Hear Me, See Me, Know Me Comes Before Buy Me

If potential clients don't see or hear or know about your business, you can be the best sales person in the world and still have no money in the bank. Marketing is probably the greatest downfall of any business regardless of size. The beliefs of Build It and They Will Come to My Product or Service Will Sell Itself seem to drive all behaviors.

To hear me, to see me to know me is simply marketing. How do you define this critical factor to business success? There are many definitions for marketing. What I share with my clients is that marketing is both a strategy (thought process) and a tactic (action process) to create constant awareness and promotion of your products and services with the desired result of potential buyers also known as prospects:

• To consider your products and services
• To become clients or customers

Then having a plan focusing on marketing makes a lot of sense especially if you have limited resources of time, money and energy. So what should be in a marketing plan?

The answer to this question will probably vary from business coach to marketing expert. Since I am a firm believer in the "Keep It Simple and Succinct" approach, I believe that these five actions will improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of your marketing plan in securing the goal to increase sales.

First, your marketing plan should be first aligned to your overall strategic business plan. When plans are not aligned, the end result is wasted time, money and other resources. Ultimately, you are working harder not smarter and the goal to increase sales just will not happen.

Second, this plan should include your key foundational marketing statements if they are different from your core business foundational business statements.

Third, there should be a dashboard of key performance indicators that are monitored on a regular basis. Examples may include: hits to the website, number of cold calls made, appointments scheduled to networking events attended.

Fourth, some basic goal categories are necessary. Target market (demographics to psycho graphics), Internet, direct mail, tradeshows, networking and paid advertising are examples of basic goal categories.

Fifth, your marketing plan also needs to be aligned to your sales plan as well as sales process. Marketing and sales work together as partners as you build your business.

Finally, you must be committed to monitoring your plan and making any course corrections. For example if you have a website, how many people are actually contacting you or signing up for your newsletter?

When you take focused action to construct a marketing plan, you will get your message out. Then make sure to measure the results from those marketing activities.

Do you want more sales? Then register for FREE professional sales skills assessment http://www.processspecialist.com/sales-skill-assessment.htm

Customer loyalty is the strategic advantage. Receive your downloadable Customer Loyalty Audit at http://www.processspecialist.com/customer-loyalty.htm

Please contact, Leanne Hoagland-Smith, Your Chief People Officer and Business Coach, who works with individuals and organizations just like you that are tired of not being where they want to be and truly want more for their businesses and their selves. 219.508.2859