What you need to learn from U.S. Navy SEALS

I've enjoyed some excellent books by Navy SEAL members. Without giving away anything top secret, they discuss how they plan and implement their missions.

(For those that don't know, the SEAL force started in underwater demolition, and now does a variety of special forces operations. It's one of the most grueling roles in the military.)

Here is some extremely important that really stands out to me about their process:

1. "Upstairs" defines the goals of the mission. This is a given.

2. Reconnaissance gathers intelligence information about the situation. This information is used to make a matrix assessing which targets are most appropriate to pursue at this time. Some targets may be easily accessible, but not make much of a difference to the mission. Other targets may be difficult to reach, but have a tremendously powerful effect on the mission goals.

There's a standardized way to evaluate these trade-offs. It's called the CARVER matrix.

3. Once the primary target has been selected, the plan is prepared. The plan includes how to get from the ship to the target, how to hit the target, and how to get back to the ship. The mission is not over until the SEAL is safely back at the base. Until then, they must continue to be alert.

4. TARGETS DICTATE WEAPONS. The SEAL will take along whatever is most likely to complete the mission target - whether this is a camera, a rifle, or some other tool. Different missions obviously require different weapons.

5. WEAPONS DICTATE MOVEMENT. Both camera and rifle based mission require bracing for a clear shot at the target. The movements required will be completely different for a mission that involves rescuing hostages, or for a mission that requires destroying infrastructure.

6. The plan is prepared, discussed, and rehearsed, with special attention to coordinating communications, to contingencies, and to secondary targets that could be secured if opportunity allows.

7. If you need to learn something, teach it.

Now, how does this relate to Internet Marketing? Let's apply these techniques to our world.

1. The overall mission goals must be defined for us to know what to do and whether we've succeeded. Is the goal to increase sales of an existing product? To test a new niche? To evaluate which traffic technique will work? To come up with a business plan? Are we doing reconnaissance, blowing up the enemy or rescuing victims?

I see far too many threads here that don't have any of this context.

2. What homework was done to evaluate the options? In what way were the options prioritized? Is there a reasonable way to make the trade-offs between long term and short term payoff, between recognizable targets and discovery of new territory?

How about using the CARVER matrix to choose your next target?

3. Does the plan include ALL of the steps?

"I'm going to paint a mustache on the painting of El Presidente" is not a SEAL quality plan. If that's the target, the plan includes: I'm going to make sure I have five working cans of paint. Then I'm going to test my waterproof paint holster. Then I'm going to pack my paint and take a boat to the palace moat. then I'm going to use a smoke grenade to stun the crocodiles in the moat. Then I'm going to wear slippers so the palace guards won't hear me go up the stairs to the second door on the right. And so on, all the way to safely back at the base.

So what is your complete plan? What if you figure out how to add a new headline... is that the whole story? Are you safely going from base, to the target, back to base, with all steps included?

4. In the mustache example, the target is defacing the painting, and the weapon is the spray paint. A SEAL might use grenades, rifles and cameras in other missions... but none of those weapons would help here. Taking them all along would just make the trip slower and riskier.

Are you choosing the right weapon for your target? Is the autoresponder, the blog, the sales letter, the extended return policy the weapon that is most relevant to your primary target? Or is it a distraction?

5. Weapons dictate movement. The paint can must be moved to within 6" of the canvas. But the access to the palace is through the moat. Therefore the paint dispenser must be sealed in a waterproof container.

If your task is to update your blog to increase readership, shouldn't you be doing that rather than trying to learn twenty new types of product guarantees?

6. Did you share your plan with your fellow IM warriors to see if you missed anything? Maybe someone else could tell you how to use a crayon, so you don't need to take the waterproof paint holster.

They could tell you how they learned about crayons and paintings of dictators, but then they'd have to kill you.

7. Well, that's part of why I'm here. How about you?

Safety and luck, soldiers!

Regards,
Allen