Many professionals and small business owners approach their marketing goals the same way they approach their New Years resolutions: they make them, but fail to stick with them.



According to businessknowledgesource.com, 79% of people making New Years resolutions fail to accomplish them. Not only that, they usually give up in less than a month.





Unfortunately, the same can be said about most marketing goals. Many small business owners start out with the same good intentions, yet fail to follow through.



Why do they fail?



I believe they fail because they lack what you will have in a few moments: a sound, written plan to ensure success.



Here is a simple seven step plan to achieve your goals. I learned this from marketing and achievement expert Michael Masterson.



Seven Steps to Achieving All of Your Marketing Goals



1. Set only one goal you can achieve in a year or less.



I know you have many things you want to accomplish, but by limiting yourself to only one goal the one thats most important to you you are able to concentrate on achieving it.



Many people try to set many marketing goals at the same time with the intention of reaching them all in record time. Unfortunately, they begin to fall behind and then, one by one, the goals fall to the wayside unfulfilled.



Its far better to start with one goal and focus all of your energy on achieving it. This one success will give you the confidence to move ahead on other goals more efficiently.



Choose the one goal that is most important to you that you can realistically achieved in one year. If it cant be accomplished in a year, simplify it. If it cant be done in a year, it will probably not be accomplished.



An example of an appropriate goal may be to increase your business\'s sales by $50,000 in one year.



2. Write down the goal and set a reasonable date for completion.



Whats the key difference between those who achieve their goals and those who dont?



Success-gurus like Mark Victor Hansen or Brian Tracy are sure to tell you that those who achieved their goals took the time to write them down. They also took the time to write down the steps they needed to take to achieve them.



Your written goal should look something like this: I will increase our business\'s sales by $50,000 by December 31, 2008 by designing and implementing an effective new marketing program.



3. Make the goal measurable.



Youll notice that the goal above is clearly measurable either youve made $50,000 more by December 31st or you havent. This is far more effective than a vague goal like, I want to grow my business.



4. Break down the goal into smaller objectives with deadlines for each one and write them down.



Objectives are smaller steps toward achieving your goal. Create a list of all the objectives you need to meet, in the order you need to achieve them to accomplish the goal.



If your goal is to create $50,000 in new revenue for your business by the end of the year and your average gross revenue per sale is $250, then you know you need to add 200 additional sales this year. If you break that down monthly, youll need about 16 additional sales per month or about 4 per week.



What marketing strategies can you put in place to generate these sales?



Is there any additional knowledge of marketing you need to come up with these strategies?



Create a list of all the objectives you need to accomplish to achieve your goal.



5. Break each objective down into smaller, dated tasks.



Lets say youve decided that one of the objectives you need to meet to increase the number of sales you generate is to increase the number of your referrals. You might break that down this way:



Marketing Goals Achievement Plan



MARKETING GOAL: To increase sales in my business by $50,000 by December 31, 2008.



OBJECTIVE #1: To implement a strategy to increase referrals.

Date Due: February 1, 2008



Task 1: Develop a Referral Generation Form to be used to gather names of potential new clients from existing clients.

Date Due: January 23, 2008



Task 2: Develop a Letter (which includes a special new client offer) to send to these potential new clients to encourage appointments.

Date Due: January 26, 2008



Task 3: Develop a Referral Reward system to thank my existing clients for each person they referred who schedules an appointment.

Date Due: January 30, 2008



Task 4: Print all necessary forms, educate staff on the new systems and implement.

Date Due: February 1, 2008



6. Enlist assistance.



Share your written goal and objectives with a spouse, friend or business associate someone who supports your success.



Ask them to hold you accountable for accomplishing every task, objective and goal you have listed on your written plan. When you accomplish each task and objective, have your friend check it off your list.



This step is extremely important. If you hide your marketing goals, its easier to break them because no one knows about them. By making them known, you increase your chances of success.



7. Reward yourself.



When your friend checks off an objective as accomplished, draw a thick black line through it this simple act alone can be a real reward, a psychological boost for you. In addition, though, go ahead and treat yourself to a guilt-free bowl of ice cream or a movie night out.



By following this plan, youll be able to achieve those major marketing goals in a solid, systematic way... instead of simply reverting to the same old lament, Oh well, maybe next year!