I'm a firm believer in the old adage that "failing to plan is planning to fail," but I'm also not from the school of thought that believes you need a full-blown multi-page marketing plan to succeed, especially if you run your own business.
And I say this as someone with an MBA in Marketing who used to get paid many thousands of dollars to write marketing plans for companies.
I've been an entrepreneur since 1989 and I've always found that the longer the plan I write for myself, the less likely I am to follow it.
Part of why I've chosen to be my own boss all these years is the creative energy and inspiration that comes from being able to act on my ideas without sitting around analyzing them to death.
A one page plan gets me far closer to my goals than a big report ever will, otherwise I just suck all the joy out of my ideas before I actually act on them.
So with the fall real estate market getting underway in the next week or so, whether you're a real estate agent or a home stager, I think it's important to spend focused time thinking about your business. I begin with a huge sheet of paper and start by "mind mapping" and brainstorming various ideas. I don't sit at a computer to do this, somehow doing it by hand on paper is more conducive to idea generation. After much thought and brainstorming by myself, I do make a list of marketing goals along with a list of specific steps I'll take to reach those goals.
I find the more specific I am, the better. I also keep it simple so that I will take action rather than feeling overwhelmed.
Another point: Try not to do what you've always done (especially if you're expecting better results than you've had before). And don't just do what you see everyone else doing. Step outside the box and challenge yourself to break from the pack, that where the real rewards are.
So how big is your plan? How do you go about tackling the process?
Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
President, Six Elements Inc. Home Staging
A Fortune 500 company veteran, Debra Gould has been a business writer since the 1980s and wrote a chapter of the book "Marketing Masters" published in 1998. She is also known as The Staging Diva and is president of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company that is frequently profiled in the media in both the US and Canada. Debra Gould developed The Staging Diva Program to create opportunities for others to grow their own profitable home staging businesses. There are currently over 900 Staging Diva Graduates around the world.
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