With a lovely new shiny year to explore, most people see the months ahead as uncharted territory. Most of us measure the year by the calendar – you hear phrases like “I hope this year is going to be better than the last one,” or “Last year was amazing – now we just have to make this one even better!”
When people ask you ‘How is business?’, you’ll often respond in relation to the progress you’ve made this year – as in ‘since January’.
So now is the time to ensure you have plans in place that will ensure that your answer to questions like these are positive as the months progress.
What will make the difference for YOU?
I spent 2024 trying to do business development the ‘traditional’ way – but that has never been the way that my business has worked. I spent a lot of time, effort and money on trying to do something that was not a good fit for me. The minute I decided this was never going to work and that I would let go of trying to be a square peg in a round hole, things started to flow better.
What has worked best for you in the past?
Why did it work?
What do you have to do to leverage that?
How do you incorporate that into your business development plans?
How will you stand out from your competition?
Almost every business has competition, but even companies that offer the same products and services as you, have something that makes them different – and so do you. It’s YOU!
People buy from people they like – and they buy into your take on your area of expertise.
Everyone won’t like you – but you don’t want to work with them, you want to find the clients who love you to bits and appreciate everything you do for them. How will you ensure they know what they’re getting when they come to you for help?
That’s where establishing your reputation is essential. What do they see you saying on social media? What value do you deliver in your newsletter? What do your blog articles explore – and how do they help the reader? These are all ways to give potential clients a taste of what they’ll get if they work with you.
The other end of this is that you need to be very careful about everything you post into the public domain. If you’re having a bad day, don’t have a rant on your social media platforms, if someone has upset you, naming and shaming may make you feel better, but it won’t help your reputation long-term. Like it or not whatever you say publicly, personally or professionally, adds to how people see you.
What’s the plan, Stan!?
Reputation and success don’t happen by accident, they’re the result of what you actually do. A great marketing plan sets out what you do, so you are building a strong foundation for everything your business is.
What will your reputation marketing plan include in the year ahead?
