There are times when business owners are needing something extra to drive sales growth, but they are happy with their image and brand, and rebranding is not a viable solution. Many times the business simply needs a fresh marketing approach. A new marketing plan could be exactly what’s needed.
Maybe you’re asking, “Why do I need a marketing plan? I can put some things together.” I suppose that could be an option; however, like most things in the business world, you must plan. That old saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” is 100% truth. Would you operate a company with 25 employees on no accounting budget? Probably not unless you like laying off employees because you can no long pay their salaries. The same rule applies for your marketing plan. Look at it as your budget…for business growth.
Are you still not sure if a marketing plan is what you need? Ask yourself these questions. If you answer, ‘no’ to more than one, it’s probably time to have your marketing strategy reviewed and updated.
- Do we really understand our customers and what influences them? More specifically, do we know how our customers interact with companies, who or what influences their actions, or what sub-conscious triggers drive their purchase behavior?
- Do we have a value proposition? If so, is our value proposition relevant and differentiated?
- Do we have enough information and wisdom to make decisions?
- Are we using the right metrics? Are they related to our strategic goals and lack organizational buy-in?
- Outside of a sales staff, do we use anything in addition, is our organization enabling marketing?
