Time To Be S.M.A.R.T

Setting SMART Goals & Strategies

Now that you have your Goals let’s clearly define them. We like to use the acronym S.M.A.R.T. as a guide.

• S = Specific,
• M = Measurable,
• A = Achievable,
• R = Relevant, and
• T = Time Specific.

Specific

Can your goal be described in specific terms? Not vague, but written, so you understand exactly what needs to be accomplished. We ask: who, what, where, and when.

Not Specific:
“increase sales”

Specific:
“increase sales of breakfast items
at our suburban location
during the hours of 7 to 9 am“

Measurable

How much? What is the amount you’re setting for your goal? You need to have a measure, so you know when you achieve or exceed your goal.

Not Measurable:
“increase sales of breakfast items
at our suburban location
during the hours of 7 to 9 am”

Measurable:
“increase sales of breakfast items
by 10% (from $7.95 to $8.75)
at our suburban location
during the hours of 7 to 9 am”

Quantitative and Qualitative Measures

Quantitative measures are things you can easily measure by quantity. You can probably pull this information from your POS system. This includes: sales numbers, customer transaction counts, sales of individual items, etc. Also use qualitative measures such as customer comments, employee feedback, the enthusiasm of customers and employees. Qualitative measures may not be as scientific as quantitative, but they are equally as important.

Achievable

Is this something you know you can do? Is the measurement set so high, or the time set so short that it won’t honestly be possible to make this happen? While, yes, it’s good to push yourself… but don’t create something impossible that’ll just cause frustration.

If you have too many goals at once, shift timing, so some happen first, then others begin upon the conclusion of the last group.

Relevant

Is this goal really what you should focus on right now? Are there other things that are more important or that will have more of an impact? Are you confusing activity with productivity? Is it worthwhile?

Time Specific

How much time are you giving yourself to achieve this goal? Having a specific deadline allows you to budget your time correctly and provides you with a sense of urgency.

• Not Time Specific: “increase sales of breakfast items by 10% (from $7.95 to $8.75) at our suburban location during the hours of 7 to 9 am”
• Time Specific: “within the next 90 days increase sales of breakfast items by 10% (from $7.95 to $8.75) at our suburban location during the hours of 7 to 9 am”

Use your Goals – Situations and Strategies you discovered in the Putting It All Together survey – to find marketing activities to include in your plan.

You can use either the “What’s Your Situation?” tool to find a recipe of marketing activities outlined for you or discover activities by browsing by Strategy. Here are links to both of those sections.

Go there now and take a look at the activities offered.