Practice patience…a little goes a long way!
One of the hardest things to do both personally and professionally is to be patient. To hold the line before sprinting off. To wait. You may have been in situations where you felt that if you didn’t immediately react you would miss out on a big opportunity and be left with the feeling that your life/business would never be the same. But really, when has that ever been the case?
There are times when rushing to do something is important: catching a plane, taking the turkey out of the oven, etc., but communicating to your stakeholders, clients, or audience should never be rushed. Even in a major catastrophe your message should be thought out, edited, and re-edited before it goes live.
Today, being accurate, clear, and appropriate (relevant) will always trump a reactionary response. The chances of something awful happening simply by waiting a few minutes to send a message are slim, and it sure beats posting something that hasn’t been verified. So how do you control yourself and not rush to get a message posted? How do you find the willpower to wait it out before sending an email?
Here are three simple tips to help you when your fingers have a mind of their own!
- Stop and assess the situation.
Maybe you’ve been trolling your competition on social media, and they are all over it. Your competitive nature wants to immediately get in on the action, jump in and make your presence known. While this jolt of energy is great for garnering momentum you need to harness it, so you don’t wind up with collateral damage that will need to be repaired. When you have been absent on social media, and feel like you need some exposure, get your marketing plan out and see what you have planned. If you have messaging tactics already scheduled, then get at them! More importantly if you had something planned why hasn’t it been executed? Your marketing plan is a living breathing document. You need to feed it and give it air for it to thrive! If you had nothing planned determine if competing in the online noise is beneficial. Will your post be “too little, too late?” Will it seem like an insincere tacit? If you determine that you must get in on the action devise a strategy that “appears” well thought out. Perhaps you can create a “sales special” to promote something in your product line, or there is something fun you can get behind. A Google search can quickly tell you what National Day it is maybe you can ride those coattails and create something fun. If there is nothing that aligns with your goals or message…move on. Moving on is a good lesson in learning patience!
- Develop a clear, concise, and accurate message
You have heard me say this when it comes to knowing your brand and understanding your value, and it bears repeating because it is critical. No one wants to receive/read/hear a message that isn’t factual. In the haste to craft something and get it posted you may omit important facts, which can lead to grave misunderstandings. If your business has a problem: a recall, a closing, a natural disaster, and you need to relay an important message to stakeholders, fact check the details! If writing is not your strong suit, ask for help. Your message must be easy to understand and 100 % truthful. You are better off delivering bad news that can’t be misinterpreted than a convoluted message that requires further explanation. - Enlist a second pair of eyes
What can go wrong with posting a few sentences on Instagram? Plenty! First, there are some social media platforms that don’t give you the opportunity to edit once the post is live. In your zest to get something posted it’s easy to have a typo or grammatical error. It happens to everyone. But if you can get another set of eyes to review your work before going live, you have a better chance of not having to retract yourself. If you don’t have another set of eyes, step away from the text for 10 minutes and then come back to it. Only until you have reviewed the copy several times should you put it out there.
I realize these tips aren’t new to you, but sometimes a little reminder of the simple things is all you need to help create a new habit or put something into practice. My hope is that the next time you have an urgent need to post a message on your social media platforms or send an important communication out through email that you will access one of these tips. Until then, when you feel like you can’t sit on your hands any longer, here’s is Greek proverb we should all live by: “One minute of patience, ten years of peace.” Enjoy some peace, friends!
