New Year Resolutions – or Not!

I’m not a big fan of New Year Resolutions. What’s the point, really? You sit and think about all of the things you wish you did better the previous 365 days and then promise yourself you’ll fix them in the next 365 days. Doesn’t sound very healthy to me to jump on the “I promise to do better at…” bandwagon.

What I do enjoy in the New Year is planning out new goals and commitments for the coming 12 months. I look at it as my own personal marketing calendar. When I sit with clients and we craft ways to deliver their message, create new content, and engage new customers, it all comes down to setting expectations and formulating a plan.  Let’s see how my personal marketing calendar compares to a business.

To start, I plan to present a healthier “me” to the world. I’ll take a look at the presentation in the mirror and see how I can tidy it up a bit without resolving to an unrealistic overhaul because I think what is there needs to be fixed. Along those lines, a company never wants to look worn down, washed up or past its prime, be it on or offline. With your business, can you easily update or create a few items that bring you forward to the year 2012 and out of 2000? You don’t need a complete redesign, just some ideas and ways to freshen up.

I plan to slow down and evaluate what I can realistically accomplish – and absorb all the suggestions and feedback available to me. Saying yes to everything is never a good thing – nor is assuming you know it all. Similarly, companies can only run so long on fumes before customer’s take notice. If you promise deliverables that aren’t being met because your message conveys one thing but your frazzled business is doing another, frustration is likely to be followed by a drop in customers. Take time and listen to your customers – marketing gold can be found in their feedback.

Lastly, I plan to meet more people and not be the introverted wallflower in the corner. Embarrassingly, I am horrible at introducing myself to new people and being social if I don’t have a wingman (or wingwoman) close by. Funny how organizations grow and survive because of new introductions, fresh leads and nurturing prospects, yet many of them steer clear of social networking opportunities or engaging in social events (many that are FREE). While it’s easy to sit behind the laptop screen and appear to be social online, face-to-face time and picking up the phone really do play into the lead nurturing equation. Drag me out from the corner of the room if you see me out this year, will you?

Now that I’ve pretended to avoid a “Sierra Resolutions” document with this blog post, I think I’ll go subject myself to some sit-ups, then enjoy a cup of tea while reviewing my to-do list and finally see if I can find an event to attend this week. What do you plan to do in 2012?