One behavior separates my most successful clients from the pack — and this applies to the publicly traded and the startups alike:

Action. My most successful clients simply take more action. They have an action habit. They execute. They think big, plan aggressively, and then they bring it to life. Just 10 percent of the companies that call me are in this category.

The others? They plan too. Then they discuss. Then they analyze. Then they compare. Then they run it by legal. Then they allow legal to influence their marketing, and strip the energy and passion out of it. Then they consider and discuss everything that can go wrong. Then they schedule some focus groups. Then they write it up, and go through several rounds of editing. And by then, weeks if not months have passed. This leads to a near absence of execution.

The others, the 10 percent, they think and analyze too, but they don’t allow it to delay action. Their thinking and analysis happens quickly, crisply, and then they move.

So, what can you execute on tomorrow, at your desk, in 30 minutes or less (a magic number, by the way). What have you been putting off or thinking about that requires doing? Tomorrow, sit down and knock it out. The next day, rinse and repeat.

Build your action habit.

The Evangelist Marketing Minute is a weekly thinking launch point that is always short enough to read in about 60 seconds. It covers marketing, branding, positioning, language, and public relations. Your email address is never shared, with anybody, for any reason.

The Evangelist Marketing Institute is a private strategy and marketing consulting and coaching practice with clients that include Logitech, TiVo, and Sprint, as well as a wide range of startups and mid-market firms.  Details about my work are here.

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