A Simple Guide to SMART Goal Setting
There is a real danger in going through life and business without goals. Goals, especially in business, help keep you motivated, focused, and aware of the bigger picture. So, how do you make strong goals, keep them going, and actually accomplish them? By following these simple steps:
1. Be SMART with Big Goals
Start with the big picture things for your company. These goals should be long-term, slightly broad, and challenging, but not impossible. The SMART goal method is a proven and very popular way of setting these types of goals.
SMART goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Based
This method works in great part because it causes you to really think about what you want to accomplish. Here’s the difference between vague and SMART goals:
Vague Goal: I want more customers.
SMART Goal: I want to increase overall sales by $100,000 to be able to hire additional staff. To do this, I need to increase new customers by 10% in the next 12 months or a minimum of 200 or more customers per week.
2. Break the Goals into Supporting Objectives
Before you get overwhelmed by your big goals, break them down into much smaller objectives. These will create ongoing small wins that will keep you motivated and focused. A few marketing objectives for our SMART goal would be:
Marketing Objective 1: Reach 50% more of the high-end market in Decatur, Madison, Huntsville, Athens, and Hartselle through advertising.
Marketing Objective 2: Increase referrals by customers by 5% in 12 months.
Marketing Objective 3: Increase online reach by 10% through social media and online advertising.
These objectives can be broken down into even smaller goals or tasks, such as increasing the number of posts on Facebook from one per week to three per week. Again, we are looking for small wins that contribute the bigger goal.
3. Measure, Adapt, and Repeat
Goals are derailed when time is not spent to measure and track results. While metrics can be tedious, the rewards of setting up a tracking method can be huge. You need these measurements to celebrate the small victories, avoid costly mistakes, and make important changes to the plan.
While some situations may need deep metrics, most goals can be measured using Google Analytics, social media metrics, lead generation reporting tools, and even the time-tested, “How did you find us?” method. The key thing is that you are measuring results, adapting your goals, and continuously moving toward that bigger goal.
For more guidance on how to create and accomplish your SMART goals, give us a call at 256.560.0098.
