Quick Start Kit To S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting and Strategic...

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Quick Start Kit To S.M.A.R.T. Goal

Setting and Strategic Planning

A Simple and Easy Guide to Goal Setting and Strategic Planning

Gail Saseen

Quick Start Kit To S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting and Strategic Planning

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Created & Copyrighted By Gail Saseen and GailSaseen.com ©2012 www.gailsaseen.com – [email protected]

Congratulations on downloading your Quick Start Kit To

S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting and Strategic Planning . You are about to

discover that using S.M.A.R.T. principles in your business to

identify and reach your overall goals and objectives is simple and

easy….

In this Kit you will discover:

What S.M.A.R.T. Is…

Why S.M.A.R.T. is critical to goal setting?

How to develop S.M.A.R.T. goals to begin your roadmap

to success.

What Strategic Business Planning is…

How to use your Smart goals to drive your business and

marketing plan.

This Quick Start Kit To S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting and Strategic

Planning includes:

Simple S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting Template

Easy S.M.A.R.T. “Big Picture” Strategic Business &

Marketing Planner

Video tutorial to get you planning starting today

Also Available at www.gailsaseen.com

S.M.A.R.T. Strategic Marketing & Planning Calendar System™

Done With You Programs

Coaching

http://www.gailsaseen.com/


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What Is S.M.A.R.T.?

Many business owners and entrepreneurs do not accomplish their goals is because they don’t know the best, most effective way of setting goals. Good goal setting leads to good planning and ultimate success. It only makes sense, right? If you don’t know specifically what you want (goals) or where you’re going (planning), how can you get there?

“If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up

someplace else.” Yogi Berra

Rather profound from our baseball friend and so true! I’ve spoken to hundreds of entrepreneurs and they most agreed that formalized written goals, planning and systems development are the weakest areas in their businesses. Most even avoid the thought of goal setting, planning and systems development because of the perceived complexity of the task. There is a S.M.A.R.T. way of setting goals and the procrastinators way to setting goals. The most effective way to begin your business planning is by using S.M.A.R.T. principles. This approach is simple and easy and will almost guarantee your success because S.M.A.R.T. goals contain all of the information necessary to take action to achieve each one. However, don’t forget….. Ultimately it’s the action you take after goal setting that will actually lead you to maximum success.

So, let’s get to it!

What is S.M.A.R.T. and what does it stand for? S.M.A.R.T. stands for….

Specific – Measurable – Attainable - Realistic/Relevant - Timely/Time Bound.

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/y/yogiberra391900.html


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Just below, we’ll begin to get into each element of the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting process. It’s important to reiterate now that when goals and objectives are written and formalized with your team/staff using the S.M.A.R.T. principles, they become a focal point for action and direction for all. Also, these goals and objectives become the basis for the development of all business and marketing planning, individual job descriptions and work plans, and a standard for accountability.

Now let’s explore S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Specific: The first element of S.M.A.R.T. is being very

specific. When you are totally clear and firm in your goal your chance of success is great. When setting a specific goal, you must consider the who, what, why, where, when, and what. Goals must be clear and well defined.

EXAMPLE: A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a specific goal would say, “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week.”

Measurable: The second element of S.M.A.R.T. is the

measurement criteria.

Determine the specific criteria for measuring progress toward the

completion of each goal you set so that you can measure results

and keep track of your progress. When you measure your

progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and

experience satisfaction of getting stuff done.

To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as……

How much? How many?

How will I know when I reach my goal?

Am I on track with my time line?


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Attainable: Goals must achievable. The best goals

require you to stretch a bit to achieve them but they are not impossible to achieve.

When you identify goals that are most important

to you, you begin to figure out ways you can

make them come true. You develop the

attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to

reach them. You begin seeing previously

overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the

achievement of your goals. It becomes the Law of Attraction at

work.

You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps S.M.A.R.T.ly and establish logical time frames that allow you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach will move closer and become attainable because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.

Realistic/Relevant & Responsible: Your goal is

realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished.

To be realistic, a goal must represent something that you are both

willing and able to work for. A goal can be both high and realistic;

you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal

should be.

A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal is generally not as motivational. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love.

To determine if your goal is realistic and relevant, consider the following questions:

Is my goal realistic and within my reach?


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Am I willing to commit to my goal? Is my goal relevant to my business and life purpose? Is it in line with beliefs and values?

Who is responsible for completing the task? Is my goal relevant to other goals established and does it logically fit with my immediate and long-term plans?

Timely/Time Bound: Does

your goal have a deadline?

Goals must have a clearly defined time frame including a starting date and a target date. If you don’t have a time limit or end date then there is no urgency to start taking action towards achieving your goals.

Additionally, if you set a deadline your subconscious mind will begin putting into motion the accomplishment of that goal.

Staff and support team need to work on timelines with deadlines. That’s how you GET STUFF DONE! If you don’t have deadlines, how will you really know the status of your business?

Now that you understand the basis of developing great goals, take some time to think about and write down those goals that are most important to you. Consider personal and business goals as the same process can be used.

Goals are the starting point and essential to your detailed business planning. Goals are the foundation! Once your goals are determined then you can begin a planning process that is logical and makes sense to reach your goals. Every aspect of reaching your goal can be planned in specific detail. (That is another


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subject… How to Turn Your Goals Into A S.M.A.R.T. Business and Marketing Plan)

Now it’s your turn for action.

You will find a sample goal setting template at the end of this guide (make sure you download your checklist as well). This is the exact checklist I use to help me focus and develop actionable S.M.A.R.T. goals.


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Included in your Quick Start Kit To S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting and Strategic Planning is a blank template that you can use and tweak for your own purposes. Make sure you download the checklist and for your convenience you can find a PDF version at the end of this Quick Start Kit.

What is Strategic Business Planning

Strategic planning can be very broadly defined as a plan to get to

where you want to be from where you are now. It’s your roadmap

to success.

Strategic business planning starts by determining your end goal or

idea of what you want your business to look like in the future.

This is important because if you don’t know where you’re going –

you’re certainly NOT going to get there… make sense? Strategic

plans are developed to take the business from the existing

position to the desired position and income level.

Note: Strategic Plans are not Business Plans. Entrepreneurs

write business plans to present to the bank for funding and prove

potential future fitness of the business to the funding source.

Strategic plans are goal oriented action plans that take your

business where you want it to go.

You can start your planning and goal setting any time. You don’t

need to wait until the New Year or Fiscal Year. Start today if you

haven’t…. after all it’s your business and your plan for success.

If you procrastinate, you’ll NEVER achieve your desired goals (in

life or business).


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Simple Start To Strategic Business and

Marketing Planning

Your Strategic Business and Marketing Plan is an actionable

plan! Let’s face it, without the necessary action behind the plan

your effort will fail in achieving your goals.

To begin your planning process, think about your desired end

result… I call it planning with the end in mind. The next step is

backward planning.

Backward planning is a process that’s actually very simple….

Let’s take one major planning event for an example. Say you want

to do a live workshop. Determine when that event will happen

and put the dates of the event on your calendar. Next determine

your marketing timeline (usually 4 to 6 months). Count

backwards on your calendar 6 months and mark that date….

That’s when you must begin your marketing. Now you have your

timeline for marketing. On that timeline, determine your online

and offline marketing tasks and other activities to produce your

workshop.

That is a simple example of “big picture” backward planning. It

can be used in every aspect of your business.

When developing this type of plan, you will find it helpful to start

with broad, big picture plans outlining your plan and vision, and

the overall basic strategies for achieving these. Development of

broad strategies for marketing, operations, client care and will

provide your team direction on how to proceed.


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Below is the “Big Picture Strategic Business & Marketing Planner”

that is included in your free kit.

To get started, place on the calendar, first all of your major

events. For example: product launches, workshops/seminars,

your vacation, new product development milestones, etc.

Once you have identified all of your major events and milestones,

use backward planning to determine the start time for each

event.

Note: Please refer to the Planning Calendar Example included in

your Kit.

Hint! Use color coding to identify your different events.

Within the timeline for each event determine major subtasks that

are necessary to accomplish your ultimate events. These would

be things like Website revision, new squeeze pages, video

additions, marketing startup and post event activities such as

follow-up.

Ideally, every employee or team member should have a copy of

the big picture plan and an individual action plan tailored to


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accomplish the big picture plan. Together, each employee’s the

action plan will lead to accomplishing the big picture strategy.

How are Strategic Business & Marketing Plans

Developed?

There are five basic steps to getting started with a simple business

and marketing plan.

First…. assess the status of your business now. Write

down your current income level, staff or team members,

products and services and overhead. Write down any

information relevant to your business that effects or has

impact on your future status in reaching your desired

goals.

Second…. Referring to your goals, determine what

activities, events, product sales, Teleseminars, etc. you

must do to generate the income you desire. Once you

have those numbers….

Third…. Begin scheduling your major activities on your “big

picture” calendar using backward planning. Be careful not

to compete with yourself. Now you will have timelines for

each event or activity….

Fourth…. Determine the steps to complete each major

event within the timelines. These will include the subtasks,

if you will, to complete each major event.

Fifth…. Share with your team. Hold them accountable and

report progress.

Note that the last of the step, accountability, is extremely

important. Without it, not only will it be difficult to know whether

a goal has been successfully achieved but also to know how

effective different courses of action had been in achieving specific


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results. Tracking and reporting by your team is vital… numbers

don’t lie.

With good systems in place, the business will be improving its

effectiveness by identifying the best means to achieve specific

results.

You can discover more about developing S.M.A.R.T. Systems at

www.GailSaseen.com.

Included in your Quick Start Kit To S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting and

Strategic Planning is a “Big Picture” Strategic Business &

Marketing Planner Calendar Template. I suggest downloading the

calendar and printing it as large as you like (11x17 or larger

recommended). As shown, the calendar is created as Legal size.

Also available are 14 monthly dated S.M.A.R.T. Calendars and undated

Start S.M.A.R.T. Anytime Calendars to develop your detailed month to

month plan.

Resource Suggestion

How To Develop S.M.A.R.T. Systems Quickly & Easily and Put Your

Business on Autopilot!

A Step By Step Action Guide which includes all the tools and templates

you need to systematize your business starting today.

Click Here To View

http://www.gailsaseen.com/

http://gailsaseen.com/s-m-a-r-t-systems


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Conclusion:

You now know the basics of Planning. It can be fun, simple and easy.

The key is to stay consistent, adjust as necessary and use S.M.A.R.T

Principles!

For additional planning and business recourses, feel free to visit

www.GailSaseen.com.


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About Gail Saseen

Gail Saseen

Gail Saseen is a author and information marketing business coach and consultant. She has a unique ability for communicating complex marketing and technology concepts in simplified and understandable language. Gail is an internationally recognized authority in the areas of: marketing strategy and planning, systems development, direct mail, social media marketing, website and technology implementation, product development, information marketing and coaching.

Through her programs, Smart Business Entrepreneur and Social Media Leads System, Gail has helped hundreds of small business owners start, grow and expand their businesses in ways they never thought possible, many reach six and seven figures in amazingly short periods of time.

Prior to establishing Complete Marketing Systems, Gail spent 20 years as a Military Police and Material Acquisition Officer, in the United States Army, where she was one of the first women officers to complete Airborne training. She was on the Army Uniform Board and was responsible for introducing “work friendly” uniforms for women soldiers. Gail was directly responsible for introducing body armor into the standard uniform of Military Police Soldiers; she was a program manager responsible for a 2 Billion dollar budget for the development of the heavy tank and common chassis program prior to the first Gulf War.

In 1991, Gail was hand selected by the Department of State, and deployed to the United Arab Emirates, to be the U.S. Commandant of the first Military School for Arab Women in Abu Dhabi. Upon her return from the Gulf War, Gail served as the Chief of Security and Law Enforcement, Atlantic Division Corps of Engineers. She was responsible for security and law enforcement for 7 southern states and was a primary player in the Hurricane Andrew Recovery Efforts. Gail retired from the armed services in 1995.

Following the service, Gail was the Assistant Manager for one of the largest AIDS Walks in the country, raising well over 7 figures for the cause. After this experience, she was determined to start her own path as an entrepreneur and started her own independent pet sitting business. Gail ran and operated Just For Paws, Professional Pet Sitters for 5 years and grew that business to be one of the largest services in Atlanta, GA.

Gail was a co-owner of Complete Marketing Systems which offers a wide range of programs and services – from strategic marketing planning, list management, direct mail, product development, systems development, implementation techniques, to seminar and workshop event filling and planning. She helped develop several signature programs including: Information Marketing Building Blocks, Successful Event Marketing and Planning, Social Media Straight Talk, Direct Mail Building Blocks and Marketing Success Secrets.

Today Gail assists small business owners and entrepreneurs develop systems and strategic plans using S.M.A.R.T. Principles to accomplish their goals and set stuff done.

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