Having just waved goodbye to my 6th grader on the first day of school, I could feel the excitement of a new school year. There are new clothes, backpacks, students, and as Patti LaBelle might sing, “a new attitude.”
Let’s not let this “back to school” mentality only apply to our children. Now is the perfect time for you to put away your white shoes, your summer schedule, and get back to business!
The Back to School Phenomenon
There truly is an entire back to school mentality that influences consumer behavior. When I was at Quaker Oats, for example, we saw huge swings in sales of Instant Oatmeal at the start of the new school year even if the average temperature hovered in the 90’s! I witness every year this phenomenon with my speeches: September always has record-breaking attendance records.
Do a Little Analysis and Thinking
Think of this week as the start of a new year. Start answering some of these key questions:
- What are your goals?
- What do you want to accomplish?
- If you could add only one new client, who would it be and how can you earn the business?
- What has been working so far this year?
- What marketing efforts have fallen on deaf ears?
- Where is your revenue coming from?
- Has your percentage of business coming from each service or product line shifted over the last 9 months? Do you want to foster this change?
- What is your most profitable product or service? How can you swing more business in this direction?
- What one step could change your entire business for the rest of the year?
Convert Thinking into Action
Based upon your insight into the above questions, it’s time to start formulating a plan. And, don’t be shy about asking for help! If you can assemble an informal board of advisors, do it. If investing with someone now will help build your sales later, it might be worth the cost. After all, as I blogged last week, inhaling your own fumes will not move you ahead!
I, too am putting together a plan. It has 5 major goals, action steps, and a timetable assigned to each step. For example, I want to increase the number of members in my Branding Club to 100. I will advertise it in my newsletter this week, post it to my site, and then make 10 phone calls each week to past clients as a route to achieve this goal.
What are your goals and how will you turn them into reality? Don’t let this moment slip away. Carpe diem!
Until next week…..Liz
Branding speaker and expert Liz Goodgold has over 25 years of experience working for clients such as Quaker Oats, Times Mirror, and Arco Oil as well as with small business owners and start-up. Her specialized, one-on-one branding and coaching programs spark new ideas that deliver sure-fire results. To find out how Liz can help you, contact her at liz@redfirebranding.com. Liz is also the author of RED FIRE BRANDING: Create a Hot Personal Brand and Have Customers for Life and DUH! Marketing.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Liz,
Thanks for another great post!
My goals? To tend to my “tribe”, as Seth Godin calls it and build my coaching business.
I’m not as interested in increasing my subscriber numbers as I used to be–now, I’d rather focus on making my very loyal, very wonderful subscribers happy by offering them the content that will best help them build their business and coaching for the times when they need that extra help that one-on-one offers.
Love this post, Liz…as ever, your post is timely.
Heather
[Reply]
Great post. It is funny how September does feel like the start of a new year!! It is a great time to sit back and reassess!!
My kids are not yet back in school but I will be looking forward to the slight juggling reduction (LOL) and the ability to concentrate for large blocks of time.
Planning goals and keeping them clearly within your sights and measureable is absolutely key!!
Karen
http://www.lipstickwisdom.com
http://www.twitter.com/lipstickwisdom
.-= Karen Griffith Gryga´s last blog ..Making Homework Time Easier (ADHD, Learning Disabilities) =-.
[Reply]
Liz, thank you for articulating what I’ve been feeling. For me it’s time to revisit our marketing plan and make updates based on our experience during the past year and to refine our goals and tactics.
We’re reaching out to ask for help, suggestions and guidance from other pro’s and those finding their way with social media. I’m sure that by next week we’ll have 5 goals, action steps and a timeline.
Best,
Lynn
http://www.mamasays.us
[Reply]
Hi Liz,
So great talking with you yesterday and exchanging ideas. Another great blog from you as always! I know we will all be able to breath a little easier and CONCENTRATE better once the kids are back to the books! Though I still have one left (out of 5) home most of the day I will use my 2 hours of quiet time a day wisely and with a “new attitude!”
Julie
[Reply]
Hi again! Well, looks like my website wasn’t posted with my response! For all the readers out there looking for some really cool and clever scented note cards, custom T’s, baby gifts…check out
http://www.sewfabdesigns.com Let’s see if this does the trick!
Julie
[Reply]
Heather Allard Reply:
September 1st, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Hi Julie,
Your website is linked to your name–you’ll see when you mouse over “Julie Dunsmore” that it’s a link to Sew Fab Designs.
Thanks for your comment–I love Liz and her sage & timely posts.
Heather
[Reply]
Julie Dunsmore Reply:
September 1st, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Thanks for the tip, Heather! I love Liz too! She is so insightful, humorous and fun!
Julie
[Reply]
Great tips! I still have two home with me, I do know when all three are in school I will be booming in production because I think my mind will be at ease knowing they are well taken care of and Mama has more time!!
.-= Brandy´s last blog ..Top 10 Things Blogger Family Says/Asks =-.
[Reply]
Great article! I love the bullets to get us thinking about what is working and what may not be. As I move forward with both Boutique Up! Daily’s retailer program, while growing my copywriting business, I always have a lot of reevaluating to do. I’m going to also aim for 5 key action steps to take.
Thanks for a great post!
[Reply]
And it is a two way street. Not only am I better able to focus with the boys in school, but it seems like both my suppliers and my buyers are back at work. I do love September!
[Reply]
I recently “reassessed” my business as my kids are getting ready to go back to school.
With Heather’s help (or kick in the butt), I did switched my blog to more “grown up” version in August and I have been tweaking it non-stop ever since. (As of this morning though, I still can’t figure out why Networked Blogs on FB is just posting the thumbnail pictures and not the pictures and article from the blog – another thing to investigate. If you know why, please let me know.)
But for this “Back to School” season, I started a sponsorship ad spots on my blog, added my a new e-mail address that’s attached to my domain, will be investigating more affiliate programs and Google Adsense, and adding new items to my shop.
So I’m getting there. Thanks for your timely advice, Liz.
.-= Karen´s last blog ..Annual International Walk to School Day October 7, 2009 =-.
[Reply]
Thanks for the article. In the past few years I have seen increased sales on my website during the school year. I am hoping this year follows suit;).
Heather, it is great to read how your goals have been changing over time too. I also enjoy Seth’s “tribe” mentality and have been working on building up a tighter knit tribe via our facebook fan page.
Keep up the great work!
[Reply]
Liz, great post! One of my favorite techniques for achieving my goals is something my co-author/business partner, Robin Koval, and I call “mini-tasking.” Instead of letting one BIG goal overwhelm us, we break it down into tiny action items and plug away one by one. The confidence we gain from each small win fuels our spirits enough to keep us going until we’ve completed everything. So, this season forget about multi-tasking and mini-task your way to success!
[Reply]
Liz Goodgold Reply:
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Great idea Linda! It’s like the old joke: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!
I’m a big fan of your work! Liz
[Reply]