Being Nimble.

Building a brand these days means you need to stop on a dime, pivot, and dart another direction. Quickly.

Clarity of vision has given way to “must thrive in ambiguity.”

You’re living in a world where zeros are being thrown around like crazy. There’s Groupon, which spurned a reported $5 Billion buyout offer from Google to stay independent.

And there are those marketers who will tell you that they’re “making six figures” and “on the road to seven figures.”

We bumped into an unknown today who said “join our $200 Million company.” Say what? 100,000 Twitter followers and a random website and you’re a $200 Million company?

Be Nimble.

And it’s more than numbers, it’s messages. You’re being told that the economy blows chow. You’ll call customer service to be given a number to a different department, then call that department and have them give you the first number you called. (Happened yesterday.)

You’ll talk to one company representative who says “we’re in THIS business,” then you’ll see their Facebook page and it’ll be obvious that they’re in “THAT business.”

Be Nimble.

Easier said than done, right? Well, here are a few things that have worked for others, and can help you be nimble – in your business, in your marketing, in your life.

Ask “Why?” There’s a reason for the behavior from the company, from the brand – from the gatekeeper you’re talking to. An open-ended question like “Can I ask why?” can go a long way toward getting at the decision-making process.

Don’t Take “No” For An Answer IF… If you’re not talking to someone who is empowered to make the final decision about whatever it is – don’t take “No.” Be prepared to circumvent the person on the phone. They may not be the gatekeeper anyway.

Pick Up The Phone. Voice mail isn’t our favorite – but it’s a reality. If you can get someone live, even better. Use your phone.

Do we have all the answers here? Heck no. But we’ve kept things moving at this little brand marketing, holistic social media, PR and marcom shop. And we’ve learned a few things about Being Nimble.