As a farmer’s daughter from Nebraska, this time of year it always occurs to me that it’s “planting season.” Having spent the better part of the past 30 years marketing, it has been easy to pull that sentiment along with me, year round.
In estate planning practices, it is clear to us here at the Academy that whatever you’re reaping right now is a result of what you were sowing 90 days ago (usually).
What tends to happen if you don’t have a structured marketing plan before your new year begins is… you look at the calendar for the next 2-3 weeks and put the pedal to the metal and figure out what kind of appointments you can generate. Then you work through those appointments, do the work and look at the calendar again. (Be sure to work in a doctor’s appointment because your blood pressure can’t stand very many years living with this kind of marketing plan.)
When you’re too busy doing the work, it’s common to drop off in your marketing. You can be doing great, then turn around and have NOTHING coming in. The *only* thing that consistently causes your success or empty calendar right now is what you were doing 90 days ago.
If you’re doing great, I challenge you to look back 90 days and figure out exactly what you were doing and who was talking about you. Then tweak your marketing plan to include all the activities that lead to this week’s success.
If things aren’t going great, take heart, a look back on the past 90 days can explain everything. It’s not a mystery. It’s just a numbers game. How many things were you doing 90 days ago, which activities generated something and which didn’t.
Once you actually look at WHY you have any given result, it’s easy to remedy or repeat. It may seem basic, but is it the single most common conversation we have with estate planning law firms. It doesn’t matter how successful you are, you can always repeat more of what works and less of what doesn’t.
Happy sowing! If you’re interested in the Academy’s guide on Marketing Basics, email us at info@aaepa.com and let us know. We’ll send it right over to you!
Jennifer Price
Chief Operating Officer
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (800) 846-1555
www.aaepa.com
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