com