When Lewis Carroll’s Alice asks the Cheshire Cat how to find her way, he replies, “If you don’t care where you’re going, it doesn’t make any difference which path you take.”
There’s a lot to be said for planning. We’ve heard all the sayings, haven’t we? ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail’ etc.
Most of us do have plans; business plans, life plans, marketing plans, personal goals, business goals…
An important component of your marketing or business plan should be a BNI or networking plan.
* Have you set your referral goals – given and received – for 2010?
* Have you identified people/categories you need to recruit into the chapter who will add to your business?
* Have you identified people in your chapter who you should get closer to?
* Do you have a goal for how much money you would like your networking activities to generate, and how much it’s going to cost?
* Have you a list of the people in your chapter or network who you need to give more referrals to?
* Have you asked yourself how better you can leverage your BNI / network?
Finally, do you have a step by step plan for achieving those goals?
The one part of the Lewis Carroll quote that is often overlooked, in the text and in our planning activity, is the verb – ‘going’.
While there’s a lot to be said for planning, there’s even more to be said for carrying out the plan and staying on track with the plan.
Don’t allow yourself to be distracted. Don’t lose focus.
Read your plans weekly. Itemise actions in your Outlook Calendar. Make your dances a reoccurring appointment.
Planning is important. Actually ‘working the plan’ is essential for success.
2 comments
Wow! You are right, let’s plan for 2010 now. It will be here before you know it.
Well written article. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Riyaz, as the saying goes – there’s no time like now.
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