Word to the Wise: Long-Term Planning

When it comes to sales and marketing, many of us are guilty of using “tactical” methods versus having a long-term strategy. A tactical method is a short-term solution to generate cash.

To get optimal results from marketing activities, you need to make the time to put together a strategic plan. This involves deciding where you want to be in a year from now, three years from now, and five years from now.

The strategic view is the one everybody puts off as they deal with the immediate fires of day-to-day crisis management. This is nothing more than being busy being busy. Lots of activity, but not a lot to show for the effort.

Somebody once told me that “Life is what happens while we’re planning the future.” That pretty much sums up the lack of a strategic vision. For me, the saddest thing is if you don’t have a plan, you won’t recognize opportunities when they present themselves. You’ll find yourself perpetually chasing the next shiny object.

To break out of the norm and separate yourself from your competition, define what success means to you and come up with a plan on how to get there. Stop being a victim of impulsive decisions that cause unintended results.

Decide today you are going to put together a plan for your company or update the one you created. Schedule regular monthly meetings with key staff to review your plan based on your results.