The new year is upon us and it’s time to look forward. This is an exciting time to plan for what’s next and focus on achieving your goals. Start out with an ambitious mindset and a relentless bias toward action!
The first key to achieving goals is to determine your primary goal for the next few months or the year. For some, you need to close more bookings. For others, you need to elevate your marketing or social media game. Maybe you need to refresh your act.
Once you make a list of those goals, figure out which goal would have the most impact on your life or business. Would better organization help create momentum? Perhaps you need to expand your client or fan base.
You don’t need to focus on everything – that is nearly impossible. Focus on the one thing that will change everything.
Now that you’re laser-focused on one goal, a helpful guideline is to dedicate 20% of your time each week to make progress. Check out this post for steps on keeping momentum in your business.
Here are 5 resolution ideas to help you get started:
1. Optimize your profile
Your GigSalad profile is your first introduction to future clients. Think of it as your storefront signage. Is it accurate? Is your contact info or other details up-to-date? Do the pictures and videos provide the best representation of you? One afternoon’s worth of energy and focus cleans up your storefront and sends a welcoming and professional message to your clients.
Read This: 6 Ways to Optimize Your Profile and Get More Leads
2. Elevate your media
Contemporary marketing is driven by photos and videos. Lucky for you, you carry a powerful camera, video camera, streaming device, audio recorder, and editing suite in your pocket every day. If you have a smartphone produced in the last three years, high-quality media has never been more accessible. Learn how to use landscape mode and a tripod and get to work!
Read This: 5 (Almost) Free Ways to Improve Your Media
3. Improve your communication skills
No matter how great your GigSalad profile or media skills are, at some point you’ll need to communicate with prospective clients and event planners. Your clarity, professionalism, and proficiency make all the difference. No one wants to trust their moment or event to someone who can’t spell or has poor grammar.
Read These: 4 Keys to Effective Communication, Becoming a Better Writer for Your Business
4. Evaluate your pricing structure
Have you gotten better at your craft over the past year? Or maybe you’re losing bookings by pricing yourself out of jobs. Charging too much or not charging enough can both quickly sabotage the business side of your dreams. Knowing your market and establishing an appropriate price structure raises your effectiveness and moves your goals forward.
Read This: 4 Steps to Getting the Pricing Right for Your Business
5. Close more bookings
If you spent last year handling lots of “almost bookings,” it may be time to take a look at your process. Make an honest evaluation of your entire quote-to-close procedure and see where the missteps or fumbles are. If it’s consistent in the last few moments, make it a priority to strengthen your closing skills.
Read This: 5 Quick Tips to Close the Deal for More Bookings
There you have it! Five great areas to focus your energy and get your gigs moving forward. Remember, don’t work on them all. Pick the one that creates the biggest impact and kick-starts your success. Once you’ve made progress there, whether after a few hours, a few months, or even all year, move on to the next. Never stop working on moving your dreams forward. Let your mantra for this year be, “The best is yet to come!”
Loves music, reading, and binge-watching TV and eating pizza with his wife. Has three amazing kids. Believes that life is about questions, not answers.