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Imagine overhearing this conversation your company’s
owner and its sales manager:
“Hey Joe, I was talking with Bill at Zippidee Company—our
biggest customer—and he stopped by Barebones Inc.’s—our
biggest competitor’s—booth at the Hodown Trade
Show,” says the sales manager.
“Bill from Zippidee was at the Hodown?” says
the owner. “Well then, we gotta be at that show next
year. Call the trade association and reserve a booth for next
year. Start recruiting reps to work the show and reorder the
coffee mugs with our logo. Come on, let’s moooove.”
Is this proper marketing? This scenario demonstrates how,
all too often, a company implements tactics without first
planning strategically. It’s a lot like cooking without
a recipe. Toss in a little of this, try a dash of that and
stir until you think it’s done. It’s no wonder
a lot of small business marketing efforts look half-baked!
The Top Six Reasons
#1 A marketing plan formalizes ideas
Nothing is more forceful than committing your ideas to paper.
If you say to yourself “Gee, I’d really like to
upgrade our website this year”, that’s just an
idea, without any course of action.
But, if you write on a piece of paper the:
- Objective (“We will upgrade our
website”)
- Rationale (“because our site is
looking outdated versus our competition.”)
- Project leader (“I will take the
lead on completing this project”)
- Timeline (“by December 31, 2003”)
and
- Budget (“for under $3,000”).
Now you have a plan that commits time, people and dollars
to the project, and its likelihood for success has grown exponentially.
#2 You can hang it in front of your nose
After you’ve finished your marketing plan, I recommend
taping parts of it up all around you—on your cubicle
wall, on a computer monitor or over your phone. The goal is
to hang it where you’ll see it every day. There are
two reasons for this.
First, seeing it every day serves as a conscious reminder
to accomplish this week’s tasks. Yes, it’s a subtle
form of nagging, but I guarantee you’ll get more done
because of the subtle pressure you feel.
Second, having your plan in plain view helps sink the plan
into your subconscious mind. As your eye passes over the plan,
your subconscious mind notices and starts converting your
plan into action. You don’t consciously know it’s
happening, but it is.
#3 A plan breaks down tasks
After completing your marketing plan, you’ll know
every Monday morning exactly what needs to be accomplished
to stay on track. If written correctly, your marketing plan
breaks down seemingly huge tasks (e.g. develop a website)
into smaller, more manageable tasks.
#4 A plan gives you hope
With a completed marketing plan guiding your efforts, you’ll
be amazed at how much more confident you feel. Now amidst
all the day-to-day fire fighting, you’ll know you have
a plan, a path to follow, and a quiet assurance that you’re
building momentum for your business. That positive attitude
alone goes a long way towards steering a company in the right
direction.
#5 A marketing plan sifts ideas
Over the course of 12 months (we’ll assume you’re
writing an annual marketing plan here), you’ll probably
stumble across a marketing opportunity you didn’t foresee
when you wrote the plan. Maybe you field a call from a magazine
offering you discounted advertising rates. Or, you meet the
president of a call center who offers its telemarketing services
to your company. Should you do these things?
With a written marketing plan in place, you can sift each
idea through it. If you’ve spent thoughtful time developing
your marketing strategies and committing them to paper, you’ll
know quickly if any of these ideas are on-strategy.
#6 A plan gives you something to go back to in slow
times
If your business is like most others, it has a seasonality
to it. That is, some months are traditionally slower than
others. During those slow months, instead of wringing your
hands and worrying about slow sales, you know what to do.
Crack open the plan, and review it cover to cover. Are your
assumptions about the market still valid? Do your strategies
still make sense? Which tactics do we need to implement?
At a glance, you’ll know whether you’re ahead
of schedule or behind, and turn passive statements like “I
don’t know what I should do” into active ones
like “We planned for a newsletter in the 2nd quarter,
now I’ll get started on that.”
How long does it take to write a marketing plan?
How long it takes to write your marketing plan depends on
these factors in your business. Its:
- Revenues
- Geographic scope
- Distribution channels
- Markets served
- Number of products or services offered
- Number of employees.
The larger the number for any of these variables, the longer
it will take. As a general rule of thumb, a sole proprietor
can write a marketing plan in one to four weeks. A larger
company will need eight to twelve because it must account
for more input.
Whichever company type you are, budget for enough think
time—that is, time away from the planning process
itself where you can ruminate, cogitate or (if so inclined)
meditate about the major questions you face.
When should I start?
When should you begin developing your marketing plan for
next year? Let’s assume your fiscal year starts in January.
If you’re a sole proprietor, start your planning process
right after Thanksgiving. If you’re in a larger business,
begin shortly after Labor Day.
Remember…
A marketing plan lays the foundation for well-thought-out
action. If you are serious about your marketing, start with
a plan.
Author Bio
Jay Lipe, aka the “Plan Man”, is the CEO of
Emerge
Marketing; a firm that helps growing companies improve
their marketing. He is the author of the book The
Marketing Toolkit for Growing Businesses (Chammerson
Press) which is available at major bookstores and online
at www.amazon.com.
He is also a sought after speaker and seminar leader, and
can be reached at (612) 824-4833 or lipe@emergemarketing.com
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