Reach And Repetition

My message today is about an old time-honored advertising formula which can help anyone involved in management or executive life. Simply stated, the formula is, "Reach is nothing without repetition and repetition is nothing without reach." What this idea means is that in order for anything to happen, you must first reach those people who are in the best position to do what you want done. Then you must deliver a consistent message with repetition.

Think about it. If you saw an advertisement only once for a product in which you had an interest and you did nothing, you would probably forget about it. But if you continued to see advertisements promoting the product, you would be motivated to action. This is reach and repetition at work, and they are the reason why television and radio commercials and print advertisements are so effective.

The same marketing magic can work in your company. For example, if you are attempting to reach middle management with your message, don't communicate with their bosses, communicate with them directly. Reach them again and again until they are motivated to action.

Using reach and repetition in the office will guarantee less confusion among employees and fewer communication problems that lead to finger pointing.

If your company is like most, it's time to stop the confusion about why things aren't working the way they should. The answer is in plain sight. It's staring you right in the face. Communicate with, or reach, the right people, then do it again and again util the problem is fixed or the opportunity is seized.

Reach and repetition. One is useless without the other, but together they represent one of our most powerful and often misunderstood management tools. If you doubt the validity of this idea, just open your kitchen cabnets and see how much reach and repetition have influenced your own buying decisions. Then put this information to work immediately.