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I recently attended an awards luncheon during which I asked the person next to me what her company does. ” When people outside of our industry ask me what we do, I usually tell them we produce high-quality junk mail that helps political candidates win elections. For those inside the industry, I explain that we produce direct mail that has successfully elected dozens of people to public office. Clarity is the key to a successful marketing campaign. Once you have refined your marketing message, the next step is to determine the best form of marketing that reaches the best mix of people who will buy your product.

When the balance is off, the results will be off, too. ” There is no such thing as being undercapitalized. The reality is they overspent. ” We are speaking in financial terms, but being “undercapitalized” is a not only a problem of dollars. The goal must fit the resources and the vision. The fitness level must equal the challenge for success to happen. Vision and resources are types of capital, too. The creative leader will know what is within reach of his team and stretch them to that goal. If the goal is out of sight, the leader has failed.

This man was vice president of a large steel mill, where his position gave him prestige and was a source of great personal pride. Not wanting to lose any of his community standing, he made sure his lifestyle was maintained in the creation of his business. The result was a company where, instead of paying the employees, all income was used for his personal assistant, a country club membership, designer office furniture, and a Lexus payment. These things are all fine, but a company should consider them all luxuries to be pursued as the reward of success.