The Shortest Distance Between Two Points

by Mark Dreistadt | Jul 13, 2018 | Consulting

I learned in Geometry class that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points. But when it comes to ministry or business the shortest, quickest, or most effective way to reach a goal is often a bit more elusive.

Many organizations have wasted considerable time and resources as they faced unexpected challenges and judgement errors in pursuit of their objectives.

Consultants provide experience and insight to help leaders avoid pitfalls and achieve success in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible.

My first experience with a consultant was in the early 90s when I was running a Christian television station in Central Illinois. I invited a television programming consultant to evaluate our program lineup to help us set the direction for the future and grow our viewership.

After quietly watching our station for several days — and looking at the other stations in our market as well — he informed me that while we had a reasonably strong programming line-up, there was a unique market opportunity — to reach kids. None of the other stations in our market had a strong kid’s programming focus and we could meet a need by providing wholesome kid’s programming after school on weekdays.

He explained that when you reach kids effectively, it is much easier to reach their parents and engage them in your programming. “Reach the kids” was his single recommendation to us.

We took his wise counsel to heart and began to look for wholesome kid’s shows we could put on in the late afternoon. We were able to forge programming agreements with several animation companies and built a strong 2-hour weekday block of kid’s programming. We provided a host to the shows that engaged kids during the commercial breaks with Bible stories, contests, special events, and more.

Our kid’s audience grew quickly. Soon we received letters of appreciation from parents who valued the programming we were providing. We added some wholesome family programing to follow our kids block and our overall audience quickly grew.

One of the greatest compliments came when an executive from one of the competing network TV stations in our area congratulated us on winning the kid’s market. He told me that none of the other stations could compete with what we were doing.

While we incurred significant expense to hire this programming consultant — in the long run, his advice gave us a straight path to growing our viewing audience. He pointed us in a direction we may not have pursued on our own. It was a wise investment that produced real dividends.

At Infinity Concepts, we care about our clients’ goals and objectives. We always give counsel that will be the most effective path from their current position to their goals.

CONSULTING is the shortest distance between two points.
Let Infinity Concepts help you effectively reach your objectives and meet your goals. Contact us today!