A suggested checklist for your end of year planning efforts.
2012 Checklist for End of Year Planning
This is the season to think about next year–time to gather up what has worked in the past year and what new things to experiment with in the coming year. 2013 offers a very big opportunity to improve or tweak your business.
One way I try to figure out what holes need to be filled is by tracking the following things:
- Size of mailing list
- Number of website visitors
- Number of new articles added to the website
- Number of request for demos
- Number of events held or attended
- Number of press releases
- Keywords
- Top and new referrals streams (partners, websites, …)
- New information sources
My promotion plan includes:
- Email blast
- Advertising (adwords, banners, print)
- Website improvements
- Website SEO
- New information sources to target
- Press releases
- Conferences
- Memberships
- Speaking engagements
- Video
- Partners
- New to target
- Press releases
What do you use as a goal / target after tracking is done? Do you arbitrarily set goals for 2013 based on what you want, or are you aiming for a percentage increase? How do you define strategy to reach your goals, and how do you execute tactics consistently ( especially if early results are not ringing the cash register bell?)
How do you combat weaknesses discovered during this current year?
I only set goals for things I can control. For example my goal may be to do 4 speaking engagements this year. I can control that, but I can not control the number of website visitors. Some times, my goal stays the same. It might be better for me to do another video rather than increase the number of enewsletters articles I do.
I didn’t know you posted this reply.
I think it would help many of us with goal setting and planning in general if you could write a follow up blog post that goes into more detail.
You say your goal may be to do 4 speaking engagements this year. But when I think about that, it seems like that is a tactical step toward a bigger goal. For example your true goal may be to earn more revenue and a means of doing that is to do 4 additional speaking events, which would either earn you money directly, or increase your exposure to clients who would pay you for advice (or both).
I am most interested in how you decide which goals to set (is it based on pain that you want to avoid next year), how do you plan strategy and tactical steps to reach those goals, and most importantly, how do you stick with it?
I recall reading that Sean had lost 50 lbs this year (congratulations!), so maybe he would also like to add some notes on how that goal was set and stuck with. I estimate it has a lot to do with emotional reasons and anchors, but those seem to fade quickly, so how do you maintain your tenacity and motivation / drive toward the goal?
will there be any follow up to this discussion, when you have time? thanks. i am thirsty for you sharing your knowledge, it inspires me, and probably others too.
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