In this short article I'd like to discuss a certain kind of belief that holds many people - people who are quite capable and talented - back from reaching goals, realizing dreams, and becoming all that they can become. The concept of the "Absolute Presupposition" is central to this discussion. (The term was originally coined by the... Read more
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What do you want to achieve this year? More new customers per week? Higher average order amounts? Better customer service ratings? No matter what it is you are shooting for, goal setting is one of the most important things that you will do in the New Year. I’ve got a few tips to help you get there.
1. Keep it Challenging but Realistic. Any goal that you set for your company should be challenging but don’t over do it. For example, if you had an average order amount of $700 last year, you wouldn’t want to set your goal for this year at $3000 per order. Unless you make drastic changes in how your company runs or what you are selling, that goal is just not realistic. You know best what you may be able to achieve in your particular industry, so be honest with yourself and set your goals accordingly. 2. Write All Your Goals Down. You may say to yourself on January 1, "I want to get 20 more new customers per week this year." A few months later you will be saying "Did I say I wanted 20 or 30?" Or more realistically, you have forgotten that you even made that goal. If you have all of your goals written down you will be able to not only go back and check them, you will also be able to go down the list every few months and check to see how many of them you have completed. 3. Assess Your Current Situation. To set goals you have to know where you are at right now. In 2003 I wanted to assess our customer service rating so we sent out a survey to all of our customers on which they could rate us in each department of our operation. That helped us establish our base. Now we send the survey to every customer after every order. This way we can keep track of how we are doing and if there is ever a hiccup we can fix it quickly. Don’t assume anything. Always assess the current situation before setting a new goal. It's Only Going to Hurt A Little... Now, in financial goal setting for your business, one invariably comes to the question: How do I decide on a budget when starting a marketing plan? This is obviously the first question that you have to answer in order to get started on your new campaign. And in order to reach the income goals you have set for yourself. So how do you figure out what your budget should be? Here is an easy method to help you find a number that is going to work for you and your business. Some might say that it is a good rule of thumb, but I personally judge things on whether or not they work and get results. That’s all. Moving on... Start with the amount of income that your company generated last month and multiply it by .14 (or 14%). That means that if you had $50,000 in Gross Income last month you should budget to spend $7000 on marketing in the next month. Wait... I know, it sounds painful but it is just like a shot at the doctor. It might hurt for a minute (or in this case a month) but down the road you are going to be glad that you went through it. Putting that much toward the right marketing will bump up your income the next month and start you on a cycle of steady growth. I know that some businesses run tighter than others and it is possible that you won't be comfortable with that amount in the beginning. Don't misunderstand me, any marketing is better than no marketing. Don't get discouraged if your budget is lower than 14%. But use 14% as the ideal to strive for because, for me as well as many other growing businesses, it has proven to give the best rate of growth possible. How do I know, you ask? My company has expanded 400% in the past 2 years. Now picture your business at 4 times its current size... There's that smile I was looking for! The growth of your business is based on three factors; quality products, great customer service and the proper amount of marketing. If you know you have the first two taken care and you still aren't experiencing healthy growth then you need to take a serious look at your marketing budget. So sharpen your pencils, start calculating and decide how rapidly you want your business to grow.
All too often good-intentioned people set forth goals designed to satiate others rather than themselves. While the intent is honorable, the results will likely lead to failure. Why? As the somewhat provocative title of this arti... Have you ever wondered why some people are successful in life while others are destined for mediocrity? Well a big part of succeeding in life is to know exactly what you want and taking continuous action towards achieving it. Un... One of my favorite techniques for achieving goals is to use the word 'anyway' as often as necessary.
If you don't feel like doing something or start doubting whether the activity has any value, do it 'anyway' and then see wha... Are you feeling motivated to set some strong goals for this year? Write down those New Year’s resolutions and get going, right? Most people write down lofty resolutions that they think they should want and rarely stick to them, ... "The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success, but on significance." - Oprah Winfrey
What if true fulfillment could be found not in what we achieve, but in the significance of what we do?
Often, when we think ab... Whether we like to admit it or not, other people’s opinions of us really do matter. The opinions we have of ourselves, matters even more. Think about this for a minute. What separates the haves from the have-nots? Nothing, but y...
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