Okay, I’ll admit it. I’ve got “end-of-year” fever. It’s similar to summer fever, vacation fever, and all the other fevers out there. My thoughts are elsewhere, and not really focused on marketing and business development. But wait … there’s still a whole month left before we ring in the New Year (okay, three weeks until the kids get out of school and it’s all about Christmas). So, what can we do?? It’s too late to set up a business trip to go visit clients. Holiday parties are kicking off … You can send a gift. Maybe sign a card. You can write that marketing plan you’ve always sworn you’d write and live by. Okay, stop laughing … we know you’re more interested in what Cyber-Monday has to offer. How’s this: REVIEW YOUR YEAR!

  • What did you do to raise your profile??
  • How did you get your name (your brand) out there?
  • What should you repeat next year??
  • What fell flat, or didn’t really work???
  • That “annual” event … is it still relevant? Can you do it differently next year???
  • What can you add to your marketing mix for 2011?? What steps do you need to take to accomplish this?

Marketing and business development isn’t always about what’s on the horizon. It’s also about reflecting on what you did right, what you did wrong, and what you’ll do differently next time. It’s about defining your objectives, and measuring your results against those objectives. It’s about realigning our efforts, and changing direction mid-stream, if need be. So, grab a cup of coffee, turn on some holiday tunes, and reflect on your year. List your accomplishments. And, maybe, lay out some goals and objectives for next year.