Set Goals, Review and Measure Often to Stay on Course

If I were to ask you “…where do you want to be at the end of 2021…or further, in three years or five…” what would you say? Selling a million, maybe two? Increasing your profits by 15%? Ten new clients? Spend more time with your family? Go on that long wanted (deserved) vacation? Whatever your goal, you must envision it, have a plan, work, measure, and refine the plan to stay on course, if you ever want to see your goals come to fruition.

In a past article, I mentioned how important it is to have marketing plan to achieve your goals, I want to expand on that. Let’s review. I have interviewed multiple distributor companies and have surveyed many, many more and what was interesting, only three percent of the folks surveyed had a “written” marketing plan. So, that begs the question, how do you go from where you are to where you want to go unless you have a strategic plan to get you there? Additionally, are you reviewing your plan (if you have one) and making needed adjustments? It strikes me as odd, those who have painfully taken the time to create a plan, rarely if ever, reviewed and adjust. Sadly, ninety-five percent plus say they have not.

Breaking It Down

There are three key steps you should consider ensuring your personal and business success as you move forward. The thing to understand are these steps work not only in your professional life but your personal life as well. When you realize this and create balance for yourself, you cannot help being as successful as you choose to be.

Setting Goals

I am a firm believer, when it comes to life, I come first, my wife, children come second, friends come third and my career comes last. That may seem a bit self-centered but let me explain. I know when I am at my best, -whole and on my game, everyone below the pyramid benefits, when I am off my game and I am not sound my family, friends and my business suffer – they feel that impact. So I set goals, for my health both physical and fiscal so I can deliver on time every day, week and year.

A few years back, I set a plan in place to be totally out of debt by a certain date, I met that goal. In the past I have tried with no plan and NEVER succeeded, but with a plan it was manageable, and it worked. For business I have set similar goals and they too have come to fruition, but only with a solid plan.

Take time to create a sound plan and have goals, specific goals in place. Create timelines and milestones in order to reach those goals. I would encourage you to consider the following business goals:

•  Determine where you want to be at the end of this year, and then again at the end of next year and then three years and then five.

• Increase your sales 10% every year ~ minimum

• Increase your profit margins by 5% every year until you hit a margin you need to effectively manage your business profitably,

• Develop a profile on your ideal client

• Segment you clients by vertical market

• Classify your clients A-F, and know exactly what those classifications represent,

• Dump the dead wood from your client base, your “F” listed clients

• Replace those clients with solid clients that are profitable, and meet your ideal client profile,

• Develop four to five solid vertical markets

• Review your brand, what you look like to your clients ~ review all aspects of your business: social media, web presence, collateral and marketing

• Build measurement with ALL OF YOUR MARKETING to gauge success

Review and Measure Often

Developing a sound plan and never reviewing it, well, you might as well have not done the work in the first place. My suggestion, once your plan is completed do the following:

• Review your plan monthly for the first six months

• The balance of the first twelve months, review quarterly

Adjust to Stay on Course

While on a trip if a bridge were washed out or the road was blocked you would need to adjust – right? The same holds true with your plan; by reviewing and measuring the success of your plan, you can make the needed adjustments to keep yourself on track.

Many I have worked with, have indicated that having a coach has helped them stay on track. The biggest challenge for most is holding themselves accountable; this is the hardest thing to do. It is easy to make excuses and give yourself reasons, and slack for why things are not getting done….it IS the number one reason why people fail.

This I promise you, whatever you do, if you create a plan that can be measured; implement that plan and review and adjust where needed, you WILL achieve your goals. I look forward to your call or email. Now is the time to plot your course!

As always, continued good selling - CQ