Planning to be Spontaneous
I received the most amazing gift for my 40th birthday – a luxurious week in Paris! Now, I’ve never visited this city and have been dreaming about it since I was a little girl, so to say my expectations are high is a gross understatement. The art, the architecture, the history, the food, the wine….Uh-oh..How the heck do I accomplish everything? All of a sudden my visions of leisurely sipping coffee at a streetside café, my dreams of wandering gardens surrounding Rodin sculptures are being replaced by a frantic feeling of how do I fit it all in. 7 days? Are you kidding?!
Here is where living and traveling with an A+ personality, a.k.a. Andy Boettcher, comes in handy. The fact that he has already visited Paris twice hasn’t kept the travel books (including a Christmas gift of Paris for Dummies – I didn’t take it too personally) from pouring into the house.
Of course, there is the danger of over planning. If left unchecked, my overzealous travel companion would most likely plan every minute of every day of our trip. This is where the voice of reason, a.k.a. me, (I’m only an A- by the way) steps in.
I’ve witnessed this type of activity before, not only personally, but professionally as well. And it got me thinking about our relationship with “the big P” (planning) and how it affects our social and professional lives.
Recently, while having lunch with a group of friends, the topic of conversation turned to my Paris trip. I found it quite interesting that my friends’ methods of planning their vacations seemed to mirror the way they run their personal and professional lives. One lunch companion, who has a devil may care attitude and is very creative told us that she is completely comfortable with having her travel companions plan her trips. Another friend, who seamlessly runs several businesses, is an active volunteer and a mother to boot, confessed that she planned her entire trip to Paris for the whole group with which she and her husband traveled. Both had marvelous times. I decided then and there to do something in the middle – much like I suggest to my marketing clients. I was going to plan to be spontaneous.
Below I’ll share some of my planning strategies for my trip and then, how those strategies apply to a business – specifically in the area of marketing.
- I have an overall goal for the trip. Become an art-infused goddess so I can bring back this newfound knowledge to my own children and the group of 4th graders to whom I give monthly art presentations.
Business Translation: Put measurables into place - like web stats, sales goals, etc. Evaluate what you did last year and up the ante. Increase web visits by 10%, increase sales by 5%. You’ve got to establish goals.
- I am creating an itinerary. Day by day, where are we going, what are we doing.
Business Translation: Create a Marketing Plan. Put it on paper. Sales, Advertising, PR. What is your plan and who is helping you carry out this plan?
- I am prioritizing my visit. What are the must-sees, must-dos? Eiffel Tower, Musee D’Orsay, etc.
Business Translation: What marketing must you get done in order to continue to function. These are the basics – the tried and true. Then, should you get the time, funds, what are your secondaries? For instance, you must get your website optimized in order to come up on searches, but maybe a complete redesign can wait for now. Don’t get sidetracked by bells and whistles. Determine your priorities and stick to them.
- I am setting aside some down time. One completely open day in Paris to do whatever strikes our fancy.
Business Translation: Plan for the unexpected. Put a little extra in your marketing budget for those advertising opportunities that may pop up throughout the year.
- I am going to let others help plan the parts of my vacation that aren’t as important to me. Andy can plan the transportation and hotel - I’m good with that!
Business Translation: If you’re struggling to create that logo on your own or wading through a sea of bookkeeping, hire a professional to take care of it. They can do it quicker, better and for less money than what you’d think. This will leave you open to concentrate on those areas of your business that you do well and truly enjoy.
I hope you’ve pulled a little out of this enewsletter that you can apply to your own situation. If you need help getting started on your 2010 Marketing Plan or if you’d like another perspective or a little fine-tuning, give me a call.
Au revoir!
Dina Boettcher, President
Boettcher Communications, LLC
101 N. 4th Avenue, Suite 105
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
920.818.0377
dina@boettchercommunications.com
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