Figuring it out

Have you ever been in a situation where your business needs to do something, say, AdWords for example, and you try to 'figure it out' yourselves? 

I'm all for DIY, don't get me wrong! Part of the Five by Five ethos is to put in place plans that clients can manage themselves. But what I do not do, is suggest strategies or tactics and leave them to 'figure it out' themselves. 

Figuring out how a process, platform or application works is one of the biggest time wasters in a business. Obviously because it actually takes valuable time, but also because once it's figured out, are you really better off? Did the thing you got working or more commonly, 'kinda working', really get you closer to your goal? Or did it just end up costing and never fully hit its stride?

In 'figuring it out', did you learn why to do things a certain way? Did you learn quirks, limitations and implications? Did you learn how to recognise failure, understand what success looks like and gain confidence in your skills?

I'd suggest not. And without more than a superficial understanding of the thing you are trying to do or use, your business cannot reap maximum reward.

So, don't figure it out! It takes too long and, unless you are supremely lucky in the person you lumbered with the figuring, doesn't result in quality output. 

Instead, invest in upskilling your staff. Utilise courses, seminars and conferences (honestly, one day at a course is so much cheaper than a week of googling what to do next). Or for a more bespoke result, approach experts or consultants and ask if they'll conduct an in-house seminar or workshop for you. Not only will you have a better quality end result, your staff will feel invested in rather than put upon (massive) AND will have a support network of other attendees and the speaker/instructor to help then through to delivery (way better than Google).

Five by Five can offer upskilling sessions in areas such as Adwords, Google Analytics, Planning and Strategy, Content marketing, Social Media and Insights, and can help you find experts in other areas too.