I want to talk about planning today because we are coming to the end of Q1 and moving into Q2. As you know, I am a girl who likes to plan in 90-day cycles, so it is time for review and planning.

90-day planning was one of those amazing things I got from corporate life, and I have kept it along with many other things because you can do an awful lot in 90 days, and it focuses the mind.

My experience is that sometimes you plan a year and forget what you must do in October and November.

Yet you can have a great focus using a 90-day process we always teach.

I wanted to talk about planning because I have been binge-watching several TV programmes with a planning theme.

Planning Lessons From The TV

I love a planning programme.

I love planning, and Denise is very happy because two of her favourite planning programmes are on TV on iPlayer.

One of the programmes is called Interior Design Masters; here is a quick summary.

It’s based around several budding interior designers. They probably want to do it as a full-time job. Some do interior design and want to have this as their full-time gig.

Alan Carr’s the presenter, so there’s also a good fun element. Several top-notch designers judge these individuals throughout the process as they are given different tasks.

This week was the first in the series, and the task was to design a B&B space in what used to be an old convent in Norfolk, in the UK.

It was really interesting, and what was funny related to planning was there was one lady called Sheree, and it’s just that you knew, unfortunately, that Sheree was going to go out in the first episode.

Alan Carr, the comedian, says to her, “Sheree, do you not think you should have a plan? When are you going to get this plan together?”

They had a room; they had to design it. She had no plan.

The TV company gives the budding designers a team of professionals to help them. For example, decorators, electricians, joiners.

So, they get all this physical help; they must tell their helpers what to make, etc.

Sheree wanted a wardrobe/closet making.

She’d drawn out this particular wardrobe, which was, fundamentally, just three lines on a bit of paper not that helpful or specific!

The whole point of mentioning this story is that she had no plan, which is fundamental if you want to make anything happen in your business or life.

• She hadn’t thought through what she wanted to achieve.
• She had no idea about what she wanted to create.
• She had no signature design she wanted to be known for

It was just absolutely a disaster.

What is Your Plan?

From your context, imagine the clients you want to attract and the candidates you want to bring on board. This programme demonstrates that having a plan does change the game.

Talking to recruitment and search companies as we do every week. That’s why I think a lot of smaller recruitment and search companies struggle because they don’t think through.

A, what they want to achieve; B, how they will make it happen; and C, maybe creating a plan is a good idea.

The Many Benefits of Having a Marketing Plan Now

To convince you to get this plan created for Q2, let me share several benefits of putting together a simple marketing plan.

If you have a plan, you will be more focused, and things are much more likely to happen.

We talked about Sheree. Nothing was happening at the right time, in the right place.

Nothing was sequenced, which creates havoc, which happens a lot.

Think about it.

If you have things mapped out in your plan, put them in your diary, and allocate time and financial resources, you allocate people to make things happen, and they happen.

That’s what moves the needle.

If you have a plan, ensure that a key element is to ensure that you are out in front of your market.

If you plan, you will get the brand recognition you need and want.

As part of Superfast Circle, we provide monthly marketing collateral for our clients, including reports, email and messenger campaigns, blogs, and social media they use in their marketing, ready to go with minimal tweaking.

Many members plan their time around when the content is dropping on their platform.

One individual tweaks and brands the content, which is out and working within twenty-four to thirty-six hours.

What that does is because this particular individual is an amazing planner and gets things up and out, and then the brand recognition of this specific company is starting to go off the scale because they’ve planned it, and it’s out there.

By planning activities happen.

I know we’re all very busy people, and we can forget things, but if you know, let’s say, there is a trade show going on or there is an event that you know you should be at, then if it’s in your plan, you can focus things around it.

If you’re going to an event, you want to make the most of it and make sure you’ve got something for the delegates.

Maybe you want to do some marketing before the event. Having that all mapped out in a plan significantly affects your results.

Of course, when you’re thinking about your plan, then you can adapt.

Currently, we’re in a market where there’s uncertainty. People have to do more BD than they’ve done in a long time, definitely more than they’ve done since 2019.

Over the last five years, there has been a huge shift in the recruitment sector.

Knowing that, then, in your planning, you’re allocating time and resources, so it’s no surprise. You should be allocating more time and resources to reach out to BD.

It all makes sense.

When you stand back, and you’re probably listening to this recording now, this podcast, and thinking, “Yes, I need to make sure I’m thinking longer term, and I’m planning.”

We have a particular masterclass that will help you plan around making the most of your BD. You can access it here.

It’s important to make sure that you are planning your BD your marketing with a view to, “Okay, it’s probably going to take me 60 days to refill this pipeline, or it’s going to take me 90 days,” or whatever it might be in your sector.

It’s true that we get better results when we stop rushing and start thinking ahead and planning ahead.

One final observation to leave you with about planning.

This is what grown-up companies do; bigger companies always have a plan that’s mapped out and related to their vision and business goals.

They think about it and plan things weeks, months, and sometimes years in advance. That is something that you can do as a small business as well.

Thanks

Denise

How We Can Help You

You can access Sharon and me as your virtual marketing directors and CMOs when you join Superfast Circle. We help you create the marketing plan that will work for you; if you want to talk, book a call with us here.