The process is worse than that, every shot costs money and when your aim is off it is like firing money away. Likewise if you are on target but the message is irrelevant, confused or inappropriate the result is no result. Get the target sorted out and paired with the message first.

Talking to people in this busy world is complicated and one wrong component in an initiative will render the whole ineffective. You can't afford to get it wrong, yet it happens every day.

Target right, message right, and communication right, timing right. Go. But double check - there is a lot to get right.

It was once said that "people don't buy products they buy benefits". True and if you don't put that first in any communication you will not succeed. Benefit led and relevant to the target. Time spent getting the offer right is time well spent. Make it important, necessary or exciting but above all make it irresistible.

Now make sure they pay attention. Good offers can be lost in ineffective presentation. For this you will have to be a bit creative. Consider the following creative options, using messages that are inspirational, aspiration, amusing or eye-opening, there are reasons for all of these approaches however all must offer benefit to the recipient or they won't work. The message must come over clearly each and every time; creativity is a tool not an end in itself.

More than one message? It's tempting to overload a lorry when there is a lot to shift, same with communications, one too many things to consider and the recipients brain shuts down.

Leave messages that make people think. Know the rules; apply the rules and your chances of success increase. We use the rules every day and every day we get better.