30-60-90 hike!

Guess what sports fans? It’s almost football season. The sports talk airwaves are filled with football speak – preseason college rankings, upset specials, NFL preseason games, etc.

Pretty soon we’ll be hearing field microphones capturing the quarterback’s “hut one, hut two, hut three” hike calls.

I’ve got my own version of the quarterback barking signals over the center, and it’s called “30-60-90 hike.”

If you are an agency owner, CEO or COO it’s that time of year to get serious about the next 90 days. And, if you are, you’ll be able to enjoy the last 30 – December – with less stress than normal.

Here’s what I suggest to my clients:

Create specific goals for the next 30 days; the next 60 days; and the next 90 days. Make the commitment to achieve those in the time frame you set. Take a measure of what you have achieved after each 30-day period.

You will be surprised at much you can accomplish if you set achievable goals that move you and your agency forward.

Your 2011 revenue goals will be, in part, dependent on how much new business you can generate in the last third of this year. So, as you create your goals make proactive business development a priority.

Where's Your Marketing?

I just read an article in Advertising Age, “How Social Media Is Helping Public-Relations Sector Not Just Survive, but Thrive”.

It is an interesting piece about how public relations firms are capitalizing on their inherent strategic thinking and social media expertise to develop innovative, result-oriented programs for clients and helping the industry rebound quickly from the recession.

I have only one issue with the story. Look who’s cited and quoted: Edelman, Omnicom (parent of Ketchum, Fleishman and Porter Novelli), Interpublic (which owns Weber Shandwick, Golin Harris and MWW), and Hill & Knowlton.

We all know that excellence in social media/marketing programs are not the province of the big global firms – so why are there no small or mid-size firms mentioned. The easy answer may be that none of you are advertisers in Advertising Age.

Yet, I wonder, how many of you out there have even thought about trying to interest Ad Age in even doing a story? If, like many firms, you want bigger clients, bigger brands and bigger budgets, what are you doing from a marketing standpoint to make those prospective clients aware that you exist?

Shouldn’t traditional public relations (read print publicity) still have a place in your marketing mix?

Turn Around -- Sept. 1 is Gaining on You

Turn around. September 1 is gaining on you.

What’s so special about September 1?

It marks my official start to the last 1/3 of the year. Most people think about the last quarter – I suggest you start to think about your business in thirds.

January-April:
• jump-starting new clients
• launching new programs for existing clients
• executing your business plan or (in January) developing your new one
• active business development and marketing
• investing in the business
• revising your operating budget based on current results

May-August:
• keeping the proactive business development and marketing going
• taking a critical assessment of the first six-eight months and revising your plans accordingly
• conducting formal client reviews
• continuing your rolling budget review
• adding new resources
• preparing for the stretch run to December

September-December: you are entering one of the most critical periods of the year. This is the time frame that can make or break the following year. Develop a four-month plan for success.

• winning business that will carry over to next year
• reviewing your stars’ career development track, and keeping them motivated and enthused
• addressing client vulnerabilities and opportunities with additional client review sessions
• selling in new services to achieve stretch goals
• beginning to plan for the following year

September 1 is almost here.

What are you doing to prepare for this critical 1/3 of your year?