This is helpful to give your employees, advisors, and colleagues and an overview of your plan.
A SMART goal would be “Grow overall sales to public sector customers by 10% before the end of 2016”
In this section you want to describe how you will reach customers (attending trade shows, radio ads, cold calls, online advertising), and the general approach you will use to convince them. Here, you will want to focus on what you identified your customers needs to be, and how your USP can help them meet their needs. The key in this section is to be as specific as possible.
For example, you may spend $5,000 traveling to trade shows, $5,000 on radio ads, $200, on flyers, $1,000 on a new promotion, and $2,000 on optimizing your website.
Be objective with your annual reviews. If something isn’t working or if someone isn’t performing up to your company’s standards, you may need to discuss why things aren’t working or why an employee isn’t meeting his tasks. Or, you may need to rethink your company’s entire marketing plan if things are really going off the track. This is where it may be helpful and worth the cost to hire an independent consultant. A consultant can review your plan and assess its success or failure, and may be able to help you restructure your plan as needed.
For example, you may own a snow plowing and winter maintenance business, and may have set a goal to grow your overall revenues by 10% by adding more contracts. Do you have a marketing plan that outlines how you will attract those additional contracts? If so, is it working?
Come up with concrete, definitive strengths and advantages that customers will find when they work with you. These are called internal characteristics of the company, and they’re what determine a customer’s level of satisfaction. [5] X Research source Potential strengths could be low cost, excellent customer service, user-friendliness, or speed. [6] X Research source Distinguish yourself from the competition. This may be tied with your strengths, or it may just be a fact of doing business with your company. But if you want customers to choose you over your competitors, you’ll need to figure out beforehand why they should do that. [7] X Research source You should also be aware of your company’s potential weaknesses and shortcomings, as these are also internal characteristics that matter to consumers. Once you’ve identified weaknesses you should begin planning ways to address those issues. If you don’t, those weaknesses could end up being a competitor’s strengths. [8] X Research source
Conduct demographics research. You want to know the age, gender, location, and even income of your customers. You also want to know the psychology of your customers. If you run a snow removal company, for example, and your customers are large businesses, what are the things they value most from a snow removal service? Think of their intent when they would most likely be searching for what you offer. Which sites, apps, podcasts would they most frequently visit? The more detailed you can be here, the better! Utilize official government data on both the market and industry. You may want to look at economic indicators like price and cost indices, as well as employment statistics in your state, county, and city. [11] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Small Business Administration U. S. government agency focused on supporting small businesses Go to source If your budget permits it, you may want to consult with trade groups or institutions that conduct their own research and analysis of markets and industry trends. [12] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Small Business Administration U. S. government agency focused on supporting small businesses Go to source You should also research your competition. The only way you will be able to offer customers something that the competition can’t is by knowing what, exactly, your competitors’ appeal is. Do they offer better prices? Quicker turnaround time? If so, how do they offer those features? Are they cutting corners someplace else in their business plan? Knowing the competition’s strengths and weaknesses are one of the best things you can do to help position your business for success. [13] X Research source
Begin by analyzing market trends, such as observable shifts in what consumers want/need, and what they expect from a company like yours. [15] X Research source Look at financial trends that may affect you, like the rise in virtual payment methods or current inflation rates. [16] X Research source If you own a snow removal business and cater to large public sector institutions (like government buildings) you may be aware that tight government finances are making your clients more concerned about cost. Your business strategy (and marketing plan) should focus on how you can provide the lowest-cost quality service. [17] X Research source
Keep surveys/questionnaires short and simple. Your customers may have input, but they won’t want to spend a lot of time and effort giving you that input. Aim for a survey that would fit on an index card or a half sheet of paper, but if you must go longer, make sure your survey comes in under two pages long at the absolute maximum. [19] X Research source Consider a short-answer format instead of a simple multiple-choice survey. You can certainly incorporate a few multiple-choice questions if you like, but provide open-ended questions, asking specifics like, “What do you like best about our product/service? What do you like least? What would you like to see us improve on?” You may also want to ask a question like, “Would you recommend our products/services to friends or colleagues? Why/why not?” That will help you gauge your existing customers’ level of satisfaction while also gathering information on what your strengths and weaknesses are. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. You want to make the experience as easy and hassle-free for customers as possible. [20] X Research source Don’t forget to estimate the cost of printing and mailing surveys (both ways), and factor that into your existing budget, if you decide to use this method.
The downside to a phone interview, aside from potentially disrupting or annoying the people being called, is that you won’t have the customer’s responses in front of you like you would with a written survey. If you plan on conducting a survey, you’ll need to have a fast writer/typer to transcribe your customers’ responses over the phone. This may require hiring additional personnel to conduct the interviews and write down responses, which will then need to be compiled into a spreadsheet or catalog of feedback.
Much like the phone interview, a personal interview will still require you to make some written account of what your customers said and what feedback they offered. This doesn’t make it an ineffective or impossible plan to implement; it just means you’ll need to plan ahead if you decide to go this route.
Your marketing goals should fit within your larger business goals. When developing your marketing goals, make sure your goals are tangible and measurable. Otherwise, it will be difficult to interpret your sales, and you may not be clear on what approaches and strategies were effective[25] X Research source Use outcomes like increased sales dollars, increased number of units sold/manufactured, increased public awareness, or number of new accounts with clients. [26] X Research source For example, your goal may be “Increase new contracts by 10% or increase social media presence”.
For example, you may opt to use social media, radio ads, signs, or flyer distribution to reach cold prospects. Potential clients who have shown interest or worked with you in the past could be actively contacted by salespeople who are trained to use the information from your research to convince the customer that your product or service is the best solution to their problem.
Corporate or in-store events are a great way to bring customers in. This could be a dinner, a social activity, or any other event that will impress clients, motivate/unite your staff, or increase your exposure to potential customers/clients. [29] X Research source Social promotions are almost always successful. That’s because they promote your business while getting customers excited about your products or services. These contests can be done in-store or through social media, and typically involve offering some type of minor “reward” in exchange for frequenting your business or following you on social media. [30] X Research source Consider paying for short-term sponsorship from a reputable person or group of people who use your products or services. These endorsements can even be done entirely online through social media. It may not fit into every business’s budget, as it can be an expensive option, but it’s been proven to work for many businesses around the world. [31] X Research source Don’t overlook the value of clever or catchy advertisements. Finding your business’s voice and visual style in a given campaign can be highly effective. [32] X Research source
Being active on social media keeps your business on the minds of customers. Consider writing blog posts or posting links about problems your customers may have, and how your business can provide a solution. [33] X Expert Source Janet PeischelDigital Media Expert Expert Interview. 30 March 2021. Discussion topics, promotions, and surveys can be ways of involving your customers in your business while simultaneously learning more about their preferences and deepening their relationship with your brand.
Assess your current finances. You want your budget to be realistic, and that means taking into account what you can afford to spend right now. Don’t blow your budget on the hope that your marketing plan will bring in a flood of new business, because if your plan isn’t that successful you may find yourself hemorrhaging money. [35] X Research source Start small with allocating your marketing funds, and work within your means. Go for tried and true advertisements that you know have the highest success rate with reaching new clients. [36] X Research source Don’t be afraid to stray from your plan. If things aren’t working in one area of advertisements (say, for example, that your newspaper ads aren’t reaching the right people), then try reallocating the time and money you would otherwise invest in that faltering avenue into other, more productive means of advertising.
