You’ve mapped out an ambitious, yet attainable plan for your business and know precisely where you want to be in the next year. Now the question is “What should I be doing this afternoon to get there?”
Actions, we know, speak louder than words. While it’s valuable, of course, to consider the big picture, when it comes to marketing our business and reaching our goals, the question we continually face is how to translate thoughtful planning into successful execution?
Start by building back your plan. That means breaking down that one-year goal into bite-size chunks: quarterly goals, then monthly, weekly and daily goals. For example, if you’ve set a revenue goal of $300K for 2015, a reasonable quarterly goal would be $75K, or $6K per week (50 weeks/year). That could translate into the weekly goal of two clients per week, each with an average fee of $3K. With your financial goal now broken down into immediate, intermediate and long-term goals, write out a work plan with activities to ensure you’re consistently moving forward and working toward that goal. Activities would include meeting one new advisor each week, adding a new entry to your blog each month, building two referral relationships each quarter, etc.
Manage your time – or it most certainly will manage you. Integrate legal marketing activities into your practice management software. I recommend using the appointment method to accomplish tasks. Treat your appointment calendar as an appointment/activity calendar. Along with your appointments, make a note of every marketing activity – with a date, a time and a description – and treat each activity with the importance of a client appointment. “Eat the frog,” meaning do the most important and most menacing tasks first. Take a few minutes before beginning each task to outline what you expect to accomplish. Like client appointments, activities will sometimes have to be postponed and rescheduled. But don’t let what’s important be at the mercy of what’s irrelevant.
Be accountable for your results. With this in mind, I recommend you share your goal and your marketing plan with a trusted friend, a mentor, or business associate who knows you, understands your business and will give you a fair, candid critique of your progress.
You’ve built back your long-term goal into bite-sized chunks; you’re managing your time well and staying accountable. Final word of advice: Stick with it. Perseverance is a valuable asset in any enterprise, but especially in the pursuit of a long-term goal. You’ll find that by making each day count the weeks, months – and years – will as well.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on how to set and achieve marketing goals? Is this practical? Is it a concern for you? What is working for you? Please share your experiences and tips and tricks in the comments section. If you need help in this area, please explore our Practice Development resources, including coaching, mentoring, webinars, and a vast Knowledge Base.
