Ideas vs. Execution

Transcription

All right, so what’s more important, the idea or the execution?

This is a debate that has gone on for as long as I can remember. It’s probably going to continue going on until the end of time. I want to show my perspective on this because it will make you think a little bit differently about the whole topic of ideas versus execution.

 

The two sides to the debate and what they mean

Depending on who you speak to, some people believe that execution is the most important thing because ideas are great but if you don’t act on them they never work. I agree with that, but I want to give you another way to look at it.

In 2018, in today’s day and age, execution has become commoditized. That means you can have anybody, or even technology, implement the stuff you think about and create. For whatever it is you want done, you can hire a freelancer, team members, or employees do things on your behalf. With that understanding, we have this system, this funnel, that is built out and executed flawlessly.

Everything is working as it should, and the leaks have been stopped. If that’s the case, then what’s going to make a flawlessly executed idea better? Nothing more than a better idea.

 

Why some people succeed and others don’t when using the same process

For instance, I’ll give you two examples. Look at product launch formula. A lot of people have run product launches for years. You’ve got free videos and the open cart sales video, so why is it that some people hit it out of the park and others don’t?

Why is it that with sales copy some people have an offer that does well and other people don’t? Even in our own business we have what we call a Perfect Client Pipeline. Why is it that some people hit it out of the park very quickly while other people take a little bit more time and don’t see the same types of results or conversions that other people do?

It doesn’t matter what you’re looking at; any type of strategy or blueprint is going to yield that type of dichotomy.

I’ll use the example of our Perfect Client Pipeline. We’ve got a four step process that runs our entire business; it’s what we help our clients deploy. We have cold traffic –Facebook ads in our case – leading to a webinar, to an application, to an initial call which is a strategy or consultative call, so four steps.

Let’s say you have all this built in. You’ve got the Facebook ad running and you’ve got your webinar. It’s implemented, it’s executed, it’s perfect. Now you’re buying your Facebook ads and suddenly you notice that, although you’ve got everything set up and it’s been implemented, the results are not there yet. You spent a couple hundred dollars in ad spend or a couple thousand dollars, and you’re not seeing the results you want.

Why is it that happening?

 

Why it always comes down to the big idea

You see, it’s not an execution problem, it’s an idea problem. This is what I want you to understand. I’ve been in business for 13 years and every single time I see something that hits it out of the park, whether it’s in my own business or someone else’s, it always come down to the big idea. The big idea is essentially the core of what it is you’re offering. It’s the core of your whole thing.

If someone’s running a product launch, there’s got to be an idea there that’s new, that’s novel, that’s contrary, and that’s different than what people have seen before. If it’s not, the human brain has a good radar for boredom. “Oh, I’ve seen this before, I know this.” Our brain is wired for novelty, that’s why cars keep coming out with new versions every two to three years of the same model. We love novelty and if you have an idea that is mediocre you’re going to get mediocre results.

If you’ve got an amazing idea you’re going to have exponentially better results assuming the execution is built out properly.

You can’t squeeze more out of the execution if the execution is done flawlessly. You can’t over execute a Facebook ad; it’s set up, you press submit, and it’s done, so what’s different between one Facebook ad and another? It’s the idea in the messaging.

It’s the idea behind, “What is the best image here?” Once that’s been crafted and the message has been crafted, the execution of a Facebook ad is simply copy, paste it into the description window, put the title in there, hit submit.

 

Delegating the execution process and using your brain for something else

The execution side is very rarely the real clog in the system, yet most people think it is. I want you to understand that it’s never about the execution because execution can be delegated. The thing you need to focus on as the owner, as thought leader, is the ideas.

I’ll talk about social media in a second, but if you’re running a Facebook ad and you want someone else to run your Facebook ads for you because you don’t like worrying about the execution, which is totally understandable, have somebody else do that. Have somebody else focus on the implementation, the execution of that. What you cannot outsource are the ideas in your head. That is where your brilliance must come from.

When we started Instagram with Healthpreneur, it was just posting new episodes on the podcast or a couple things here and there. We had somebody else posting on my behalf. It wasn’t my voice. We said, “You know what? Instagram: I’m tired of it. Let’s divert our focus on this,” and we took off a year from Instagram.

 

Social media examples

Four months ago, as of this recording, we got back on Instagram and I recognize that the best use of my time is not necessarily posting everything. We use Later, an app that schedules posts to Instagram with, but it wasn’t the best use of my time to get into Later and place the posts on the time and day throughout the calendar. I could have someone else do that. But a very good use of my time is sharing my thoughts because they’re my ideas.

One big idea can take a post from normal to awesome.

You’ve probably seen these infographics on Instagram, we call them Instagraphics. Apparently I just coined that phrase. You see this, “Eat this, not that,” “This is good, this is bad.” Why do some of those do well while others don’t? Well, it goes back to the idea.

 

Why great ideas are endless and execution comes second

It’s got to be involved or unique; it’s got to give people something to think about. This is the most important thing I want you to remember: When it comes to ideas versus execution, ideas will always win because execution has a ceiling on it. Once something is implemented and executed you can’t make the execution that much better once it’s flawlessly executed. The possibility for better, stronger, and more innovative ideas is endless.

That is why the best anything has not yet been created. The best iPhone, the best computer, the best car, the best chocolate chip cookies, the best whatever will never be created because they’re always getting better. How are they getting better? Not necessarily in terms of how they’re executed or implemented, but because of the idea, the innovation behind that.

As you’re developing your offers, as you’re coming out with products or services or a coaching program, you must spend the time to think about what to offer and how to position it in such a way that is unique and better than what’s out there. You want someone to be like, “Wow, this is awesome.”

It’s going to solve a problem for people in a way that is unique, better, novel, and different than what everything else out there is currently offering.

If you don’t, you will become a commodity. You will not stand out. People will just look over your stuff as they’re flipping through pages of a magazine, and that is the key. Ideas versus execution: I will heavily put my money behind ideas because at the end of the day a great idea beats flawless execution.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. If you agree, awesome. If you don’t agree, that’s totally fine as well. No hard feelings either way. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Healthpreneur Podcast on iTunes. While you’re there, leave a rating or review. It’s always greatly appreciated. In the meantime, I hope you have an amazing day and a great week. I look forward to seeing you in a couple days with another great interview coming your way. For now, continue to get out there, be great, do great, and I’ll see you in our next episode.