All of the following are examples of SMART goals EXCEPT:
Have 30% of your marketing leads attend an upcoming webinar.
Have thought leaders contribute to an upcoming ebook.
Increase sales qualified leads by 20% by the end of the year.
Generate 10 customers within the first week of an upcoming product launch.
The correct answer and explanation is :
Correct Answer: “Have thought leaders contribute to an upcoming ebook.”
Explanation (300 words):
The SMART framework is a well-established method for setting clear and achievable goals. SMART stands for:
- Specific – Clearly defined and unambiguous.
- Measurable – Quantifiable or able to be evaluated.
- Achievable – Realistic and attainable.
- Relevant – Aligned with broader objectives.
- Time-bound – Has a set deadline or timeframe.
Let’s analyze the four options:
- “Have 30% of your marketing leads attend an upcoming webinar.”
- Specific: Targets a clear group – marketing leads.
- Measurable: 30% attendance.
- Achievable: Reasonable depending on historical engagement.
- Relevant: Aligns with marketing goals.
- Time-bound: Linked to the date of the webinar.
- “Have thought leaders contribute to an upcoming ebook.”
- Not SMART: This is the exception.
- Not Specific: Doesn’t define who the thought leaders are.
- Not Measurable: No number of contributors or quality defined.
- Not Time-bound: No deadline mentioned.
- May not be Achievable or Relevant depending on resources.
- “Increase sales qualified leads by 20% by the end of the year.”
- Fully SMART: Specific (SQLs), Measurable (20%), Achievable (depends on pipeline), Relevant (supports sales), Time-bound (end of year).
- “Generate 10 customers within the first week of an upcoming product launch.”
- SMART: Specific (10 customers), Measurable, Achievable (short-term goal), Relevant, Time-bound (first week post-launch).
Thus, “Have thought leaders contribute to an upcoming ebook” is not a SMART goal, lacking several core criteria.