Establish a Clear and SMART Plan
Establish a Clear and SMART Plan
The first step is to write up a clear plan that describes what you want to accomplish and how you’re going to get there. It can be helpful to include other team members in the planning process depending on the structure of your practice. This way they can offer their perspectives and feel more actively involved, which can give them added motivation to see it through.
As you craft your plan, you can keep the SMART criteria in mind to help make sure it succeeds.
SMART is an effective tool used in project management and stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound:
Specific – Be as specific as possible about what you’re trying to accomplish, why it’s important, and when you’ll take certain steps. For instance, set a kick-off date for when your practice will begin actively recommending pet insurance or offering third party financing.
Measurable – Make sure you have quantifiable goals so you can assess how well your plan is working, such as handing out X number of brochures in a week. You can also use these goals to help keep your team motivated by offering rewards, like a team lunch or gift card, for hitting particular targets.
Attainable – Think about what can be realistically accomplished at your practice based on issues including available resources and time constraints. If your goals are too “pie in the sky,” your plan is not likely to succeed.
Relevant – Are the steps in your plan and people involved relevant? For instance, you wouldn’t want someone who doesn’t normally interact with clients to be tasked with having in-depth conversations about financial solutions (download a sample task list for relevant roles when recommending pet insurance).
Time-bound – Ground your goals in specific timeframes by setting start dates, check-in points, and deadlines. Setting timeframes can help keep your plan from getting lost in all of the other day-to-day issues that need to be addressed at your practice. Consider using staff meetings to report progress and gather feedback.
Keep It Simple
You should also try to keep your plan as clear and simple as possible. For instance, if you’re going to start talking to clients about pet insurance, you don’t need to explain all of the details on every provider to your clients, lest they become overwhelmed with too much information (TMI). Keep it simple. Choose one or two providers that you’ve worked with, are comfortable with or feel are most beneficial to recommend to your clients.