Speaker - December 2017

BY TERRI LANGHANS, CSP

A new way to look at the new year, measure (and hit) your numbers CHECKLIST

TERRI LANGHANS, CSP, helps make boring marketing interesting at BlahBlahBlah.us. She just nailed her word-count benchmark of 400.

December may be upon us, but no more New Year’s resolutions for me. Don’t misunderstand. I still enjoy the energizing renewal that comes from setting and achieving new goals. Unlike most Americans, however, I enjoy it 12 times a year instead of just once.

WHY? NSA Past-President Mark LeBlanc said it best: “My life, career, and level of success changed forever when I let go of the calendar year as my focus. Now I look at a ‘rolling’ 12-month period as my year, where the first of every month is the beginning of a new year. Why have just one celebration a year when you can have 12?”

HOW? Whether you want to speak, consult, sell, save, give, write, exercise, earn, play, or stay home more (you get the idea), look at your numbers monthly. Create a benchmark—a specific number that measures the result or the activity related to your goal.

At right is a sample of both personal and professional goals and monthly benchmarks.

SPEA K ERNOMICS

NOTE: If you miss a target, it is rarely the target’s fault. For example, if you miss your revenue target, before lowering it, check your marketing benchmarks. Did you plant a new business seed every single workday? Or did you skip a few (or many) days? Don’t like your weight? How did your yoga, meal, and mileage benchmarks measure up this month?

What do you want more (or less) of? Create your own categories, identify the activities and actions that will generate the momentum to get the results you’re after. And don’t forget to celebrate!