2017 is officially here friends! The new year brings a fascinating opportunity to soar to new heights or fall into the same old patterns that keep us stagnate in our business and lives.
If you're a personal growth junkie like me, you are filled with excitement by the endless possibilities, you've set some big goals and are ready to get after it (am I the only one)?But, if you're like me, you also know you can only ride this excitement wave until about mid-February before those goals fade into the background and the chaos of being a business owner starts to drown your best intentions to be better this year.
So what do we do? How do we commit to the things we've set out achieve and stay laser focused all year long? How do we bring life to those goals we wrote down on paper? And why do some people achieve greatness, while others fall into the same old habits year after year?
Well, let's talk about that...
In this post I want to specifically address how to achieve your lead generation goals this year. Why? Because it's something I've struggled with in my business and I have a suspicion I'm not alone. Lead generation vital to building a sustainable, consistent and successful business. I'd argue it's the lifeblood of your business--one of the most important things you should do if you want to make it and not become a statistic.
Click to Tweet: Lead generation is the lifeblood of your business; the key to building a sustainable, consistent, successful company.
So we know it's important, but why is it so hard to get done? Probably because we are human, because the fear of rejection is real, because it's uncomfortable, because it's easier to get lost in daily mundane tasks, because we aren't sure what's actually working, because we aren't sure what's a waste of time and because being extremely disciplined is an art some of us haven't mastered yet.
Now that we've identified the problem, let's talk about how to fix it. I argue these four tactics are key to following through with your lead generation goals this year.
Not much of a reader? Pat yourself on the back for making it this far and watch this video...
#1: Have a marketing plan.
A marketing plan is not just a list of goals, it should be a comprehensive roadmap that outlines the following....
- Your mission
- Your brand promise
- Your company culture
- Your goals for the year, three years and ten years
- Your target market
- A list of tactics across multiple marketing channels that are going to help you achieve your goals
- A breakdown of resources needed to accomplish your goals
If this sounds pretty simple, that's because it is. Your plan doesn't need to be an 100 page book no one on your team will ever read. It should provide just enough information to outline your vision, get everyone in your organization focused, on the same page and provide clarity on exactly how you will achieve your one-year goals, and ultimately your ten-year vision.
It also outlines what lead generation activity you will do and why, so you never have to wonder if what you are doing has merit. Everything becomes purpose-driven and when you can clearly articulate the purpose of your lead generation activity, it becomes harder to make excuses for yourself and easier to get it done.
Action Step: Determine your brand identity, outline your vision and create a solid marketing plan. If you need help getting all the ideas about your business and brand organized and on paper, contact us! CopyKat Consulting specializes in walking businesses through this exercise.
#2: Stop dabbling and commit.
This one is meant to be a slap in the face... because sometimes we all need a little tough love! I'm not going to spend a bunch of time on this, because I think you get the gist. We need to shift our mindset from thinking lead generation is something we do when we have time, to something we do first thing in the morning before we run out of time. There will never be enough hours in the day, but we are all give the same 24/7 and the difference between those of us who become bad ass business owners and those who don't is you have to make time for the things that matter most. Lead generation is one of those things.
Action Step: Make a commitment to yourself and your business. Write down exactly what lead generation activity you will accomplish each month and annually and find an accountability partner or hire a Coach to help you stay on course.
#3: Track and measure what's working.
This one is often missed and it's a shame. This is 2017 people! Gone are the days where it's acceptable to launch a marketing campaign and then close your eyes, say a prayer and hope the phone rings with new business. Good marketing is a combination of trusting your gut, collecting client feedback, customer research, competitor research, testing, tracking and optimizing.
The only way to improve your marketing is to track every dollar spent and what you received as a result. I understand with so much data available to us this can become overwhelming. I am going to simplify it for you. Here's what I teach my clients to do...
Action Step: Create a scorecard with 5-10 key performance indicators. These should be numbers that are tracked weekly and will give you a clear snapshot of the status of your business (I call them your "Company Vitals"). Strategically pick numbers that will show whether you are on track to hit your goals for the year. If you have an assistant or team, assign these numbers to them and have them record and update them every week on Friday. They should be easy numbers to pull and the whole exercise of reporting the numbers should take less than 10 minutes a week.
#4: Set 90-day rocks.
Now that we have a plan in place, we're committed and we know our numbers, the next step is to set quarterly rocks. Think of these as stepping stones that break up your big annual goals into more manageable pieces. This is important because nothing kills your desire to stay committed to a plan like not seeing some momentum. By breaking down your big goals into smaller wins you can accomplish throughout the year, you'll stay focused and motivated.
Action Step: I suggest setting 5-7 company quarterly priorities or rocks (these are what you have to get done no matter what) and then assigning another 5-7 rocks to each team member. Your team member rocks should support the company rocks so everyone knows exactly what they are responsible for and how they are contributing to the success of the company. Even if you are a one man (or woman) team, you should still go through this exercise. It provides clarity and laser focus for the quarter.
Well there you have it! Four tactics that if implemented will guarantee you accomplish your lead generation and pretty much any other goals you set this year. Now get off the coach, stop making excuses and get to it. You have the keys to the castle, it's up to you what you do with them.
Xo
CopyKat