Perfection is the enemy of progress.

Winston Churchill said...

Perfection is the enemy of progress.

I keep a similar phrase "Prioritize progress over perfection." at the top of my whiteboard. It reminds me not to get so bogged down in perfecting something that it never gets finished.

This came to mind again last week. I have two core strategies I recommend to nearly all my clients to help them turn more leads into sales:-

1. Set up an automated email series for leads you couldn’t reach by phone.
2. Follow up on every single quote with a sequence of automated emails.

Everyone loves these ideas. Everyone agrees that they should be better at following up. Everyone is excited when I offer to set it up for them. But when it comes time to hit send on that first message, it’s like pulling teeth. Why? Because of the need for perfection.

I’m not talking about perfection in critical areas like content, spelling, or grammar. Progress bogs down in the trivial details:-

• Whether the fourth follow-up should go out after four weeks or one month.
• Should we end the messages with "Best wishes" or something more playful, like "Warm Central Heating Regards", to reflect the business’s personality?
• Should we put the logo on the left or the centre?

I’ve tried to understand why we (myself included) get so wrapped up in these details.

I think sometimes we use perfectionism as a shield against the fear of the unknown. Reaching out to prospects after a quote can be intimidating. Thoughts creep in:-

• "What if they think I’m nagging?"
• "What if I come across as too pushy or desperate?"
• "What if I go through all this, and it still doesn’t work?"

Staying in perfecting mode feels safer.

Here are two things that have helped me beat perfectionist procrastination:-

1. Put the (perceived) imperfections in context. What’s the more urgent issue? Losing potential sales because leads weren’t followed up with, or not nailing the right quirky sign-off?

2. Schedule time to refine later. I like to schedule time about six months in advance to improve version 1. Knowing that there’s a dedicated time set aside makes it easier to launch when it's good enough and get the benefits.

Ultimately, getting something out there, even if it's imperfect, is often more valuable than waiting for perfection. You’ll get real feedback, make informed adjustments, and most importantly, start seeing results.

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