Don’t be a Fool – an April Fool’s Day Reminder

It’s Foolish to forget the importance of a having a personal marketing plan.

Many American business people work hard each day to be successful within the companies in which they work or in their own businesses. Countless hours of time and energy are spent networking, attending trade shows, using social media, sending emails and cold calling. Each of these activities has the goal of generating leads and developing business. However, most people who are in sales or business development do not have a personal marketing plan.

I have been on a personal mission to educate people about the importance of having a personal marketing plan and to grow their personal brand. America is a great country and the marketing activities that I listed above can all be effective. However, most people do not approach them with a system or a plan. For many, business and referrals come through these efforts but often it is a matter of pure luck. With even a basic plan a networker or salesperson can improve their lead generation and business development by 20 to 50 percent. Here are some quick actions you can take today:

1. Create a personal marketing plan. Remember to write your plan down. As part of this plan set financial goals but also set marketing goals such as:
   1. Number of new LinkedIn contacts made per week
   2. Number of new names added to email marketing list
   3. Number of follow-up calls or emails made to people who you meet at a networking event or trade show
   4. Number of social posts you will do each week
   5. Number of videos you will film each quarter
   6. Number of blogs you will create each quarter
2. Create your personal mission statement. What do you stand for and why should people work with you when they have so many options and choices?
3. Review and clearly identify your target audience/market and who are the key referral sources.
4. Create your system for following up with new contacts. You goal should be to turn contacts into prospects or to build trust which leads to referrals or opportunities.
5. Review all of your social media sites and make sure that all photos, bios and job descriptions are up to date. It is critical that your real world brand matches your online brand.

We live in a highly competitive world for business as well as attention. Business people need to rely on action and effort and less on luck. With a simple personal marketing plan efforts will be focused and greater success will be achieved.

If you would like an outline to help you with the personal marketing plan process, please email me at wjcorbett@corbettpr.com.