‘Tis the season! No, not the holiday season. The season for planning for next year.
Have you started yet? Have you even started thinking about 2018?
Planning is hard work. It requires time, critical thinking and attention to detail – all at a time of year when we are often very busy. And while I genuinely believe in the value of planning, there are a large percentage of my blog readers who won’t do it.
For those who fall into that category… I’ve got your back!
Write this down…
“If you keep doin’ what you’re doin’… you’ll keep gettin’ what you’re gettin’!”
Take a look at what you’ve done in 2017 to grow your business and commit to doing just one thing differently in 2018. Just one thing. And by ‘differently,’ I mean new, more, more often or better.
For example…
- Not making as many sales calls as you’d like? Then commit to blocking off just one hour one afternoon every week to make some calls. Think about it… that’s 50 hours worth of sales call in a year! I’ll bet that’s a whole lot more than you’re making now.
- Not as engaged in social media as you know you need to be? Then commit to spending just 15-20 minutes first thing every morning (over your first cup of coffee) reading through your social feeds, connecting with others and posting content.
- Your haphazard approach to blogging isn’t doing you much good. So, for 2018, create an editorial calendar (outline of topics, publishing date and author) and commit to sticking to it.
- There are a lot of very good, very worthwhile conferences serving our industry. Attend one new one in 2018 and network like crazy. Then commit to following up with everyone you meet. [And by ‘following up,’ I don’t mean sending one nice-to-meet-you email… rather, be creative and be persistent.]
- Been a while since you’ve updated your website? Get a professional, third-party review of the site. You’ll want feedback on design, navigation and content. Then commit to implementing the recommendations. Remember, your website is the first place a prospective client will go to do their due diligence on your firm… it’s gotta be good!
I could go on and on. But assuming you’re not happy with the growth of your firm (and who is?), you must take charge of your marketing & sales… and doing just one thing differently in 2018 is a good start.
One other comment. You probably noticed that I used the word ‘commit’ several times in this post. That was not an accident. Dabbling in marketing & sales (as so many firms do) will not help. Being successful at growing your business requires a commitment. A commitment of time. Sometimes a commitment of resources. Often a commitment just to stick with it and keep at it.
But do that – make the commitment to doing just one thing differently – and the results will come.
Best of luck in 2018.