seven steps to an effective marketing plan

Are you ready to grow? SEVEN STEPS

TO AN EFFECTIVE MARKETING PLAN

March, 2009

Linda K. Carlisle, PresidentTHE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING DEPARTMENT, LLC630.886.3629 – www.the-mktg-dept.com

Are you ready to grow?

PLANNING ALLOWS YOU TO:

– Select the right things to do…and ID some of the wrong things

– Stay focused…make sure all of your marketing activities are designed to accomplish what you’ve set out to do.

– Get refocused when things get crazy…but then finally slow down

– Assess new opportunities – will they really help you get where you want to go?

– Assess how you did at the end of the period

If there is ONE SURE THING you can do to be sure your business moves in the right direction, it is HAVING A PLAN.

WHY PLAN?


WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIALS OF THE PLAN?


FIRST : LOOK INSIDEKNOW THY SELF

Your plan should document everything you know about:

• your CUSTOMER• your PRODUCTS/SERVICES • and how they meet customer needs

• DO A SELF-ASSESSMENT – called a SWOT ANALYSIS.

Describe your:– STRENGTHS – find ways to protect & leverage these– WEAKNESSES – find ways to fix these– OPPORTUNITIES – go after these!– THREATS – protect yourself & monitor the situation!



SWOT ANALYSISstrengths weaknesses

opportunities threats

INTERNAL TO YOUR ORGANIZATION

EXTERNAL TO YOUR ORGANIZATION

**What can you do to turn weaknesses and threats into strengths and opportunities?


LEVE

RA

GE

THES

E!

DEF

END

AG

AIN

ST T

HESE

**…

.


THEN : LOOK OUTSIDEKNOW THY ENEMY…

• conduct a COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS…

• Look at their SERVICES and PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES• What do they do…• What do they say?

• Do a SWOT ANALYSIS for them…how can you…?

• Counteract their STRENGTHS• Leverage their WEAKNESSES• Beat them to their OPPORTUNITIES• Monitor how they do against their THREATS




COMPETITIVE SWOTCOMPETITORS STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

YOUR COMPANY

COMPETITOR A

COMPETITOR B

COMPETITOR C

COMPETITOR D

COMPETITOR E

COMPETITOR F

Etc……

Visit competitive websites. Research where, how, and how much they are advertising. Be clever. Call customer service departments and ask questions.


USE THIS KNOWLEDGE TO…

– Make STRATEGIC CHANGES to your SERVICE OFFERING or HOW you service your clients

– ADJUST PRICING as needed to remain competitive or to reflect demand

– CHANGE OUTREACH STRATEGIES

– CREATE YOUR MESSAGE – now you know WHAT to say and WHERE to say it (what media will your prospects pay attention to?)

THE MARKETING MIX : Sometimes called “The 4 Ps”


DEFINITIONS

STP : not just a gas tank additive –it will power-up your business

– Segmentation– Targeting– Positioning

How do they work together?


BRAND BLUEPRINTPRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Name, category, packaging, price how sold (distribution). What is unique about it (features, benefits)? How does it fit the prospect need?

PROFILE of TARGET PROSPECTS

Who are the people with a need to be filled? The people most likely to buy? Their demographics: gender, ethnicity, age, income, education, location? Their psychographics: beliefs, attitudes, behaviors related to the need? In the case of business-to-business marketing, focus on decision-makers by job function, responsibility, buying habits; but also on their companies by type, size, location and SIC categories.

PERSONALITY

If this product were a person, what human traits would describe it? (e.g. helpful, fun, intelligent, healthy, honest, zany, frugal, strong, caring…)Try to picture the product as a person and describe it with just a few well-chosen words.

REWARD

What positive feelings will customers have from using the product? (e.g. self-confidence, pride, in control, acceptance among peers, smart, sexy, rewarded, self-satisfied, excited.) Put yourself into the user's psyche.

COMPETITION

Who will this product take business away from? Or what behavior will it change?

OBSTACLES TO THE SALE (The problem)

Why might prospects resist buying the product? (e.g. lack of perceived need or priority, loyalty to present brand, skeptical of things new, lack of trust, hesitance to change, high price perception). Begin statement with: Prospects believe that…

MESSAGE OBJECTIVE (The solution)

What message will overcome the obstacle? What action do we want prospects to take? Begin statement with: Convince prospects that…

KEEP YOUR MESSAGES CONSISTENT OVER TIME


CREATE SMART OBJECTIVES SPECIFIC – what will you do?

MEASUREABLE – how will you measure whether it is done?

ACTIONABLE – is this something you can take specific steps to achieve?

REALISTIC – can you really achieve the specific objective you have set forth?

TIME SPECIFIC – when do you plan to achieve this objective?

CONCRETE OBJECTIVES KEEP US FOCUSED ON THE RIGHT THINGS


NETWORKINGACTION PLAN SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO

ACHIEVE YOUR OBJECTIVES

PUBLIC RELATIONS & ADVERTISING

PERSONAL SELLING & SALES TOOLS

DIRECT MARKETING

INTERNET& WEBINARS

WHAT TO DO….WHAT TO DO….


MONITOR, MEASURE & MODIFY

• Track your progress.

• Adjust your program as you go.

• DO MORE of what works…

• STOP DOING WHATEVER DOESN’T WORK.

(but figure out why it didn’t…)

REMEMBER: ALWAYS Keep those SMART Objectives in sight!

Are you ready to grow? Take time to EVALUATE how

you’re doing AGAINST PLAN at least once a quarter…

Staying focused on the BIG PICTURE is the single

best thing you can do to accelerate growth.

FINAL WORDS…..

Are you ready to grow? SCHEDULE TIME

TO WORK ON

YOUR BUSINESS –

Most of us get lost

in the process of working

IN our businesses.

FINAL WORDS…..


USE SOMETHING YOU HEARD HERE TODAY…

TOMORROW!

Linda K. Carlisle, PresidentTHE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING DEPARTMENT, LLC630.886.3629 – www.the-mktg-dept.com

seven steps to an effective marketing plan

Business