It Takes Practice!

I am an amateur.  So there it is – I said it.  Oh, I know a lot of things, sometimes a little about a lot of things, but it takes something much different to be a professional. Look around; think about the football, baseball, soccer players, golfers, and others you watch on television or at sporting events.  Think about what it took for them to become “professionals”.  Think about the talent they possess and the sacrifices they’ve made …now think about all the practicing they have done.  No really, think about ALL the practicing.  Your mom or dad probably used to say “practice makes perfect”!  I don’t know if I buy into that statement.  Can we ever be perfect?  Do you really want to be “perfect”?  Maybe we should change the saying to “practice makes professional”…but I digress.  A couple weeks ago I had a realization.  I admitted to myself that, even though I was good and great at many things, I was still an amateur in so many other ways.

Wading out of the Black River (in eastern Arizona) with empty hands, once again, will make you think about a lot of things.  Could I have used a different fly?  Are the fish just not biting? Is it too cold? Do I really know what I am doing? Wait a minute!  What did I just say?  “Do I really know what I am doing?”  Well, of course I do!   But the one question that stuck in my mind, “am I having fun doing it?”  The answer…YOU BET!  For me, standing in the middle of a flowing stream is heavenly!  It’s the time for me to do more than fish; it’s time to reflect, to think about life, to take in nature.  So what the hell does this have to do with being a professional?  That’s just it; I don’t always want to be a professional.  In this case, I am having more fun being an amateur!  All the technicalities of fly fishing aside, I simply enjoy the feeling of being there (and the occasional 15” brownie on my line)!

After my last fishing trip, I returned to the office and, naturally started to think about business; specifically marketing. It is true that I have knowledge and skills in many areas of marketing.  It is true that I am a professional.  But I am also an amateur, constantly learning and practicing new techniques.  And you know what?  I am enjoying it, I like the learning process, I love the trial and error and I cherish the failure (failure is more often a better teacher than success).  It is truly my passion in life.  It could be something as simple as watching a commercial, wondering how others are affected by it, thinking about the process that it took to develop the message and create the 2 minute spot.  Or it could be as complex as this game show, developed by Marketo that brilliantly engages people.  The medium doesn’t matter, I simply love marketing.  And that’s where I draw the parallel.

You know, marketing is a lot like fishing; specifically, fly fishing.  You have to read the stream (the place where your prospects or clients live, work and play), you have to select the right fly (the message and/or offer), you have to “place” that fly (without scaring the fish away), and you have to know when a strike has occurred (no matter how subtle).  It’s a constant learning process, because the stream is always changing and there are others factors, like weather and time of day (the economy), which can have an effect on your success.  It takes constant practice and it is often ends in failure.  But, for me, it is my passion.  So, I stay in the stream, and continue to throw my line and look for that next opportunity.

What is your passion?  Is it fly fishing, marketing, sales, woodworking, accounting, golf or something else; it should only really matter to you. No matter what it is, I encourage you to stay with it.  Don’t hang up your waders.  Get back in that stream, even when your line is coming up empty and the air is getting colder; find your way. Continue to practice, even after you think you’ve mastered a skill; it’s part of the journey to becoming a professional.  And while you’re on your way, I have a little advice (some insight, if you will) – have fun, and don’t be afraid to just be an amateur!