Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/100911
MARKETING CONSULTANT 2013: The Resolutions We (Should) Make BY SCOTT STROUD New Year���s Resolutions: The ritual of making promises to yourself that you know you���re not going to keep. It���s not that you don���t intend to keep them, but then, remember what road is supposedly paved with good intentions���? Why do we go through the ritual, those of us that do? Usually because we know that there are things we need to do that we simply don���t. It���s the ���knowing/doing gap��� reminding us of actions we should to take, but that we aren���t willing to commit to. And there���s the rub. A resolution is a commitment to action, something we only do when we���re properly and sufficiently motivated. We, as any salesperson will tell you, move away from pain and toward pleasure. So we generally take action when the pain of inaction is greater than the pain of change, whether that���s changing a habit, a job, or a home. And yet, I want you to make 2013 a year of resolution. You need to do this, not for anyone else or because of some shallow ritual, but for yourself. Interestingly, the word ���resolution��� has at least three different meanings that can apply here as we contemplate what we���ll do to increase business in the months ahead: 1. Commitment; determination: i.e., ���I resolve to lose drop 20 pounds this year;��� 2. Clarity; precision, as in the resolution of a camera lens or TV screen; 3. Conclude; settle; fix, such as a resolution to a conflict. I. Resolution = Commitment Be resolved this year to maximize your income stream by creating clearly defined processes for each major function of your business: marketing, sales, delivery, service, customer relations, management and accounting, and operations. These are all repetitive processes and while you might have one or two of them humming along smoothly, you probably find communications, and employ tools such as Infusionsoft to do the ���heavy lifting���. And finally, put in place software systems, such as Backroom Management���s CASHFLO management software, to monitor your all your processes and give you real-time feedback on how your business is performing. Why should this be your resolve? Because you can���t manage what do don���t measure, and that which you measure tends to improve. It���s really that simple. To go through the exercise outlined above provides you with good business intelligence and a means to manage and control what happens in your business before bad things happen. It allows you to be proactive, rather than reactive. Its just good business, and you can do it. II. Resolution = Clarity Be resolved this year to clarify your message, brand and position. Begin by stating what you do in terms of benefits and solutions that your customers will realize ��� the resolutions to their issues. Then, hone your message to the point where you can state in one sentence why your home or community is the best choice for your target audience. Admittedly, this isn���t easily achieved, especially on your own. Most business owners stop too soon and leave their message a bit ambiguous because they try to describe their benefits from their perspective, not that of their customer���s. ���ABC Homes, serving Springfield for 25 years��� is nice, but it doesn���t tell buyers why New Year���s Resolutions: The ritual of making promises to yourself that you know you���re not going to keep. JANUARY 2013 24 THE JOURNAL yourself (and your staff) continually shooting from the hip on others. This isn���t as hard as it might sound. First, map out step-by-step how you want a process to unfold. For example, how do you want marketing as a process to integrate with other business functions? How are new leads created, logged in, nurtured, and followed up on? Who is responsible for moving the prospect into and through the sales funnel? Diagram on paper exactly what the process should look like. Then, use that a template for the other processes in your business. Next, look for areas that can be automated, such as your lead nurturing and follow up or after-the-sale