Why You Always Need a Plan: Simple Tips To Help You Get Started Today

It’s easy to procrastinate when it comes time to fully plan something.  At some point or another, we’ve all done it!  My guess is because it takes a lot of time and resources to map out future action steps you’ll need to take to achieve your goals.

Think about the times when you said you wanted to do something (your goal) and decided to go for it, blindly.  How did that work out for you? A lot of time and research in the moment trying to decide where to go next?

Now, think about another time when you said you wanted to achieve a goal and took the time to strategically map out your plan of action. Was it easier this time?

Benjamin Franklin allegedly said, “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”.  When you think about it, this is a fairly true statement. While you may think that taking the time and using your resources to map out a clear, actionable plan may be a waste of time or may end up taking too much of your time, you end up wasting more time in the grand scheme of things.

Failing to plan is one of the leading causes of dusty old boxes of promotional products that are sitting in a storage closet, waiting to find homes in your ideal client’s hands. Yes, even when you purchase promotional items, I highly recommend you have a plan so you are able to see a return on your investment!

Here are some tips on how to go about planning your next promotional marketing strategy:

• What are you trying to accomplish? Think about the goal you are trying to achieve.  Are you trying to increase leads? Would you like to drive more sales? Reactivate old accounts? Appreciate customers (or, employees)? Incentivize employees?
• Decide on a budget.  How much of your marketing budget are you willing to invest in order to achieve your goal?
• What are the steps you need to take in order to achieve your goal? Start with the end in mind and make sure to chunk it down into manageable tasks.
• Which tools do you need to help you implement your action plan? Do you need to set up a landing page? Do you need a sales page? Which promotional items will your client hold onto?

No matter what you do, no matter what goal you have, it is always best you take the time to plan! When in doubt, remember the wise words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “a goal without a plan is just a wish”.