Each year I host “Review and Renew”, an online event all about looking back at the year that was, evaluating your tangible and emotional achievements and then getting clear and planning for the year. It’s a fabulous experience that provides you with confidence and clarity no matter what stage of business you are at.
It’s coming up again next week and I’d want to make sure you have your invitation to join us! You can register at http://bit.ly/Review2019Plan2020 to join me for the live training and discussion calls, the thought-provoking workbooks and the Q&A’s and prompts in the Next Chapter Facebook Community.
Show Notes
- I'm a big believer in double planning - I really recommend that you take some time this side of Christmas to have a look back through your year and evaluate your results and then put some thought into what you want to create. Then put that aside, give yourself some breathing space and then come back for a review in early to mid-January. You’ll likely be surprised by the changes you then feel you want to make. Single session planning doesn’t allow this essential breathing space
- Please realise that when you review your year, the probability is that it will not look like you intended it to look at the beginning of the year. And that’s both ok and totally normal!
- I like to think of planning as providing light parameters, guidance for the year. Combine these intentions with wearing “glass blinkers” – these mean you’re focused, but you're also open to other possibilities. If you keep your vision front of mind and yet hold expectations of how you will get there lightly, you’ll have the expansive thinking that allows you to discern the differences between distractions and opportunities
- Consider your energy levels this year. How have they been? Is burnout lingering around the edges? Do you need to make changes in the way you work? Do you need to soften your goals? Do you need to get a little bit more realistic? There is a natural ebb and flow in our businesses - we can have a really hectic month or quarter, and then we need to breathe and have a more receptive, less hustle period as well. Do you allow this for yourself?
- We begin with reviewing your year, looking at the tangible and emotional achievements that you've had. What went well financially, and what lit you up emotionally? We need that combination in our businesses. How did you feel about delivering each service and product? Wildly enthused or somewhat like warm?
- We then move to looking at your Revenue “Pie”. Ask yourself, what financial contribution did each product and service make to your overall revenue? What changes need to be considered as a result?
- This leads to checking your “Success Gaps”. If a service line is not delivering as you anticipated, there may be a break in the chain at several points and it’s important to address the correct one. Is it a visibility issue? A marketing issue? Copy? Pricing? Is it that you need to work on your own confidence in sales conversations? Don’t throw out a product or service that you love and you can see a need for without understanding if it has been given every opportunity to succeed first.
- Your Offer Staircase is next – this is your product suite, the group of services and products and experiences and events that you offer to the market. As the staircase analogy suggests, people are moving up with you over time. They may begin with consuming some of your free items, or your low investment experiences as they get to know you and find resonance between their needs and your style. Over time they move into higher levels of intimacy and commitment with you, because what we're looking for is really to build long term relationships with clients, rather than have short term transactions with customers.
- Once these reflective foundations have been checked we
