Beginning his pre-flight checklist, I knew Ryan, our friend and pilot took safety seriously. Preparation began before even looking at the plane. First, scanning the doplar screen at the Genessee airport, although a sunny day it’s best to check for incoming inclement weather patterns a few hundred miles out. The best laid plans of marketers have been derailed by macro-economics factors that might have been foreseen.

Next, the pilots evaluation of himself and the crew. We all are in good health, and no one is freaking out about the upcoming flight. However, my friend Bobby bugged out a bit when Ryan shut off the engine as we landed later. You need to assess the abilities of your team, and their attitudes toward accomplishing tasks.

The the all important inspection of the plane:

• Checking the registration
• Powering up the gyro instruments and cooling fans
• Cycling the flaps
• Doing a walk around the vehicle to check for stress damage
• Examining the fuel tanks for condensation buildup

I likely missed a few additional steps that Ryan took, but I could tell he followed a logical series of steps particular to the plane. Familiarity with marketing tactics is essential, especially in choosing the right ones to achieve your objectives.

Although lives do not hang in the balance, a pre-flight checklist is necessary before launching any marketing initiative. The struggle is managing the dueling priorities of preparation and speed to market. How do you cope with the balancing act?