Downloads

4 The Modern Branding Playbook In terms of planning, it is best to plan your day the night before – call it your "tomorrow list." Have it ready when you wake up and you can quickly jump into your day. Start off with some physical activity. This is a routine that's difficult for many, but it's been proven that it energizes people and helps them improve their ability to focus. These are two competitive advantages you need: energy to win the battle for attention and focus to set your sights on growing your business. Commit to the amount of time that you will spend specifically on marketing. It may be one to two hours per day or several hours a week. Even allotting short intervals of time each day will lead to successes. Assign time to interact with people directly. Face-to-face or communications by phone is still critical. Social media helps, but nothing builds trust and relationships like face time. Also, assign time for thinking about your big ideas and solutions. Think about your products and services and how they overcome challenges and provide solutions. There are always new ideas, improvements and new approaches for marketing them. Block off time to simply think about your clients and customers and what they need and the problems they encounter. This is where you will come up with your new solutions and approaches. Studies show that the most successful people spend at least a half hour a day simply thinking about their big ideas, goals and solutions. Remember, it's no longer about being the best; today when marketing it's about being different. Consider this when developing your ideas. How are the methods you use or the solutions you offer different than others in your market? Client calls and communications: keep in touch with clients to make sure that they are satisfied with your services and products and, most importantly, the attention they receive from you. Address any issues raised as soon as possible. If you don't communicate on a regular basis with a client, the client may leave and go to a competitor. Guess what? Failing to communicate makes this loss your fault, not your client's and certainly not your competitors. When a client is happy and chooses to stay with you for a number of years, they will become a resource for referrals and other business growth opportunities. Invest the time to keep client relationships strong, long-lasting and productive. Block off time and take breaks to recharge your mind and your body. Certainly take time for meals and to refresh your energy. Please use this planner to write down your work day from start to finish. You will use this daily work and marketing planner to remove time waste from your day. List actions to take such as check emails, going to lunch and breaks. Then use this list daily to make sure you are on target with your time. Work (for many of us nowadays) is no-longer 9-to-5 and five days a week. We are connected 24/7, 365 days a year. This does not negate taking time off to be with our families and having fun and enjoyment. However, to succeed we need to be mindful of our schedules and the effective use of our productive time. Remember, it's no longer about being the best; today when marketing it's about being different. Daily Work Planner

• Cover