Written by: Vickie Sullivan | January 05, 2021
Your 2021 Plan: Strategies You Should Implement Next
Now that your holidays are over, I’m sure you have a lot of ideas and plans for 2021. In fact, you probably have more ideas than you can bring to market. The big question for you now: How do you choose what ideas to implement?
This decision is more strategic than it appears. Not only do you devote time, energy, and resources (which is not easy to replace), but you also pay a psychological toll considering the risk of failure during these volatile times.
2 Standards to Decide What to Implement
It’s tempting to implement ideas you like the most. While there’s a case to be made for passion, let’s broaden the criteria. Here are two standards to help you decide which idea to implement next:
• Market feasibility. A lot of us get so enamored with our work that we assume buyers will love it, too. I’ve noticed, however, that our contributions can be seen as “nice to have” rather than something “we have to do now.” The former is the main reason why sales stall; the latter gets projects fast tracked. So, before you decide what strategy to implement next, evaluate your buyers’ needs, as well as your competition. And be brutally honest.
Listen: How Buyers Define “Nice to Have”
• Implementation. Look at how easy (or difficult) it will be to implement an idea. Often, we get so excited about the outcome that we gloss over the work it takes to get there. We don’t realize the challenge until we’re in the middle of implementation and feel overwhelmed. Idea:
Look at your internal resources – who on your team can help and what can you do yourself – and compare that with what you need. Then ask yourself: “Am I willing to do what it takes to pull this off?”
A lot of us don’t spend enough time thinking about what strategy is best and will deliver the results we want. We pick something without doing the research. Given the hefty price of failure, think before you leap.
Now Read This:
- 2 Reasons Why Great Marketing Plans Fail
- How to Determine Market Feasibility and Direction for All Your Bright Ideas