Marketing goals within small businesses are typically just a list of numbers. If you want to set yourself some motivating, inspiring marketing goals, ask yourself this question:
If my business were perfect in every way, what would it look like right now?
Marketing goals
Your answer to that powerful, yet simple question, should be the foundation of your marketing.
It will tell you the type of clients or customers you should be marketing to. It will tell you how many additional, high quality sales you need to make. It will tell you what your business needs to generate in revenue and profits, to give you the quality of life you really want.
Through effective sales and marketing, you can develop your business deliberately and by design. However, before you start using powerful sales and marketing tools, make sure you are using them to develop the profile of business that motivates and inspires you.
Marketing and business success
In my experience, I find that the core difference between a successful business and an unsuccessful business is this:
- Successful businesspeople are on top of their businesses.
- Unsuccessful businesspeople find that their business is on top of THEM.
If you are working with clients that don’t appreciate you or pay you enough, the only person that can change that is you. If you find yourself working too many hours and being away from your family too much, again, the only person who can change that is you. If your current marketing is attracting the wrong kind of clients or customers, stop it immediately and replace your marketing with something, designed to create the kind of business your hard work and dedication deserves.
You will be amazed how useful that simple question at the beginning of this post is, for helping you get on top of your business and stay there. Give it a go and relight your fire!
What do you think?
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You, know You are so right Mr. Jim Connolly
I guess that magic questions I never used But I must say that I will asking it a bit more this year..
I do appreciate all Your help it’s as if You are always reading My mind kinda spooky if You asked Me but!
I deal with that so I can continue to grow & learn from my online Buisness!
Ps. Thanks a million!
Norman Flecha
Straight Talk
.-= STRAIGHTALK´s last blog ..The Do’s and The Don’ts for online Networking / Marketing =-.
The ebbs and flows of business continually both confuse and amaze me. One minute I have the perfect blend of the exact client I want and need and then it changes. Getting to the consistency level is my goal for this year.
.-= Julie Walraven | Resume Services´s last blog ..Don’t Let Your Resume Fall in the Black Hole! =-.
What a great question, Jim. I’m going to take this into my Business Review session tomorrow morning (in Costa!!) and see both where it takes me, and how it informs what I should be doing today.
Thanks again!
.-= Christine Livingston´s last blog ..The Silent Rise of the New Work Pioneer =-.
Thanks for that Jim – your post reminded me that I need to focus not just on the numbers through the door, but also on the subjective – how what I do changes peoples lives for the better. That should make it easier to get out of bed tomorrow morning!
Hi Jim. A relevant point – if you are getting the wrong type of customer or ones that are not worth the hassle or ones that are not paying well enough… then indeed, the activity that is getting them in the door should be curtailed.
This lesson can be applied to all aspects, not just marketing. Those of us delivering work to customers tend to react to those who shout loudest, not necessarily the ones who are going to give us more business down the road or who are responsible for a decent revenue stream. Bit of sitting back and taking stock is required. Cheers. Barney
.-= Barney Austen´s last blog ..It’s For Your Customer – Not You! =-.
Hi Jim, thank you so much for these answers.
But I have to admit that I would really like to understand the difference (maybe with an example) when you are talking about:
“Successful businesspeople are on top of their businesses.”
“Unsuccessful businesspeople find that their business is on top of THEM.”
What is it when you are in front or below a business ?
Thanks for all,
Hi Gisele. Thanks for the comment and your question.
The term “being on top of your business” simply means that the owner of the business, is in control of their business. THEY decide what happens and when, usually working to a well thought out plan.
When someone’s “business is on top of them” it means the exact opposite. This is when a business owner is being led by their business. They act like a ball in a pinball machine; bouncing from random event to random event.
I hope that makes some more sense to you Gisele?
Thank you so much Jim for your reply.
I’m passing some difficult moments these last times: I run a webagency in France and I’m trying to stay focused on my purposes.
Difficult because, I don’t have much money, a small pool of clients, dreaming of increasing the brand to the lights.
But nothing really happens since 3 years.
Everything is slow here around, I’m looking for investments to help me travel the journey. I’m looking for people to help me but without money how to convince them ?
I’ve already change my marketing and i’ve finally understood the niche market I have to target.
Until now I wasn’t really on the TOP of my business. I was under the control of my clients willings and now that I’m ready I’m looking for money to cover my mistakes and my over credits and to go ahead further to the next step.
So that means in your sens to plan everything, having people around who trust in you, right ?
So I have a lot to built in front of me as you can understand, and I’m keep on trying !