Ravi Speaks:
“Why Certain Important Marketing Strategies Fail At Implementation level?”.
Various theories are put forth by the so-called Gurus of Marketing as far as the failure in the implementation and results of a particular Marketing Decision or Strategy are concerned. Some attribute it to the following main six reasons broadly responsible which are:-
1. Your strategy isn’t meaningful
2. You haven’t properly understood your current situation
3. Failing to engage the right people
4. Allocating insufficient time
5. It’s too far from ‘here’ to ‘there’
6. Failure to follow-up
While as others attribute this failure because of the following five reasons:-
Poor goal setting
Lack of alignment
Inability to track progress
People not connected to the strategy
No measurements or leading indicators.
Many strategy implementations fail because of a lack of monitoring and control. Often, an effective planning and control system is missing. Without timely and accurate management information, it is impossible to assess the progress of the strategy implementation effort.
I partially agree with all the above broadly mentioned reasons for the failure of any strategy or a bigger marketing plan. Out of my four decades of selling experience, I would say in a layperson’s language that till the time we don’t put into the mind of the grassroots-level-implementor- the main knowledge about the strategy or a plan and make him equally enthusiastic as we are, the particular strategy or a plan would not be a success.
It is purely based on my observation that certain important “Marketing-Strategies” are ineffective at the grassroots level for 100% implementation of the same. There are many reasons for the same. The main is the lack of seriousness and not taking cautious steps simultaneously by the marketing authorities in making them effective at the field level. We must not forget the fact that any strategy created or reached the HO level would be successful only when the same was to be implemented with the full involvement of the field force. For that, the field people have got to be taken into the same stride as that of the HO level involvement-may it be at the emotional level or even at the motivational/enthusiastic level. We cannot presume certain things to be correct and go as per the presumption with the same accuracy level as we think.
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| Depiction of Decisions Taken. |
We often see that the new brands which are launched do not reflect the same level of response from the field as we expect. Therefore, there must be some sure and proven reasons for the shortcomings having been committed during our process of the initial launch. One of the prominent things coming in the way has always been the pre-launch training imparted to the select field personnel. Whatever has been taught to them -have they taken the same in the same way and with the same intense involvement? There is something like “Chinese-Whisper”-which has of late become very important even in the conveying of certain messages/news/instructions from the HO and its last take at the field grassroots level. It is mainly because of the interpretations of certain messages or directives by the middle channels like the Tier-1,2,3 Management-levels-sometimes while clarifying the same -missing out on certain important clauses and that gives the twist to the whole message in the wrong way. Naturally, the final interpretation of certain directives/circulars is all that matters.
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| The Massive Impact Of Chinese Whisper. |
Here I have a very simple example of one circular having been sent by the HO sometime back. This circular was the one explaining the Incentive plans for the sales year product-wise. There was a particular amount declared as the incentive amount if one could achieve the annual target for the combination of two products, both in units and in money value. Here again, the stricture attached was even if the unit-wise in both brands was not achieved and value-wise the combined value of their unit-targets was achieved -even then they would be eligible. Now some people took it they had to complete the unit-wise for both the products and then only they would be eligible for the incentive. Whereas there were other sets of people who interpreted it that even if they did not complete the unit-wise targets for both the products-and only the value-wise component was achieved -they would be eligible. There was yet another set of people who interpreted it in another way-saying that they had to achieve both unit-wise and value-wise in both the products and whatever the extra value-wise they would be achieved they would be given the incentive on the extra as well-which was not at all mentioned in the circular. Now, why three different thoughts with a singular circular answer very simple-“The different Tier Management”. It was the managers who rather than explaining one thought-explained the same to a different set of people differently and the net result was this total confusion, in this confusion, some boys who would have achieved the same easily left the contest and they did not pursue it further. The net result at the end of that year’s sales for those two brands did not meet the plans which were forecasted by the marketing people.
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| 4 Levels Of Strategy. |
This talks volumes about the serious dispersion of the correct message to the grassroots levels. I go one step even further in saying that it should be the endeavor of any successful and powerful marketing team and mainly their Head to go even more simple to convey such messages-which might be misinterpreted otherwise and affect the net result. The simpler way would have been coming down to a level of a grassroots field worker and making him understand his caliber and level of picking the things by his immediate manager. This would surely have given an impetus to that grassroots-level person to strive even harder to achieve the same.
The Resultant Effect Of Strategy Implemented.
Some of the most important lessons that we learn in life are taught to us early on. In this game I mentioned above “The Chinese Whisper”- a message is given to the first person in a line of people and then they are instructed to pass the message on by whispering it in the ear of the next person in line. A game in which a message is passed along in whispers, often distorted between the start and finish. The notion of “Chinese whispers” stems from a racist idea in the 1800s that Chinese people spoke in a deliberately unintelligible way. How much it befits the above examples given in a larger perspective of things-one can very well visualize.
The Literal Game Of Chinese Whisper.
Effect Of Chinese Whisper On Corporate Body.
Finally, something very important to follow. This is the crux of my long experience of being at different levels of Managerial Hierarchy. Let us, as managers at any level, avoid playing mind tricks and confusing people. We do these naturally as human beings with the ones who are not at our level or caliber. Maybe we are always in search of showing our supremacy involuntarily over our sub-ordinates-which is highly an immature act and one must shun it off at the earliest. The following sentences reflect what I want to express always be avoiding: –
1. If you want to make someone believe a false story, repeat it three times separately, trying to authenticate the truth in it.
2. When you’re arguing with someone, try being calmer than them and making them even more impatient.
3. And finally, if you want to prove your supremacy, try to boast high about your achievements, inducing inferiority levels in the listener.
Positive Impact Of Simple And Uniform Message Conveying.
Resultant Formation Of A Successful Corporate Move.
All said and done-whether it was at the level of the marketing desk in the HO or the hierarchical levels of managers managing the field force-any lapse may it be as a casual interpretation of the messages, the non-serious attitudinal approach the organization has got to be vigilant not to allow such an infection to spread. A vibrant and positive motivational atmosphere not only at the field level but at all levels is an essential need of the hour for the organizations to grow at a real pace.
In the end, one very important point to be borne in mind-Keep your plan to as simple as you can. So that it is picked up threadbare at all the levels of the hierarchy in implementation. Whether it is the marketing Strategy, Marketing structure, shared goals or values, systems, and processes, or above all the resources-we must keep always one thing as the paramount and essential thing and that is to keep it down to the level of the grassroots implementor and ensure that he is equally serious and enthusiastic about the implementation as we are, at the creative side in the hierarchy.
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