Planning Expectations for 2012 and Beyond
Planning Expectations for 2012 and Beyond
For many of you I imagine this first step to be nearly impossible. Measuring your actions for this last year is impossible because you would tell me that your actions were created without specific intentions. I only say this with the utmost respect. I have been there. Some years ago someone said, “Gerry, you need to join a networking group to grow your business.” I did it without question. Now joining a networking group prompts me to ask, “What will my investment of time give me in return to those I network?” We need to have intentions written so that we can know what to expect. This allows us to support referral partners and clients. They then know what we expect from them. Be certain to have your intentions and outcomes clearly stated so as to purposefully plan. All actions you take to grow your business should be done with a clear intention and outcome defined in advance.
If your sales results are what you were expecting, then the planning you did in paragraph one had the intended result. When we set sales expectations we can then reverse our planning process, backing into how we expect to get the results. In my case, I plan to create Purposeful Networking by creating an Internet Strategy for 2012. I will take my Advocate Strategy (25 people who bring the world to me) and combine it with my social media strategy (LinkedIn). While spending two to four hours each day, five days per week (measuring) I will then connect my Advocates to anyone in my data base they want to meet. They will want to meet these people to build a relationship to either grow their business through referral or have them become clients. I will expect the same from them. My afternoons will be spent meeting these referral partners face to face with their introductions and again will expect the same of them. I expect 25 $5000 clients as a result of this strategy.
What is nice about the strategy above is I can measure the results daily, weekly, and monthly starting from the first day. My first evaluation is, “Will I sit in front of my computer for two to four hours per day without distraction?” For two weeks running the answer is “Yes!” The second question is, “Are the results coming?” From this activity I am close to closing my first sale. I also know that I am engaging my Advocates in conversation asking for connections. The evaluation of sales results allows me to plan for the future.
As I see results, I can continue to plan accordingly. I can make adjustments as I need to within my plan. I can evaluate and correct as needed. Right now I am expecting to spend two to four hours per day. As time goes by I may need to adjust so that two hours per day is sufficient to gather prospects and referrals while then spending four to six hours in the field meeting prospects at lunches, coffee, breakfasts, etc. Another alternative might be to spend an entire day and one half on LinkedIn, spending the remainder of my week on face to face appointments. Looking at alternatives in advance gives you flexibility.
What is clear is that all aspects of the business planning process should be established with quantitative expectations. We need to use dates, time, financial outcomes, and numbers of contacts to make a sale to be part of your planning equation. Doing anything with less than a specific intention is unacceptable. Some might ask, “If I have never participated in a new activity, how can I create an expectation?” The answer is easy. Imagine the outcome and write it out. If you have never run a marathon you might say, “I do not know what to expect.” My reply would be, “Will you be tired? How tired will you be? From you training, how long might you expect it to take you to complete the marathon?” In 2004, I ran my first marathon (26.2 miles.) I expected to complete it in less than five hours (my expectation.) I ran it in 4 hours 59 minutes and 22 seconds. You can estimate your results, too!
Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Oceanside, CA. He works with people in business who want to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals. More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange Counties.
Gerry’s stimulating presentation Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability. Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops.
His book series, Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, are available on the website, www.integritysd.com.
Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses. He is a networking dynamo. Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started INTEGRITY.
Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a member of Toastmaster International, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.
Are you truly committed to attracting the right prospects and generate more referrals? If so then contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information, call (888) 584-7073. You can contact Gerry by mail at 2103 Wedgewood Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056. Direct dial (760) 439-4623; e-mail to gerry@integritysd.com. For more information, go to www.integritysd.com
