There are natural laws that govern our world. Just like in life, the Law of Seed Time to Harvest applies to the consumer psychology and behavior affecting your company. You can’t work against the principle of Seed Time to Harvest. It impacts everything and everybody. We are all affected by the Law of Seed Time to Harvest. Now, while many things change in this world, the Law of Seed Time to Harvest never changes.
Farmers know that they must plow their fields, plant their seeds, water and fertilize their crops and then harvest them in due time. An Iowa corn farmer would love to plant a corn crop in April and reap a harvest a few weeks later in May but it just doesn’t work that way. The soil temperature and moisture need to be just right for the seed to germinate. The proper mix of nutrients must be present for the seed to grow. The farmer must fight off weeds and insects. It all takes time. But when the harvest comes in, the results are worth the wait.
In the world of marketing, you plant the seeds with your advertising messages of what you can do for the customer when they have a need or a desire for what you have to offer. You water and fertilize that seed in the consumer’s mind with a consistent ongoing message. You harvest that seed as a new customer when that customer has a need or a desire.
In business, the Law of Seed Time to Harvest is driven by the consumer buying cycle. Consumers have a tendency to buy things in cycles. For example, if you buy a new car, you’ll be out of the market for another car until you come around in the cycle a few years from now. Once you buy that new car, other car dealers can no longer harvest you as a new customer. You’re out of the market until the cycle is repeated and you’re in the market for a car again. It doesn’t matter how much advertising you are exposed to, you’re out of the market for the next few years.
When you plant your seeds of advertising with a consistent plan, your seeds will grow deep roots into the consumer’s mind. Deep roots anchor your advertising message so that it is not easily swept away by the winds of the competition’s inconsistent advertising message.
The Law of Seed Time to Harvest is in your hands. You control the type of seed you plant. Understanding the principles of Seed Time to Harvest can change your life. If you want a good crop you must sow your best seed. You cannot sow “nothing” and expect to reap “something.”
Be Patient….Success Will Happen
Since 2001, I’ve presented The Four Keys to Advertising Success to thousands of companies across the country. The business owners who use theFour Keys—while remembering basic business fundamentals and the psychological fundamentals about consumer behavior, and resisting the temptation for instant gratification—consistently report that after four to six months they start to feel more satisfied with their advertising efforts.