What’s Your Plan?

What are your marketing  goals for 2010?  Do you have your marketing plan ready?  Is it on paper?  Many clients tell me they have a plan -  in their heads.  If you’re one of these people you’re setting yourself up for a fall.  Goals are only made real by writing them down.

Whether you use a pencil and paper or a computer get you business goals for 2010 written down and in front of you.

The first step is to look at the plan you’ve been using for  past year.  I look at the marketing plan from a few perspectives.  What worked?  What didn’t?  Why?  How can I work more effectively? After I’ve analyzed this, I can get SMART.

I use the SMART goals when writing my marketing plan. I find that SMART goals helpful in narrowing down and defining  exactly what I need to do within a specific time period. It takes a broad goal such as “ I need to grow my business by 20% this year,” and whittles it down to exactly how that can happen.  SMART  forces you to get detailed about your plan.  SMART defined is as follows:

•    S = Specific   “Specific” answers the question, “What do I want to do?”

•    M = Measurable “Measurable” answers the question “How much time do I have to accomplish this?”

•    A = Action “Action” answers the question “ What am I going to do and how am I going to accomplish this?”

•    R = Reasonable  “Reasonable” answers the question “Really? Is this really doable?” You need to be really honest here.  Sometimes getting a second opinion helps.

•    Time lined  “Time-lined” answers the question “When?”  When does each piece of  the  goal need to be accomplished by?  Cann I do it in the time specified?  If not, your goal isn’t reasonable.

As you go through this process,  notice how this method of planning continues to bring up questions.  These questions walk  you through the process of getting the detail you need to build a solid plan.  As this happens you will see how specific goals with specific action steps to be completed within a specific time line develop and mold your marketing plan into a SMART marketing plan for 2010.

Keep your plan in a place that is easily accessible.  Plans that are filed away get lost and forgotten.  Your marketing plan should be a living and breathing document.  Look at it regularly.  Add items, refocus, retool if needed.   Some of my clients keep a master document but also copy it into their calendar.   Some color code their action items  into their task lists.

It really doesn’t matter what method you use as long as it keeps the plan in front of you.  Think of it as your GPS to business success.

If you have questions about how to develop your plan, feel free to e-mail me at: jfreeman@roarcorps.com

I welcome your comments!  Tell me if this article helped you or gave you room for thought.