Efficient vs. Effective – Pink Flamingos and Social Media #iamproductive

The other day I was talking with someone about streamlining their workflow. We spoke about “social media” and how they felt overwhelmed by feeling they had to be present in facebook, in twitter, in … well any other new social media platform that exists out there in the world. My advice to her was to be efficient and effective in her time and money. To get the main points across, here’s what I told her:

Think about your business like a wedding.  (Stop laughing, I’m serious.)

Most people know where weddings are concerned you can have anything you want.  

A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G.  

Dyed pink bunny rabbits hopping down the aisle? You got it. Pink plastic flamingos as giveaways? They come in 6″, 12″ or 36″ tall.  Invitations and communications via 3D DVD hand delivered by scantily clad men and women? Coming right up!

Your business is EXACTLY the same. Mostly. 

You can have anything you want and do anything you want. When you do everything, though, you get completely drained. You cannot be everything to everyone. Kind of like trying to please everyone (Mom, Dad, Aunt Hilda) at your wedding, it’s just not possible. To get yourself the time and money you want in your business, everything you do has to answer “yes” to the questions, “Is this efficient for me? Is this effective for my business goals?”  

Getting over the speed bumps to efficiency and effectiveness is easy.

Yes, it’s your business. You can do anything you want.

Efficiency/Effectiveness Speed bump #1 – If you’re not clear on what you love to do and why, no one will come to your party. Mixed signals will keep them away. Embrace the dyed pink bunnies if that’s your thing. Be clear and consistent. The more clear you are with what you want, the more efficient and effective you can be in getting it.

Get over the bump: Figure out what you want. 

Efficiency/Effectiveness Speed bump #2 - Yes, you may feel like you ‘have” to invite Aunt Hilda to your wedding. In your business, you don’t. You get to choose who you want at your party. Yes, others will be attracted to your stuff. The more clear you are with who you talk to, the more efficient you’ll be in your business because you only have to talk to that one audience and you can tailor your conversations to their specific needs.  

Get over the bump: Figure out who you’re talking to.

Efficiency/Effectiveness Speed bump #3 – Kind of like sending a 3D DVD wedding invitation to 90 year old Aunt Hilda is useless because she doesn’t own DVD player, you have to provide information to your customer and prospects about your services/products in the manner in which they need to hear and see it.  If your prospects aren’t on Facebook, spending 8 hours a day there is inefficient and ineffective. Invest a small amount of money and time in a small presence for the small percent who are there and then spend your time where the customers really are.

Get over the bump: Figure out where your customers/prospects are and how they want to be engaged.

Like I said to my friend, overwhelm comes when you’re trying to be everything to everyone. To be efficient and effective, keep your personal goals and your customers/prospects needs in mind when making decisions about where you invest your time and money. The latest marketing medium may or may not be a fit. When you’re clear, you make better decisions, have more time and business is easier.

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Jessica Chapman Clark is the founder of Room to Breathe where she helps busy entrepreneurs set up personalized workflow systems so they, and their staff, spend time making more money.  Connect with Jessica on Twitter @Room2BreatheOrg or on facebook.com/RoomToBreatheOrganizing