The Value of Patience

by Frank L. Williams

Patience is one of the foundational keys to success in public relations, branding, networking, and countless other areas. However, we live in a “show me the quick-fix” world in which nearly everyone wants instant results from processes that naturally take time.

Many years ago, one of my clients decided to purchase some advertising in a niche publication. His wife was upset because he hadn’t received a ton of calls by noon on the first day the ads ran.

Additionally, I’ve talked with numerous people who attended one or two networking events, then threw in the towel and said “networking doesn’t work” because they didn’t land a boatload of sales. They had barely attended enough events to be noticed, much less build trust.

Another client was so impatient to get his website launched that he ignored my advice to complete his marketing plan before having his designer build the site. He ended up with a sharp-looking site that had none of the features it needed. His business is no more.

In the age of digital advertising, many clients want to skip the awareness and consideration phases and jump right into the conversion phase.

Even though we live in an age of microwavable solutions, businesspeople would be wise to exercise patience – particularly when it comes to public relations, marketing, branding, and networking. Trust isn’t built in a day. Establishing brand awareness takes time. Building relationships is a process, not an instantaneous event.

Business success is a marathon, and slow and steady wins the race.