Latest / Imperfect Marketing / 239: Quarterly Reflection: Assessing Q3 and Planning for Q4 Success with Host Kendra Corman

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239: Quarterly Reflection: Assessing Q3 and Planning for Q4 Success with Host Kendra Corman · Imperfect Marketing

• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Hey, there, it's Kendra Korman and you're tuned in to another episode of Imperfect Marketing.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: In case you didn't know where you're at Today, we're going to do a little time travel.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: We're going to look back into the history at Q3 and peek a little bit ahead at Q4.
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: It's like a business version of Back to the Future, minus the DeLorean and the questionable 80s fashion choices.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: Now, if you remember Stiff Stuff, hairsay um picks that I used to use for my wings and perms, you are definitely my people.
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: If you don't, don't let me know.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Okay, so I know what you're thinking.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: Henry, do we really need to look back?
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: Come on, I didn't get everything I wanted done something.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: Can't we just pretend it didn't happen and just move on and just look forward?
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: Trust me, I get it.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Sometimes, looking back at our goals and what we've accomplished sometimes feels about as comfortable as watching our old high school dance videos.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: But stick with me, because a little reflection can really go a long way in setting us up for success in Q4.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: First things first, let's talk about how Q3 went and before you start breaking out in hives, I want you to remember this it's not about beating yourself up over unmet goals.
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: It's about learning, adapting and celebrating.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: You heard me right celebrating, because I bet you did some pretty awesome things in Q3, even if they weren't exactly what you planned.
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: Did you land a new client?
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: Give yourself a high five.
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: Did you finally figure out how to unmute yourself on Zoom calls without a 30 second delay?
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: That's progress, baby.
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: Maybe you just managed to keep your business afloat in an economy that's as predictable as a cat on a hot tin roof.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: It could be that you read several books you wanted to read.
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: Reading is personal and professional development, and that's awesome.
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: My YouTube channel fix-up was not in my plan at the beginning of 2024, but I've taken some effort to fix it up and add more content.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: I deserve a gold star and I'm taking it.
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: I'm celebrating myself.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: I adapted.
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: There is nothing, nothing wrong with adapting.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: Now let's talk about those goals that maybe didn't quite pan out.
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: Here's the thing Modifying goals isn't admitting failure.
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: It's not throwing in the towel.
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: It's being smart, adaptable and realistic.
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: It's like when you plan to make a gourmet three-course meal but ended up ordering pizza instead.
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: Mission accomplished right, you fed yourself just with a slight detour.
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: So if you need to adjust your goals, I want you to do it without shame.
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: Instead of double my client base, your new goal might be add two high quality, long-term clients.
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: Or maybe you're going to shift focus from launch a podcast to create consistent, valuable content for my existing platforms.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: It's all good.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: You're not admitting defeat.
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: You're reframing for success.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: If you haven't done what you said you were going to do, it might not be all that bad.
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: You are still here.
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: You're still working and moving forward.
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: Don't be afraid to give yourself permission to not do something.
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: Last fall, I gave myself permission not to launch my email course because I didn't really have the time to do what was needed to make it right for my students and I would have been killing myself to get it done.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: Students and I would have been killing myself to get it done.
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: Definitely not ideal, and the stress relief when I gave myself that permission was unbelievable.
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: It's really about focusing on what you truly want to accomplish.
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: A bit of realistic expectations Okay, be sure to throw those in there.
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: You don't have to be crazy realistic if you don't want to be, but mapping out how you're going to get there is important.
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: Last year, I was working with a client on a VIP day and they were pretty far off their revenue goals like one-tenth of the way there.
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: So anyway, I sat them down, we did the math.
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: Their revenue target had been $1 million to go.
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: With less than six months to do it, that was around $167,000 a month in revenue and in talking to them it was definitely doable, since their average client brings in about $30,000 in a closed deal.
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: That's only five and a half new jobs a month, so just a little bit more than one per week.
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: So we decided that we would focus on getting one new or return client per week.
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: All of a sudden, that $1 million target didn't seem quite as bad as it did originally.
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: Then we mapped out where do they get most of their clients, and then we had them reach out to previous clients that they hadn't seen yet this year.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: Ultimately they did miss their target, but not by much, not nearly as much as they would have if they didn't really break it down into more bite-sized, manageable targets that they could truly track.
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: And wasn't some pie in the sky number out there, right?
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: So let's go ahead and peek ahead to Q4.
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: It's the final stretch of the year, the last lap of the race, the desert course of the business year, if you will.
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: Okay, and just like you wouldn't skip dessert.
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: Well, maybe that's just me.
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: You don't want to coast through Q4.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: Here's the kicker the business world is changing faster than fashion trends in the nineties.
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: So let's talk about a couple of trends you might want to leverage to help cross your Q4 goals.
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: First up, one of my favorites AI, artificial intelligence.
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: Before you start picturing robots taking over your job, hear me out.
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: He is not here to replace you.
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: It's just to make your life easier.
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: Think of it as your very own marketing assistant or intern that never sleeps, never complains and never steals your lunch from the office fridge.
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: For us, b2b people service providers, ai can be a game changer in content creation and market research.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: Stuck on ideas for your next blog post or email.
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: Ai tools can help you brainstorm topics, outline your content and even do that first ugly, first draft right.
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: Just remember, it's just there to assist you, not replace your unique voice and expertise.
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: I want you to think of it as a writing prompt on steroids.
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: Another trend worth considering personalization.
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: In a world where everyone's inbox is overflowing, personalization is like that secret handshake that gets you to the VIP section.
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: And no, I don't just mean slapping on a first name and an email and calling it a day.
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: I'm talking about using data that you have to create tailored experiences.
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: Maybe you're segmenting your email list so finely that each message feels like it was written just for the recipient, or perhaps it's creating custom service packages based on a client's specific needs and history with your business.
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: The goal is to make your clients feel like they're your only client, even if you're juggling more balls than a circus performer.
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: Now I know what you're thinking, kendra.
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: This all sounds great.
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: I'm just one person trying to keep all the plates spinning, and I hear you.
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: That's why it's crucial that you pick one or two areas to focus on for Q4.
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: You do not have to do it all, and let's be all realistic, you probably can't.
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: We're going for progress here, not perfection.
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: As we wrap up, I want you to do something for me.
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: I want you to take a moment right now and write down three things One thing that you're proud of from Q3, even if it is just surviving.
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: I think we downplay that way too much.
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: Then I want you to write down a goal you want to focus on for Q4.
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: Just one, one goal.
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: And then I want you to write one trend or new approach you want to try Got it All right.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: Good, you've got a starting point for your Q4 planning and remember, it's okay if things don't go exactly as planned.
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: In fact, it's pretty much expected.
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: Business is about improvising, changing and evolving.
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: Now, before you go, I've got a little homework for you.
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: I want you to take 15 minutes this week just 15 minutes to do a mini audit of your business.
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: I want you to look at what's working, what's not, where you might be able to incorporate some of these trends we talked about.
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: All right, 15 minutes, it's not that long.
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: Until next time, I'm here reminding you that in business, as in life, it's okay to change course, keep it flexible, keep it real and, most importantly, keep moving forward.
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: We are all about progress, not perfection.
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: Thanks so much and have a great rest of your day.