Business Marketing Rules To Fly By

One of my friends sent me something a while ago called Rules Of The Air, from the Australian Aviation Magazine.

As it was funny and relevant, I sent it to my ex-partner Glenmore, who was ejected from the RAF when young for doing something dangerous in a fighter jet over the main freeway from London to the North of England.

Then I noticed how many of the rules in the article apply to marketing (or any other business, come to think of it).

Take a few precautions

Let’s start with rule one, which is: “Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory.”

In other words, you’re not forced to try that brilliant new idea you just had, but if you insist, make sure you do it right.

Much the same thought emerges from rule three: “Flying isn’t dangerous. Crashing is what’s dangerous.”

Most people are so keen to make money they forget to give a little thought to ensuring they don’t lose it. Hope for the best – but plan for the worst.

I like rule nine, which suggests a little study – so rare in our industry: “Learn from the mistakes of others. You won’t live long enough to make all of them yourself.”

A similar thought underlies rule 16: “You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck.”

Rule number 12:  “Never let an aircraft take you somewhere your brain didn’t get to five minutes earlier” – endorses planning.

And rule 13 suggests a healthy degree of caution: “Stay out of clouds. The silver lining everyone keeps talking about might be another airplane going in the opposite direction. Reliable sources also report that mountains have been known to hide out in clouds.”

You’ll make mistakes: profit from them

The last point is a bit like rule 20, which I always thought was said by Walter Wriston, former CEO of Citibank:

“Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, the experience usually comes from bad judgment.”

© 2010 Drayton Bird