How to Improve a Tactic Without Rebuilding It

If a tactic isn’t producing the result you want after a fair trial, resist the urge to change everything about it at once. Adjust one variable, then give that single change its own fair trial before touching anything else. Otherwise you won’t know what actually improved it.

Variables worth testing one at a time:

• Audience: who specifically you’re reaching
• Topic: what the message is actually about
• Opening: how the message or asset starts
• Timing: when and how often
• Channel: text, email, call, in person, social
• Input quality: how specific and real your inputs were
• Follow-up: whether and how you followed up
• Scope: how large or small the effort was