“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

It seems there is some dissension over the origination of this quote, but whether it’s Ben Franklin or Albert Einstein, I think it’s safe to say both men knew a thing or two about the power of change.

Unfortunately somewhere along the way, we’ve let ‘change’ become a dirty word.  Why ‘change’ the status quo when it has always been good enough in the past?  Why push the envelope if ‘change’ takes us out of our comfort zone, and we can’t quite predict where this ‘change’ will take us?

It’s insane – and impossible – to want to grow your customer base, gain market share and position your company as a progressive, forward-thinking business if you’re just maintaining the status quo, never getting uncomfortable in your sales and marketing efforts.

We see social media being scary and unfamiliar territory for many produce companies.  Today, more than ever, we have the opportunity as an industry to engage and communicate directly with consumers. But it’s so new and different that we often don’t know where to begin. 

Well guess what?  More than likely, your competitor has figured out where to begin.  And your competitor is now making groundbreaking decisions about their business that will help them connect and stay in tune with today’s – and tomorrow’s – consumers.

Benjamin Franklin is also attributed with this bit of wisdom:  “All humanity is divided into three classes: those who are immovable, those who are movable, and those who move!”  Will you look up one day and realize that everyone else has moved ahead without you?  What strategic decisions are you making these days that make you uncomfortable?  Chances are, those decisions could be your most rewarding yet.

So what?  Now is the time to get comfortable with change.  Life in general, and specifically business, is in a constant state of change.  Are you adapting along with it, or are you expecting to GROW when your strategies are designed only to MAINTAIN?  Are you “insane?”

Posted by The Analyst (Marci Allen)

Tags: change, Marci Allen, Social Media

Posted Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 6:12 am and is filed under All, Sales & Business Development, Social Media.