A few months ago my husband and I hired a dog behaviorist to help us ‘balance’ our two dogs. Every time she visits, we launch into an explanation of what our dogs are doing (mostly charging the door when we come home) and every time she says ‘what do you want them to do?’ Well…we want them to sit and stay in one spot instead of rushing the door. So the plan is for one of us to make the dogs sit and stay in one place while the other practices ringing the doorbell and coming in the door.

I think the statement ‘What do you Want’ is quite powerful in a business sense. Realizing what you want makes it simpler to figure out the strategies you need to get there.

As entrepreneurs we have many things on our plate and often many different goals. Maybe you want to get more clients, secure more speaking engagements, write a book, market a book, get more publicity. Each of these strategies takes time, persistence and a whole lot of patience.

I’ve found the ‘key’ to setting goals is to truly understand your target market. Where do they go? What do they buy? What do the read? What sites do they frequent? Research your target market before launching into a marketing strategy. A Facebook page may not work for a commercial land developer but might for a wedding planner.

No matter what strategies you employ, always focus on reaching those who will buy or those that can influence others to buy your product/service. All of your messages should be tailored for this audience and be personalized and specific. When your strategy isn’t well thought out, you will end up with tons of Facebook friends, Twitter followers, website hits and publicity opportunities - none of which reach your target market - and none of which will convert into sales.

Think of specific goals for each of your efforts for 2009 and plan how to carry out each goal.

Are you wanting to increase traffic to your blog or website? Look into StumbleUpon, Digg and Twitter

What do you want people to do once they get to your website? Make sure your sales copy ’speaks’ to your target market and tells them what to do (call to action)

Are you driving substantial traffic to your website? Consider selling ad space or selling products such as ebooks and podcasts

Do you want more publicity? Start thinking and looking like an expert. Spruce up your website with a media page equipped with a professional headshot, electronic press kit, media tip sheets, bio and links to any coverage you’ve received. It’s a bonus if you can embed a video into your page so reporters can see and hear you!

Do you want to increase sales? Realize you need a combination of marketing, publicity and sales to achieve results.