In the book, What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School, Mark McCormack refers to a study conducted on students in the 1979 Harvard MBA program. In the study, students were asked, "Have you set clear, written goals for your future, and made plans to accomplish them?" Only three percent of the graduates had written goals and plans; 13 percent had goals but they were not in writing; and 84 percent had no specific goals at all.
Ten years later, the members of the class were interviewed again, and the findings were shocking. The 13 percent of the class who had goals were earning on average twice as much as the 84 percent who had no goals at all. And what about the three percent who had clear, written goals? They were earning on average ten times as much as the other 97 percent all together.
Setting goals and planning your path for bringing in new sales for 2011 may not be a lot of fun and can feel slightly overwhelming. Most feel they can survive just fine without planning. But the fact is, you will NOT have fewer sales and less profits when you plan. It is really a win-win for you and your 2011 results.
With 2010 coming to a quick close, it is not too late to plan out your marketing for 2011. At Red Zone Marketing we have been working with many firms helping them plan their strategy and actions for 2011. BUT, you don’t have to hire a firm to do this! There are a few tools we have created that can help you get your planning moving forward (including one for FREE!).
1. A FREE Holiday Gift for Marketing Audibles subscribers. Click here for your free download of the Red Zone Marketing Action Plan template that we use with clients to help plan, visualize and hold everyone accountable for marketing activities. It is a tool that allows you to keep all of your marketing activities organized so you can implement systematically. This is a great way to keep you focused on others in the New Year!
2. The Marketing Planning Guide: The Marketing Planning Guide for Building Your Best Growth Plan for 2011 is your Marketing Formula for Success in an immediate download of a 65-page, complete marketing plan template, for attracting your best clients. A step-by-step plan that walks you through thinking about and planning YOUR strategy for all the critical aspects of marketing, planning, and the actions you will take to move to your next level.
Enter code PLAN2011 when checking out to receive an exclusive discount for Marketing Audibles subscribers.
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