Decide what you want, this will give you the map to get there!!

BY JEF MILES

The Power of Objectives

You have probably heard many successful people telling you that starting with the end in mind is the most important tool to achievement. This may seem counter-intuitive, how can you get where you to want to go without knowing the path to take? I used to think similarly, however I am changing my mindset and realising the importance of figuring out where you want to go first. Why is this important?

1. It will give your brain a goal to achieve
2. This will create accountability
3. You will be able to measure your progress
4. It will enable others to help you achieve your objective more effectively
5. If done effectively taking action will develop routine, which will create habit

Objectives for individuals are like employees a business

Imagine that you run a business that has 10 employees. When those employees come into work, you will give them direction on how they are to go about their days. If you are to run the business successfully, you are likely to have tactical, operational and strategic goals, even as a small organisation. It is amazing then though for those who expect individual success to set only operational (or day to day) goals such as catching up with friends, going to work, getting to bed on time. Yet we seem to avoid or delay setting the operational (medium term) or strategic objectives. The strategic objective i.e. become a qualified doctor is the map or end game, which provide direction on where you want to head.

The objective (map) is only the beginning

While I say that knowing where you would like to head is a great starting point and if you want success this is likely to put you in the top 20% of the population, this is only a part of what creates positive results. Imagine if Martin Luther King Jr had his dream or vision of how he wanted to create a more equitable society but never took any action. Without concrete or operational and tactical objectives, he would have been unlikely to achieve all that he did.

The point that I am getting at here is the importance of having all 3 types of goals. The strategic give you a wide view from space, the operational zooms in and the tactical gives you a microscopic view of the actions you need to take to achieve your overall objective.

Take action and create more success!!!

Take Out Questions

What map do you have for your future?

How can you start today to plan for tomorrow?

What can operation success do for you?

http://www.operationsuccessonline.com/

“Does my business even need a marketing plan?”

Is it worth the time and effort to develop a marketing plan for my business?Yep, it’s a great question, one our clients are constantly dealing with here at TSL. Truth be told, here’s your answer:

It depends.

While that answer might not thrill you it’s probably the most accurate response to this question.  Every business has their own DNA and some may respond favorably to developing a plan and using the plan to discipline everyday activities. Others may spend time, energy and money to develop a plan and then resort to tactical maneuvers that quickly veer off the prescribed path.  Yet others may not have any plan and still manage to hit their numbers.

Get a quick read on whether a written plan may help by answering the following questions:

1.       If you had specific goals or strategic objectives – did your marketing efforts significantly contribute to their achievement?
2.        Does your company struggle with determining what the best performance metrics are?
3.       Are your marketing expenditures heavily weighted to a specific area – even though that area is showing declining performance?
4.       Does your company seek marketing performance improvement but is unsure of how to best achieve it?
5.       Are your functional department leaders – for example, sales, marketing and operations – all on the same page as to what marketing performance should be?
6.       Would a written plan keep everyone more accountable for results?

If you’re thorough and brutally honest in your answers to these questions, you may find that it makes sense to have a plan. One of the challenges in developing a plan is making it match the culture of your organization.  Your plan has to fit the culture and the flow of how “things get done.”  Because of the pace of change today, shorter is better because the plan has to be revisited and evaluated on a regular basis in order to fine tune it.

If you’d like to talk to us about helping you develop a plan that’s right for your company and will provide the foundation for better marketing performance, contact us today using the yellow form below.

http://www.thesaleslion.com/

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