I have been experiencing a lot of internal dialog regarding how to calculate success and the development of goals and metrics. The fact is that it is hard to know if any of what you do it is actually working. Just because I am busy and have new business coming in does not mean it is all happening in a way that produces longevity. I strive for a lasting impression rather then some quick hype. Quick hype may result in a short bump in business but always ends up looking like a bell curve. How do you measure sustainable growth through your marketing efforts during slow times? It is hard to determine whether or not people are storing up knowledge about your product or service with plans to buy when the moment is right.
One critical reminders for all of us is that success is always best understood contextually; that is to say, that success is going to look different depending on where you are and in the context through which you’re doing business. This is why I make it really easy for people to communicate with me.
You need metrics for you business. You need goals for your business. But they don’t have to be like the other guy who’s business you admire or any of your competitors for that matter. Let the dream stay alive without you killing yourself over it because you’re not meeting or setting the goals you assume your competitors are. You need metrics in place so you have something to measure and you need to be setting goals so you have something to measure against. Those goals can be sales figures, ROI, or anything that results in forward movement. If you never make plans to measure your success you will never know how successful you actually are.