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When it comes to knowledge about marketing, there are two sides to the proverbial coin…
On the one hand, if – in the knowledge you hold, however little – you have a formula that works for your business, then it’s great (for as long as it works, anyway. The internet is always evolving).
On the other hand, there is a very old expression (not just relating to marketing) which says:
“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.”
When it comes to marketing your small business…
What you know can help you and keep you going.
But what you DON’T know can be one giant bottomless pit, waiting for you to step into the trap of thinking you know enough, when you don’t.
The four steps to becoming competent at anything (not just about marketing):
- Unconscious incompetence.
- Conscious incompetence.
- Conscious competence.
- Unconscious competence.
Let’s get into more detail on each step:
1. Unconscious incompetence.
You don’t know, and you don’t know that you don’t know. For small business owners, this stage can be lethal. Larger businesses often outsource their marketing, or at least bring in marketing consultants from time to time to see how they can improve.
But when you are small, and you don’t have the budget for it…
You go and do some reading, find a few interesting facts in a few articles, and you can’t see what all the fuss is about. It’s relatively simple, right?
Yes, it is. Just like you can clearly see the tip of the iceberg sticking out from the water. You know, the one which is 90% submerged.
The bottom line is this: In marketing, there is a LOT you can learn. Would universities be offering various courses, and awarding degrees at all levels, if there wasn’t?
And yes, you may be forgiven for thinking that, because your business is small, marketing would be simple…
Maybe, or maybe not.
Depending on your business and the market you serve, you may lack the knowledge of just ONE tactic or technique you need to succeed in your current market and economic environment…
But if you don’t know what it is, how will you ever be able to implement the changes you need to make to survive? If you are in denial about the problem, why would you go looking for a solution?
Most businesses fail because their owners are stuck in this phase of learning – either about marketing, or operating their business, or both. They spend loads of money on marketing, and they simply fail to comprehend why nothing works, or why it doesn’t work well enough to be profitable.
2. Conscious incompetence.
Once you reach this stage, you are on the road to economic survival: You become aware of the fact that there is much you do not know, and you start to become aware of specific things you need to know, but don’t.
This is a crucial phase for any business, because it usually means the difference between surviving or going out of business.
Once you move on past the stage of – let’s call it arrogant ignorance for now – unconscious incompetence, you can actually do something about the problem.
Sadly, for most owners of new businesses, this occurs at a time when they are no longer able to do anything about it. They have run out of money and/or credit, so they cannot pay for a consultant or marketing agency to help them. Also, because of the trajectory of the business, they do not have any time left for self-education, and figuring everything out on their own.
As such, the survival of many small businesses hinge on how soon they move from being unconsciously incompetent to being consciously incompetent.
Tragically, many never figure it out at all – hence the fact that so many new businesses fail. Note that the unconscious incompetence doesn’t only relate to marketing, but also to operational issues like managing cash flow, hiring and managing employees, and failing to prepare properly (no business plan, no market research, not enough running capital, etc.).
3. Conscious competence.
During this stage, you have accumulated enough knowledge to get the job done, but you have to pay very close attention to what you do. You know what needs to be done to run and market your small business, but you still have to be aware of everything you do, and literally monitor yourself to ensure you get it right.
By this time, however, you are hopefully also on a trajectory of continuous learning, which ensures that you will probably be better equipped with any future changes in your market and industry.
4. Unconscious competence.
There was a time when you had to learn how to drive a car. You had to learn how to write. You had to learn how to tie your shoes. Today, you probably do all of those without even thinking about it.
That happens because you have repeated the activity so many times that it has become second nature.
This is where you want to head when it comes to running your business and your marketing campaigns. Yes, it is likely to require plenty of learning, some of it ongoing.
But if you work at it, there will come a time when you will instinctively know what to do in your business, and how to adapt to any changes in the market, industry or consumer behavior, in any given situation.
In conclusion
There is one terrifying aspect of all of this that most small business owners ignore:
Since the world, and especially the internet is continuously evolving, circumstances beyond your control could set your learning curve back. You may be consciously competent for a while, and then things stop working.
Once again, you are back to conscious incompetence, and you need help to get things working again.
If, at that point in time, you fail to acknowledge that you need help, you will in fact slip back into unconscious incompetence, and set your business on a trajectory towards failure.
If, on the other hand, you have taken the time to learn and grow your skill set, you will find that you become more and more successful, even if your business (or you) has to pivot at some point in time – towards more profitable business activities.
The bottom line is this:
When it comes to marketing your business, ask yourself this: Is what you are doing right now, working as well as expected? If not, ask someone who knows. Your future self will thank you one day.