As a kid I loved the story of the tortoise and the hare. One day the tortoise and the hare line up for a race. The hare with its speed seemed destined for victory. But the tortoise pulled off a surprising win.

While he was clearly outclassed in speed the tortoise focused on the finish line. Steady and plodding he made consistent motion forward. In contrast the speedy rabbit burst forward, then paused and started again. His mad dash at the end just wasn't enough to win the day.

I often think of this fable when I talk to business owners who are frustrated by the lack of results in their marketing. It's usually because they're approaching marketing like the hare. They get excited about a marketing idea and dive in with great energy and enthusiasm. Of course, they are expecting immediate results.

When the results don't come they get distracted by the next great idea. They lose interest or simply forget. But good marketing rarely provides instant results.

Sure it would be great if the first time you ran an ad or sent out a newsletter people flocked to your door. But that's not how marketing works.

Every day people are presented with hundreds and maybe even thousands of advertising messages. As the human brain tries to make sense of this barrage of data people subconsciously give preference to things they're familiar with so your information and marketing may not make an impression the first time.

Eventually it becomes familiar and your message breaks through. So if you want to win the race for marketing success take a lesson from the tortoise. Keep focused keep moving forward and I'll see you at the finish line