Without a vision for the future, hopes and dreams for your business often do not materialize. Plans need to be made and goals set. Many will sit around the conference table hammering out the details. Some will consider the end result and work backwards from that. Others will go month by month and determine which projects will be their focus in each of them. No matter the technique or strategy, setting goals is the first step in meeting them.
G – Get Started
This often is the toughest step. How can you start a goal-setting session? One way that gives a kick-start to the planning session is to follow this SMART mnemonic:
- Specific: If a business goal is too broad, the rest of the letters will not fall into place.
- Measurable: Parse the goal into stages, so you see how close to the goal you are.
- Attainable: The goal needs to be practical – something that is possible and probable.
- Relevant: A goal needs to be aligned with the focus of your business.
- Trackable. Keep your eye on the calendar to see how much more time is needed.
Using this method, fill in the blanks. Next to each letter, flesh out the details for your goal. By doing this at the start of your planning session, you’ll find the process more efficient and the details will more easily fall into place. Use a planning tool to begin.
O – Organize Your Priorities
Once you’ve got your goals on the white board, begin to organize them so that it is clear which aspects of them are more urgent. By putting the various details of the goal on a timeline, it’s much easier to see what must be done first to stay on task. Without doing this, the whole process might seem overwhelming with the details getting scrambled and out of order.
By dividing each goal into manageable steps, you’ll find great satisfaction in checking off the various elements once they are completed. With a checklist, you can also keep track of what is next on the docket. In this way, updates on projects related to your goals serve to increase enthusiasm and drive. Use a checklist to organize and monitor progress.
A – Align Your Goals with Your Purpose
Depending on twists and turns in trends in the market which may influence your business goals, you may need to go back and tweak what you’ve planned. To stay motivated, stay on point with the big picture of where your business is headed. If after several weeks of working on one project, you meet a stalemate, figure out what is blocking your progress.
Monthly focus sessions help to tailor goals by updating them based on any circumstances that may have changed. Perhaps one goal has been met earlier than planned so that another goal can be added. Maybe other people on the team can now work on the details of one project since another one is off the list. All of that needs to be aligned on a regular basis to keep goals aligned with your business plan. Refresh the details routinely to keep them current.
L – Look at Your Goals Often
Your goals must remain in your focus. Write down your plan so the steps are visible. That helps you keep on track so that distractions and other opportunities don’t take you off course. When reviewing your goals, note your progress. The key to this step is to watch the timeline and adjust it, should that be necessary. If there is a slow-down, determine why and brainstorm ways to give that more attention.
Keeping your goals in mind helps your efforts to stay on target. Even the most enthusiastic approach needs an occasional boost so have mini-celebrations along the way. Recharge your battery by reflecting on how much has been accomplished. Calendar the events so that at a glance, you can stay focused on your business goals.Seeing progress keeps you on track.
As for a goal to build your business, consider what Online Sales Pro can do to help with that. Take full advantage of this powerful software platform that will turn your online traffic into leads for your business. Regardless of the goals you have for your business, you can use Online Sales Pro to generate leads and build an email list. A subscription with OSP includes both the web and mobile app. As for the results of goals met, the sky’s the limit for your business when you focus on using online marketing to give it the boost it needs. We’re here ready to help you with that!
