Plan Your Dream, Work Your Plan!
Part Two of a Two-Part Series
It was the first national conference I'd ever been part of. I was responsible for coming up with the theme. I was excited to do a deep dive on planning so I came up with this:
Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan
This theme was based on an important lesson I learned as a young sales rep for McCain Foods. The SVP, Bob Cherneski asked me what my goal was for the quarter and I came up with what I thought would be an impressive number. Truthfully, I was so nervous I made it up on the spot.
Then he pressed on. What's your daily commitment to that goal? Achieving goals is not about the big number that makes you sound good. (Yikes, how did he know?) It's about living up to your personal commitments on a daily basis.
"It's one thing to come up with a plan, but it is not worth the paper it is written on
if you don't do the work."
It made perfect sense to me. Since then I've seen the powerful connection between planning, and doing the work, especially the little things that no one sees, but that matter over time.
When I shared this inspired theme with the CEO he looked at it for a minute. Then took out his red pen, crossed out the first-word "WORK" and replaced it with "DREAM".
A second a-ha moment from the same lesson.
If the plan is not based on a DREAM that fuels your passion then
when the going gets tough,
you will NOT get going.
In fact, you won't even feel like starting.
As we come out of the tumbleweed of the last 18 months it’s time to plan for a spectacular 2022. What is your DREAM for your travel business?
How do you make it so exciting that you cannot wait to show up for it?
How big do you want it to be?
What do you love to sell? Who will you sell it to?
Who is your support crew?
How will you celebrate your success?
Why is your work important to you?
Next, connect that dream to the work you need to do to bring it to life.
Your 2022 Marketing Plan is the cornerstone of your recovery. It will …
Fill your pipeline with ideal prospects for you to nudge and nurture all year long.
Create a framework for simple, effective content to attract more ideal customers.
Create customers for life!
Here is a model to base your plan on:
WHY: A Marketing Plan should reflect your unique purpose and ability. Why do you love your travel business?
WHO: WHO is your ideal customer? Every good plan is based on a single, ideal customer.
WHAT: What you sell reflects your brand. Look back at your best year of sales. Decide what you're happy with, and what you need to sell more of going forward.
WHEN: Timing is everything. Every travel product has peak booking windows. Work with suppliers and talk to your customers to find out the very best time to promote for each month of the year. Having a 12-month rolling calendar helps take the pressure off figuring out what to promote.
WHERE: Where will you suggest your ideal customers travel? Choosing travel destinations in advance allows you to leverage as much content intel as possible such as travel tips, local events, special interests and attractions, and more.
If you are interested in learning more about creating a DREAM Marketing Plan for your travel business, join our Flying Colours Academy! Starting on December 3, 2021, reply to this email or email me at geraldine@geraldineree.com.
Enjoy the journey!
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