Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman

3.3. Writing a Partnering Plan

Things tend not to get done unless they are written down. After you have identified an area for improvement, create a partnering plan that lays out exactly what you are going to do to achieve your goal. Your plan should include the following:

• A measurable and realistic goal: Set a goal that you can measure. "Improve my referral business" would be too vague, because it fails to specify how you would measure the improvement. "Obtain 30 referrals this month" is a more concrete goal. As discussed in Chapter 2, try to set realistic goals to avoid frustration and disappointment.

• Intermediate goals: Break down your goal so it does not seem so overwhelming. For example, obtaining one referral per day may seem less difficult than obtaining 30 a month. Your intermediate goals enable you and your partner to check your progress so you can stay on track.

• Steps you will take to achieve your goal: Jot down a list of detailed tasks or steps you will take toward achieving your goal. For example, are you going to call existing clients or past clients and ask for referrals? Are you going to ask for a referral each time you make a sale?

• Deadline: Write down the date by which you plan on accomplishing your goal. When the date finally arrives, you and your partner can touch base to determine whether you achieved your goal on schedule.

Terry Wisner tells the people he coaches to make sure that their personal partnering plan is SMART:

• Specific: Provide enough detail to explain ...