As we enter October, it’s hard not to make the association between our business and what the fall season is about for many of us: football! There is a competitive spirit that the game represents—it’s all about winning. Likewise, we at Elite Marketing Interactions (EMI) are focused on winning, too.
If you look at our business as if it were a football game, you’ll see that during the first three quarters (of the year), we have scored points against our budget and plan (exceeding event volume and financial goals during several months), but we’ve also lost some yardage here and there (falling short of our goals in other months). As we enter the fourth quarter, we’re down a few points (our overall event volume is a little low, leaving us just short of meeting our financial goals). We are on our own one-yard line. There is tension in the air and a desire by our team to finish the year with a strong win. In order to do so, all of our energy must be focused on working as a team, accomplishing our goals and meeting the challenges of a strong fourth quarter.
This is our game plan:
We are going to count on every member of our team to make contributions based on the talents they bring to our organization. All team members, from our Trusted Advisors to Schedulers to Billers, are important and rely on others to be successful. We will huddle as a team and think through our game strategy to make only forward motion. We will put the right plays in place and use every resource effectively.
We will drive for first downs to meet our goals and make no “Hail Mary’s.” (That’s throwing a long pass with a lot of wishful thinking but little realistic hope that it will be caught.) We will work to get our sales plans aligned for the needed volume. We’ll set up the right plays to plan events with selling points that are solid and aligned with promotions. We’ll greet every customer and ask for the sale, and aim to achieve 100 percent flawless execution in every location.
As we move forward into the fourth quarter, we need to be able to make every effort count toward “first downs” and complete passes. Effective planning and execution of what we do is key to finishing the year strong. Holiday sales are crucial for everyone in retail, including Meijer, our vendor partners and ourselves. They set the tone for the new year and how we will continue to grow—both as a company and as individuals.
Along the way, we should feel proud and motivated to put all of our effort toward reaching the goal line. We will call audible plays and make changes along the way to move with the business. We will not fumble or ever give up the ball.
You should all feel as confident as both Deborah and I do as your coaches that we will reach the goal line and celebrate success. Now go out there and have a great fourth quarter, team!
Sincerely,
