10 Marketing Resolutions For 2014

Someone sent me a list of “unusual New Year’s resolutions” and I found two to be particularly interesting:

• I will not bore my boss with the same old excuses for taking leave. I will think of some more excuses.


• I will assure my lawyer that I will never again show up drunk at a custody hearing.

Perhaps you are in the process of setting your personal resolutions for 2014: lose a few pounds, run a marathon, learn to speak a new language, and so forth. This is all good and to be commended, especially if you back the intentions with actions. But the resolutions you have for your work life can be just as important. Here are some suggestions on marketing resolutions that will get your 2014 off to a good start.

1. Resolve to understand the top marketing and sales trends for 2014 and align your strategies accordingly. You can read about our top five 2014 marketing trends here .


2. Resolve to be crystal clear about what you do. While sending out my end of year message to LinkedIn contacts, I estimated that less than half of the company names are indicative of what the company actually does. In a fast-paced B2B world, there is no room for stealth marketing.


3. Resolve to bridge any gaps that are preventing a smooth relationship between marketing and sales. Take a sales manager to lunch and find out what his or her world is like. Listen in on a couple of sales calls. Create a new service level agreement for 2014.


4. Resolve to learn a new marketing skill. This could be social media, online marketing, mobile marketing, search engine optimization, or anything else that is timely and impactful.


5. Resolve to accelerate your content marketing efforts. You need fresh and relevant content at every stage of the marketing and sales process. This content will not write itself so put your plan together and get started.


6. Resolve to get a handle on your metrics. Calculate exactly how many sales leads you will need to generate in the first quarter. Compile data on your 2013 performance so that you are prepared to set the right goals for 2014.


7. Resolve to pick some things you can do 10 percent better. Not everything has to be a transformational goal and doing 2-3 things 10 percent better can have a big payoff.


8. Resolve to heal a broken relationship. Make peace with a colleague or boss you had issues with in the past. Unless the issues were serious, this doesn’t usually require an emotional in-person or phone talk. It can be as simple as a quick email to say hello and wish the individual a happy new year. And don’t worry about whether or how your outreach is reciprocated – the fact that you reached out is what is most helpful.


9. Resolve to minimize the whining and complaining. As Lou Holtz once said: “Never tell people your problems. Ninety per cent of them don’t care, and the other ten per cent are glad you have them.” For a little inspiration in this area, read this great article from Forbes magazine .


10. Resolve to add more value to your company, your colleagues, and the sales organization in 2014.

According to the annual Harris poll, only about eight percent of personal New Year’s resolutions are fulfilled. But if you set goals that are realistic and relevant, you can definitely have a much better batting average and have a terrific 2014.

Happy New Year

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