What’s your new year plan?

Happy New Year’!, said Hannah to her colleague, Paul.

‘What is your New Year resolution?’, she asked.

Wrinkling his face,  Paul heaved a sigh, in disgust he questioned, ‘What about the new year and the so-called resolutions?. In his characteristic sarcastic manner he gave a litany of reasons why he is not interested in any new year resolution .

He argued that the ‘noise’ about new year resolution involves making plans that will not see the light of the day. ‘Who cares anyways’, he concluded.

Well, it is another new year and beyond the fireworks and holiday cheer, it’s a general planning time!

If like Paul you don’t have a plan because you believe that it is a waste of time, there is ample time for you to create one today. If you are on Hannah’s side, it’s time to examine how well you did last year and what adjustments you would make for the coming 12 months.

For me, I would recommend that no matter your goal is, it must include a Communication plan. Operating  your business without a communication plan is like driving to an unknown destination without a map.

On the other hand, a  good communication plan enables you to keep  track of  your overall goals and objectives, especially as it concerns your business.

Begin by understanding what your organization is trying to achieve in the next five years. Break it down, make it clear and straight to the point. Find out what has changed since your last plan. Keep abreast of emerging trends in your business sector.

Discover better ways to communicate your brand strength to your customer. Whether you are about to launch a new product or enhance the quality of a service you already offer, you need to plan well ahead.  Whatever your goal is, make sure your communication plan fits what you intend to achieve.

Customer is King. Whatever your plan is, bear in mind that what your target audience want, ranks higher than your personal interest. Study your clients and discover what they like and capture their interest. Work even harder to map out strategies to sustain their patronage.

Decide the best means of achieving your plan. Set realistic targets and ensure that it rhymes with your brand and personality. Keep the message simple and short. Develop it in such a way that your customer can easily hear, understand, and engage with you. Create adequate room for internal communications and training.

Whatever you plan to achieve, remember to be prudent. Hence, you need to consider your resources and allocate they judiciously.

Devise a means of measuring your new year resolutions.

Never give up, remember that winners never quit!

Your business communications plan is an investment worth making. Keep track of your plans. Resolve to follow through and never hesitate to make adjustments when or where necessary. Do something amazing in this 2016. Goodluck!

CHIAMAKA BOBBY-UMEANO