Five Proven Strategies to Get Unstuck and Move Forward
Feeling stuck trying to market yourself or your brand? You're not alone. Here are five proven strategies to regain clarity, momentum, and impact:
1. Build Your Own Board of Education
My Aunt Pearl, a formidable educator, would say whenever someone taught her a fact, or shared a perspective she didn’t know, “Thank you for being my Board of Education.” Growing up, I thought it was a funny phrase, but as an adult I get it. I’m always grateful when someone shares a new insight or challenges my thinking. Whether it’s a mentor, strategist, or consultant, choose someone who knows how to ask the right questions and isn’t afraid to challenge your assumptions. Build a “board of education” made up of trusted professionals with varied experiences and perspectives, ensuring you don't fall into a narrow view of your brand, category, or competition.
2. Revisit Your “Why”
Review any market research studies you can get ahold of, not just the current ones, but also older reports if your product has been on the market for a while. Are the original pain points still relevant? How have they evolved? What new challenges have emerged? Reconnecting with the problems your product was intended to solve is a powerful place to start. This is the "why" your product exists. Evaluate whether these pain points are still relevant or if competitors have entered the category, making your product less novel or relevant.
3. Look at Yourself Through Your Customer’s Eyes
Now, consider what problems you consistently hear from customers. What pain points persist, whether across the category or within your own brand experience? Visit healthcare providers (HCPs) or find opportunities to interact with patients. Talk to your customers who fit your target audience. In my healthcare career, it meant spending time with physicians who see the patient I needed to reach always revealed valuable insights. Are patients struggling to access your product? Is it too complex to use? Are providers frustrated by administrative hurdles? Even if a drug is the most efficacious in the category, physicians will choose another option if patients can't easily obtain or reliably use it. Whether in healthcare, consumer products or non-profits, a chat with customers can point you toward the right priorities to grow your brand.
4. Create White Space for Strategic Thinking
Take something off your plate, even temporarily, and block your calendar. You can’t do big thinking in 10-minute gaps between Zoom calls. Book a day. Turn off notifications. Give your brain room to breathe. In our fast-paced, meeting-overload culture, this is tough. Here's my secret: book a Zoom meeting with yourself. Don’t just label it “thinking time.” Name it something that sounds like a real meeting and include Zoom login details. This way, others are less likely to add another meeting to your schedule. Even better, if you're in the office, leave! Find a quiet spot or book a distant conference room. If you're at home, even better: your calendar shows you’re in a meeting. This is too important to leave to chance. The future of your brand depends on you being clear-headed and in a space where you can do your best thinking.
5. Embrace Progress Over Perfection
You don’t have to launch with the perfect tagline or flawless website. Start with a clear point of view and refine over time. Test and retest where you can, through ad boards, qualitative research, surveys, or quantitative studies. You’ll gain confidence, clarity, and traction by moving, not by waiting for everything to be perfect.
Whether you're a founder, a freelancer, or leading a Fortune 500 brand, the truth is the same: smart people get stuck, and the smartest ones know when to ask for help. If you're ready to turn down the noise and turn up the results, let's talk.