This month I wanted to take a minute to discuss the importance of adhering to a schedule. This may seem like a strange choice for the column, but I assure you it is entirely relevant. Starting when we are in grade school we learn that deadlines are meant to be made, however, somewhere between the transition from adolescence to adulthood we discover that deadlines are not always steadfast.

How many times have we begged and pleaded to have just an extra five minutes? And how often have we pleaded with a publishing agent to allow us a day or two extension (which inevitably turns into three days)? For those of you reading this column, I’m sure you are nodding your head and remembering all of the times that you have been guilty of pushing a previously set-in-stone deadline.

As a writer and marketing consultant, I often struggle with telling CEOs that, “no, we cannot push the article another day.” Saying “no” to someone who writes the check that pays your monthly rent is never easy. But when it comes to marketing, it is often a necessity. And so, here are a few choice words that I would like to say to all of the bosses out there, who make the little guy suffer because they want a few extra moments on a steadfast deadline.

1. 5pm on Friday does not mean 8am on Monday.
2. When a deadline is set, you are at the liberty of the vendor to accept late changes.
3. In marketing we are all cogs in a much bigger wheel. As such, being late on one deadline is the equivalent of trying to drive a cart with three wheels… it just doesn’t work.
4. Deadlines are not arbitrary.
5. You wouldn’t be late to your own wedding, so why are you late on every single deadline?

The moral of the story is simple. If you want to have impactful marketing, then you must realize that meeting deadlines is a quintessential factor to success. Pushing a deadline so far as to be missed means missing out on a marketing opportunity that could have been quite lucrative. I say, “could have been” because the sad truth is, if you miss a deadline you will never know what the positive outcome could have been.

And so dear reader, please avoid being the Rabbit from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, it is never good to have your mantra be, “I’m late, I’m late for a very important date. No time to say hello, goodbye, I’m late, I’m late, I’m late.”

Written by: Laura Parker
Laura Parker is a full-time freelance writer and marketing guru. For more marketing tips or consultation advice please contact her at laura@laurapparker.com.
www.laurapparker.com