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Think about the speed of news today. Almost everyone has CCN.com alerts or some method of almost instantaneous notification to stay plugged into the world. We can scan the Web 24/7 to monitor the weather or sports.

Combine that with the disposable nature of things today, and we’ve got a recipe for marketing disappointment and failure. In our fast-notification society, it’s natural to expect potential customers to make up their minds quickly and to conclude that a campaign failed when it didn’t produce results on the first try. Run an ad once or twice, and if the phones don’t ring off the hook – pull the plug!

According to Jay Lipe, author of “The Marketing Toolkit for Growing Businesses,” impatience derails too many marketers. “Ninety-nine percent of successful marketing happens over the long haul,” he says.

Lipe tells the story of one very non-instant sequence of interactions that resulted in new business.

His firm sent out a direct-mail piece, to which Prospect A responded.

Prospect A received nine issues of his newsletter.

Prospect A visited Lipe’s Web site, then sent an e-mail inquiry.

A face-to-face meeting took place.

Lipe sent a proposal.

A second meeting took place.

A second proposal was sent.

Prospect A became a client.

Total time from the first contact to the sale: Five years. The lesson? Marketing and sales success do not go to the sprinter. Especially in a challenging economy, your buyer wants to be sure of you. Deliver consistently, and sooner or later, you will get your chance. Patience definitely has its virtues.

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and blogs at www.drewsmarketingminute.com. He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com. © 2008 Drew McLellan