SMARTER METHODOLOGY

SMARTER Methodology: The objective, to be well understood, must be clear and specific. Your employees and all individuals involved in the project should have no ambiguity in interpreting your objective. If your objective statement is vague, you will have difficulty achieving it, as defining success will be challenging. It is important to ask the following questions: What do I want to achieve? How will I achieve it? Who are the people involved? Measurable: By providing a metric to work with, you can more easily achieve your goals. In marketing, return on investment (ROI) should be an integral part of the process. You need to be able to measure your results to determine if your objectives have been met. It is important to question: What do I want to measure: number of sales, new customers, new prospects, or branch openings? How will I know if I have achieved my goal? When do I want to achieve this goal? Attainable: Your goals must be attainable. We like to think that we can achieve big goals, but sometimes it's simply not the case. Make sure your goals are big enough to push you when trying to achieve them. But don't make them unattainable. It is important to ask the following questions: Do I have the necessary human resources? Do I have the required financial means? Do I have the necessary technology or equipment? Realistic: Your goals must be realistic in your business context. Each objective must be linked to an overall view and must align with the goals of the team, department, or organization. If you lack a key resource: in fact, your expectations are not realistic. It is important to question: Are my goals realistic in my business context? Do my goals align with the goals of the team, department, and organization? Is the market ready or saturated for my upcoming offer? Timely: You must set a specific timeframe to plan the steps that will lead you to achieve your goals. Your team will be able to measure in real-time the progress of the work done to reach the ultimate goal. Breaking down your overarching goal into smaller goals so that you can track your progress along the way can be a good solution. It is important to ask the following questions: What can I achieve in 3, 6, and 12 months? What is the deadline for my task? Should I create a timeline? If yes, what are my small goals? Evaluate: The SMARTER method is actually the evolution of the SMART method with two additional steps. You must be able to evaluate along the way if the objective is relevant in its entirety. In the current state of the market, do the selected tools and media fit our targets? The initial objective must therefore be regularly evaluated to possibly be adjusted. Evaluation is the best way to avoid wasting time and money on your projects. Readjust: If the market has changed for various reasons: mergers, acquisitions, or the departure of key people, you may encounter a problem with your objectives. It will then be time to step back and readjust. Readjusting does not mean abandoning the objectives and obtaining new ones; it is a way to reach an end, a way to work around your problems.