Answer These 3 Questions and You'll Have a Personal Marketing Plan

It's mid-January.  Do you have your personal marketing plan in place for the year?

If you Google "personal marketing plans," you get about 11,000 hits.  Clicking through, many authors advise beginning with developing a personal mission statement, vision statement, and SWOT analysis.  While this is fine advice, and likely preferable, I have found that the more complicated the process is on the front end, the less likely it will ever be started, much less finished. 

Therefore, let's begin without the mission, vision, or SWOT analysis.  Let's make it easy.  Take out a sheet of paper.  Write these questions down:

• Where do I want to be in my career by January 1, 2011?
• What will it take to get there?
• What will be the possible impediments?

It's that easy. 

Now, answer the first question.  (Note that this post is talking about professional goals, not personal ones, but they can be integrated in this list)  If, in a year, you want to be making X amount of money, write that down.  If you want to be on a partner track, write that down.  If you want to develop X amount of new business, write that down.  If you want to lay the foundation to start your own firm, write that down (and guard it carefully).  If you want to leave the profession that you're in and start something different, write that down. 

Answering this first question truthfully will be the hardest part of this exercise.  Make sure that your answers are attainable.  If you want to move from entry-level professional to a senior in one year, that is likely not going to happen.  Remember that most careers span about 35 years or so.  Each day, week, and year are pieces of that career.  Take the long view.  It's fine to set high goals for the year but make them realistic.

Once the first question has been answered, the next two should be easier to answer.

From these answers, develop your plan by noting your goals and then developing daily, weekly, and monthly objectives to help you achieve them.  Track your progress along the way.  

Again, it's that easy.  The hardest part is beginning so take some time before the end of the month to answer the three questions above.

For other resources on goal-setting and personal marketing plans, here are a few links that might be useful:

• Your Individual Attorney Marketing Plan
• Writing Your Personal Marketing Plan
• Attn Associates: How To Create Your Personal Sales & Marketing Plan
• Build Your Book of Business With a Personal Marketing Plan
• Roadmap for Your Career: Your Personal Marketing Plan
• Do You Have a Marketing Plan for Yourself?
• Writing Your Personal Marketing Plan to Get Ahead

Comments

[bvgirl]

I really like your shortened system but there is one other question that I would add - Are you willing to do it?

It is one thing to know what you should do and even what the obstacles might be in your way but if you aren't willing to make changes, to work harder, to take new approaches you will not ever get to the place you want to be on 1-1-11.

This has been the hard question for me. I love planning so it is easy for me to come up with ideas and goals. But often I find that I don't want them badly enough to make those necessary changes.

Success is knowing what you need to do and then having the drive to do it.