Clint Powell
I am going to stop eating donuts. Okay– Let’s be honest that probably isn’t going to happen. (Don’t worry Tony McInnis with Tasty Donuts…your apple fritters had me at hello) – and as much as I want to commit to watching less TV I am not sure I can do without the life-changing, motivational, true-north type of direction in life that the Kardashians deliver each week.
As a business owners there are some resolutions you could make that would help you. Help your business grows, help you grow your network, help you with employee retention, and help you be more efficient. So get out your list and let’s go over a few…shall we? We shall:
Get Mobile - If your website isn’t mobile…get it mobile and quick. If you have not researched mobile advertising/marketing…look into it and see if it makes sense for your business. It is growing and it is not going to change.
Stay In Touch - Customers - If you do not have an intentional and thought out plan to stay in touch with your customers on a consistent basis…do it. That is the fastest and most efficient way to grow.
Supporters – Those who have supported you. Do not fall out of touch. Say thank you, keep them up to speed, and be sure to ask them about how they are doing.
Employees – Sounds like common sense, but owners and/or managers get busy digging ditches and forget to stay in touch with those digging alongside them.
Friends – This is a big part of being a balanced human being. Take a friend to lunch – for a cup of coffee – stay plugged in to their lives and their world. It will help you keep perspective.
Keep Appointments (with yourself) – 2016 promises to be busy. Right? Every year is busier than the one before. We all have good intentions. We put things on our calendar like ‘work on marketing’ - ‘network’ – ‘work on growth plan’ – ‘review numbers’ – then fires pop up and the first person we cancel appointments with to make time – is ourselves. So your marketing and business plan gets the left over time and money.
Know Your Customer - Easy - right? Not so fast; you would be amazed at how many businesses do not have a clear picture of who their clients are - from age, to household incomes, to gender, to geographical, etc. Not only that, but you should have them broken down into primary, secondary, and yes even thirdary (I know that was spelled wrong…I did that for you ‘red pen’ types out there…you’re welcome).
Know Your Customers Why - Survey in 2016. Ask your customers why they do business with you. Ask them what they think your strengths and weaknesses are. Ask them what you could do to help make them more loyal and/or invest more. Don’t guess or assume.
Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable - Marketing is always changing. Search engines, social media, traditional media, etc. All change the rules of engagement frequently. Get comfortable with consistently having to learn, change, and tweak. It’s okay, that is the world we live in.
Delegate - Get "it" off your plate and let someone else do what they do. If it can be done by someone else and done better and can save you time, do it. Don’t expect this to be easy for you and do not think you this means you are not involved in the process. Fine line between being engaged and micro-managing or a task hoarder.
Good vs. Best - Repeat after me – ‘I will not worry about the people I cannot afford to reach with my marketing’. Now say it again. There are a lot of ‘good’ ideas. That doesn’t mean they are the best and if you have a limited budget your job is to invest in the best. Your budget may give you the freedom to invest in multiple places, great always to the next best in line.
Help Others - Make 2016 the year you, your family, and your company gives back to the community you serve. Pick a charity or give your employees one day a quarter off paid if they volunteer somewhere. Do shared promotions or marketing. Give back; it will not only make you feel better, it may help make up for all the things you did when you were younger. Don’t even lie, you know you have a lot of making up to do.
Keep Perspective - It all matters but not that much. This too shall pass. What makes life so valuable is that we do not get to do it again. We find out as we get older that things do not really matter.. but people do. All these quotes remind us of one thing, we should work to live and not live to work. Your friends, your family, and your ‘life’ need you to be healthy and happy and that usually does not mean an 80 hour work week. Take a breath and a break and spend it on the important.
Bonus: 2 tips as you set resolutions. Focus – Do not make a list of 20 resolutions. You will get overwhelmed and set yourself up for failure. Pick out a few and master therm. Tell someone – yep, having an accountability partner or group will really help you stick to it and give you some insurance against getting to ‘busy’ or distracted.
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Clint Powell is owner of Connect Marketing, an advertising agency in Chattanooga. He is a graduate of Carson-Newman College. He has spent years in radio advertising sales and management, built and sold a billboard company and works on a contract basis with other ad agencies writing ad copy and helping formulate strategies. Clint has worked with hundreds of local and regional companies over the years and helped them develop advertising campaigns. He believes that life is all about connections and spends his time connecting businesses and business owners to solutions. He sits on the board of Y-Cap (YMCA Community Action Program) and helps with several other non-profits. Clint currently resides in East Ridge with his wife and three children. He also host a weekly radio show focused on business and marketing – Marketing Mix Radio on US 101 The Legend @ 96.1