From the Keyboard of Brockwell (Feb 2009 Newsletter)

Last month, I wrote about planning for 2009 and to break down even the largest, wow-can-I-really-do-that goal down into quarterly goals, monthly objectives, and daily tasks.

Did you stop and make a plan? Without a plan, how will you know how to get to your destination (success)? I recommend stopping right now and jotting down where you want your company to be at the end of the year. Now, write what must happen each quarter to meet each goal. For example, if your goal is to increase sales by $40,000, your quarterly goal is to earn $10,000 more than you did that quarter in the previous year. Take it a step further and write that each month you must sell $3,400 more than you did a year before. How will you meet that goal? Get new clients? How many? Up-sell current clients? How? Congratulations, you now have a plan.

Are you following your plan? After writing a plan, you must revisit it (sometimes each day, but for realistic sake) each week. Did you meet your goal for that week? What do you have to do next week to keep with your goal for the month? Did you exceed your goal that week? If so, stop and celebrate – take your wife to dinner, take the salesman that met the goal for a drink.

Are you tweaking your plan? Things change therefore your plan should be a living document. Each month, your goals may change, products may be launched, services discontinued. Tweak your plan as your business changes.