If 2020 hindsight is the best viewfinder we have, then this is the year for it.
Within a few weeks, we will be dumping our 2019 calendar, breaking out a new one, making resolutions, vowing to break bad habits, creating a healthier life style, becoming a better person, having more discipline, making and saving more money and just do ALL the things we haven’t done so far.
Ah yes! New beginnings are sweet.
But before we go to all that trouble of writing it down, let’s put on our 2020 hindsight glasses and take a look back to January 1, 2019.
Did we keep most of our resolutions? Did we fall off the wagon and just kind of blow them off?
Doesn’t really matter because all we can do is move forward.
So here a few questions as it relates to your business and maybe other things as well, at least from a 2020 hindsight point of view.
- What one thing can I do to make my center better than last year?
- What story can I tell my customers that I didn’t tell them last year that will make my center different from competitive venues?
- How do I make sure that I don’t think I’m the smartest guy in the room and can always learn from other people?
- What can I learn about the Millennial demographic (all 96 mm of them born between 1981 and 1996) and Generation Z (72 mm born between 1997 and 2010) that helps my business become their go to place for fun, friendship and good times even if I don’t have a $10 to $20 million dollar brand new FEC. Note: these two groups make up about 50% of the US Population today!!!
- What promotions did you try that did not meet your expectations last year and why didn’t they achieve your objectives?
- Didn’t have any objectives?
- Didn’t really have any strategies?
- Wrong offer targeted to wrong market?
- Small market for the product offering?
- Poor communication about the offer – not enough frequency?
- Perceived value didn’t match the price?
- Never tested the offer or price?
- Copied the promotion from a competitor and charged a lower price?
- Employees weren’t completely plugged into HOW TO implement the program?
- If you hired and fired an employee this year, it means that you failed that employee. So how do you not repeat the same mistake? Don’t take it personally, we all do that. Either we hire the wrong person for the job or the job is wrong for the person we hire. Or we don’t train them properly. Or we ASSUME they already know…and that never ends up on a good road.
- There are only three ways to bring in business; 1) Get new customers; 2) Bring existing customers back; 3) Bring back customers and get them to spend more money. Did you try to do them all? Maybe pick #2 and concentrate your efforts there? What would you do?
- How are you going to change your work habits so you can spend more time with your family and friends, your kids, your grand kids and on your hobbies?
- What did you say you were going to do last year to help other people in some way? Did you do it? If not, here’s another chance. Heck, you can donate to BVL and help a disabled vet make it home to his or her family!!
- And finally, what are you grateful for and how can you demonstrate it this year in ways that you didn’t last year?
Just sayin’