The turmoil in Libya is brutal, horrific, and unfortunate. But there is something we can learn from Muhammad Gadhafi, the dictator whose ruling inspired this violent rebellion: Steadfast commitment to a goal. Gadhafi’s mission is perfectly clear: “This is my seat, my reign, my country- and you can’t have it. I will fight for it, ’till the death.” Whether this aim is a wise or realistic one, only time will tell. But Gadhafi knows what he wants and he’s going after it. Gadhafi’s culled international outrage and yet he soldiers on. ‘Cause he’s got a goal and he’s sticking to it. To the death.

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This focus, eye on the ball, clear target in hand, is a wonderful tool in business. Many companies fail at their attempts to attract new customers simply due to their lack of clear, specific goals. You know you want more customers. But do you know how many more? How much more money you want to make this year? How many leads you’ll need to follow to get solid clients?

Imagine you own a landscaping company which grosses 10 million a year. This year, you’d like to up the ante to 12. How many more customers would you need?

If each customer brings in an average of $25,000, to reach an additional 2 million you’ll need 80 more customers. Assuming a closing rate of 50%, you need 160 hot leads to acquire these 80 additional customers. To get 160 hot leads, three times as many cold and warm leads are needed- a total of 480 leads.

Your goal is now perfectly clear: 480 leads this year will increase your income by 2 million dollars. The next step is to determine if your goal is realistic and achievable- but at least now you know where you’re headed!

Some people reach out to advertising agencies to generate new leads. Others utilize their salespeople to step up the pace. Whatever method you choose to reach your goal, whether you employ air strikes or landmines to win over your opposition, locking your focus will facilitate steady progress.

Here’s a few Ptex Practical Pointers that will help you determine goals and achievability:

* Broad Picture: Just handling the day to day issues in your company can stunt your growth and cause you to revolve in place instead of moving forward. Setting long term goals will allow you to precisely delineate and focus on priorities.

* Details, Details: Whatever your strategy, be as specific as possible in each and every step of the process, stating the who, what, where, when and how. Gadhafi wasn’t vague. Don’t be.

* Reality Check: Impractical dreams can bury your company in stardust if you don’t have the resources to support them. Choose wise, achievable goals that challenge the company in a healthy, sustainable way.

While we join the world in condemning Gadhafi’s actions, at this time, we’d like to thank him for helping us portray an important lesson on sticking to your guns.

Onwards and upwards,
Meny Hoffman