Go for the Goal
As we roll past the holidays (literally after all of the holiday eating, but I digress) and into the new year it’s a good time to hit pause. To reflect on the previous year’s results and consider quite literally what’s working, what isn’t working and what to do about it. While most of us do this at some level how is it that some people “make it happen” while others don’t. Consider developing and implementing the following “goal methodology” that can be used for both your business and personal life.
Set Your “BIG” Goal. Identify what it is you want to improve. It could be anything from, “Improve team communication”, to, “Increase revenue from X to Y”. Take the time to consider what matters most and will have the biggest impact.
Set Your “Sub Goals”. Now it’s time to consider the key areas that need to improve. Take the time to examine what you have been doing that could be done better, differently or replaced. For our revenue goal, dissect your sales process to see where things are falling down. Your sub goals could be:
Better target right fit/ideal clients to improve conversions
Increase referrals
Shorten the sales cycle
Take Action. Now it’s time to turn your sub goals into an action plan. Your action items need to determine WHAT is going to be done, by WHO, by WHEN. Take our “Better target right fit/ideal clients to improve conversions” example. Sample action items could be:
Run report with revenue by client for 2017
Analyze top 20% of clients
Vet current prospect list against top 20% of clients for a “match”
By now I’m guessing you get the idea. Setting the goal is the beginning. Identifying key areas to create change or improve is next. And finally figuring out exactly what needs to be done and committing to doing it with a deadline turns it from a wish into reality. Without this level of clarity most of us fall victim to doing what we’ve always done. So to avoid Einstein’s definition of insanity – doing the same thing and expecting a different result – start big, break it down and take action. And don’t forget to keep score. There’s nothing like feedback, good and less than stellar, to help us stay the course or course correct.
