So, 2009 was a bumpy ride – but it’s over and behind you. Now, in this Holiday Season, you need to unplug, unwind, recharge and get ready for 2010.
Here are 5 key questions you should have clear answers for when you return to the office:
What’s most important for your business?
We should ask this question at least once a year because things change and you need to adjust. Last year, it was survive. Will it be that way for 2010? Or will you be more proactive this year and pursue opportunities that, last year, would have been ignored?
What is ‘success’?
Have measurable goals for 2010 and make sure everyone knows what they are so everyone in the organization is chasing the same thing. That means marketing and sales need to be aligned – no more “marketing hit its goal of 100,000 leads” and “sales fell short of its goal of 1,000 new customers.” And it doesn’t mean that customer service is measured solely on “wait time” and “abandoned calls” – but in retention, referrals, net promoter scores and key metrics that tie to your ultimate measurement of success.
Why? Because when one piece fails to succeed, the entire organization fails to succeed.
How will we succeed?
You have limited resources and unlimited opportunities – your success comes from your ability to focus your resources on activities that generate the greatest return on investment. (Sound like a broken record, don’t I?) Do you have the right products and services? Are you priced appropriately for your audience? Are you using all of the right distribution channels properly so you products and services are easily accessible by your customers? And are you reaching your customers with the right message and offer through the most effective communication channels in order to motivate response and action?
If you answered ‘Yes!’, I suggest you rethink – because the one thing about sales and marketing is ‘You can always improve – so test!’
What’s your customers’ greatest ‘pain’?
This goes hand-in-hand with how you will succeed – and it means you need to talk with your prospective customers and find out what you need to do to get them to become your new customers. And it means talking with existing customers in order to find out what they like, don’t like and would like to get so you can improve current products and services as well as develop new products and services. Finally, it means talking with former customers about why they left, where they went, how they feel about their relationship with your competition and what, if anything, you could do to win back their business.
Do you have the resources you need to succeed? (And if not, how can you get them in the most affordable and effective way?)
A lot has changed in the past year and chance are your organization is running ‘lean and mean’ – which means now is the perfect time to figure out if you have what you need to succeed.
And when it comes to personnel, you have to think long and hard about hiring full time staff or using part-time consultants. Well, I am obviously biased but if I were in your chair, I would look at the expertise I need on a part-time basis with the option of hiring full-time if certain factors fall into place. It’s a great way to see how someone will fit into the organization without the challenges of HR and the expense of benefits.
Final Thoughts
That’s it – answer those questions and the next thing you can do is start doing what it takes to succeed. What do you think? Did I miss anything? Let me know so others can learn – after all this is the season for sharing.
Happy Holidays.
