Polixeni Papapetrou Wonderland

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.

"I don't much care where," said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.

From Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol

Reading all the recent posts about other Rainers plans for 2007 got me thinking about my own marketing plan.  I was asking my father's advise, as I always do and he stressed the importance of having a comprehensive marketing and sales plan.

I did eek out a tentative bullet style action plan when I first started my new business 6 monts ago; but honestly my strategies have changed as have the demographic that I plan to target (thanks largely to my participaiton here on ActiveRain I as able to find my niche).  So in addition to being insufficient, it is also largely antiquated.  However the idea of writing a complete business plan seemed insurmountable.

That's when my father gave me an article he wrote on the same subject a few years back.  I found it so useful I asked his permission to post it here for the rest of you.  I did quite a bit of tweeking, but the majority of the text is my fathers. 

 

 

Image: ©Polixeni Papapetrou Wonderland

HOW TO WRITE A SALES AND MARKETING PLAN by Mike Adams

Why take the time to write a sales and marketing plan? Simple: If you don't know where you want to go, how will you ever get there?

Actually, all businesses do have some form of business plan; it just may not be in writing. If you are daunted by the prospect of writing one, don't worry, there are many resources available to help. The U.S. Small Business Association has a series of publications as well as freeware and shareware software programs and templates that make writing a business plan much easier.  SBA's website has these and many other resources available at: http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/

The sales and marketing plan is an integral part of a good business plan, but it is usually not given the attention it deserves. Some companies pride themselves on the fact that they have no marketing or sales efforts. They say, "We have grown to this size just on word of mouth," Or "Salesmen are a waste of money." These companies generally have one person who deals with the customers, usually the owner, who is, in reality, the salesperson. Unfortunately, the owner usually also manages the production, makes deliveries and does anything else that needs to be done in a crisis.

This way of thinking will always limit the size of a company. That size varies with each individual; it is the amount of sales and production that one person can handle. If a company wants to grow past that level, it must have sales and marketing efforts, and any company involved in these efforts should have a written plan.  What justifies the additional time and effort you'll spend creating a written plan? An increased chance for success. More specifically, a plan is:cheshire cat

 

A reality check when you first examine the results of your efforts

 

A timetable, helping you to coordinate all the activities

 

A tool that helps you evaluate your position in the market

 

A vehicle for tracking the progress of your plan

 

A blueprint for adjusting your efforts to respond to changes in the market

 

A starting point for future planning

Where Are You Now?
This question involves more than just the current sales figures.  Who are you as a company? What do your customers think of you?  Do you specialize in one or more segments of the market?  Do you sell to customers nationwide? Regionally? Locally?

Where Do You Want To Go?
Some organizations really do not want to grow, and that's okay. However, if growth is a goal, you need to ask, "where do I want to go?" The answer might be "I want to increase sales by 50% of current levels each year for the next four years" or "I want to be the leading company in my region within two years." If you want to grow, however, you must be ready to increase production and willing to accept all the changes growth brings.

The Market
The next step is to identify your market. Asking the following questions helps to clarify this. What is the market? How large is the market? Where is the market headed? How is the market segmented? Who is your competition? How are they marketing? Why do customers buy from you instead of the competition?
Why do customers buy from the competition instead of you? Is your company perceived as a technological leader or follower? Is your company aggressive and not averse to risk-taking, or do you plan to grow carefully and slowly? Have you acquired an reputation for fast and reliable service by expanding your business only as quickly as your service organization can support it? Do you aim for the high-priced, high-quality end of the market, or does your company try to make an adequate product that can capture a large market share by selling at a low price?

Market Research
Some of the answers to the questions above can be answered by trade associations, magazines, and journals. The most important aspect of market research, though, is feedback from prospective buyers. How do they feel about the product or service you are offering? What do they like, and what do they dislike?
Getting such information, of course, requires that you speak with these prospects or get them to fill out questionnaires. In any case, the more hard data you have from potential buyers about their needs and preferences, the more valuable the marketing plan will be.

Writing the Plan
Once you have answered the questions above, you are ready to begin writing the plan.   If you plan to consult with a sales and marketing firm, this would be a good time to bring them into the picture. Otherwise, the plan is generally divided into the following sections, including information from the questions asked above.

  1. Executive Summary
    This section summarizes the information in the entire plan. It provides a quick overview for new management or marketing employees who need to be familiar with the plan.
  2. Market Analysis
    Market Definition: Who are your customers?
    Market Segments: How are they segmented?
    Current Strengths: What are the strong points (from a marketing position) of your company?
    Weaknesses: What are the weak points (from a marketing position) of your company?
    Opportunities: What are some areas that could easily be exploited?
    Competition: List each competitor and analyze their strategies.
    Pricing: What do your competitors charge?
  3. Marketing Plan
    How do we get from here to there? Marketing must be distinguished from sales. Marketing is the art (and science) of identifying a need and then developing a strategic plan to satisfy it with convincing prospective buyers to purchase your product or service.
    Marketing Objectives: What do we intend to do?
    Positioning/Repositioning: How do we want to be perceived by the customer?
    Advertising: How much do we want to spend (and where) on advertising?
    Editorial: Identify individuals in the organization that can write technical articles to be published in trade journals. Plan to write a minimum number of articles each year.
    Public Relations: Send press releases, product announcements, and sales announcements to the trade journals and industry association journals of your customers at every opportunity.
    One-on-One Contact: Many companies choose their sources because of a solid personal relationship with their vendors.
    Trade Shows: Determine the trade shows and industry association meetings you want to attend.
    Direct Mail: Is direct mail advertising appropriate for your business? Plan the number of campaigns you want to do each year.
    Telephone Marketing: Is telephone selling appropriate for your business?
    Corporate Capabilities Brochure: This is a brochure outlining the capabilities of your organization.
    Sales support Materials: Other Printed materials used by sales.
    World Wide Web Presence: A home page or website outlining your company's strengths.
  4. Sales plan
    No single aspect of the business is more important than determining how to sell. Without sales there is no business, no matter how well production, marketing research, and other functions are handled. Your plan must first address the question of exactly how your product or service will be sold.
    Sales objectives: Outline specific measurable objectives.
    Pricing: How do we intend to price our products?
    Commissions: Everyone involves in selling needs incentives. The incentives must be properly structured and clearly explained if they are to be effective.
    Discounts: Company policy should be determined as to the discounts and those doing the selling should be aware of the policy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An important thing to keep in mind is that this type of plan is a starting point. It should be reviewed often and changes should be made accordingly. After all, as Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."

P.S.  Add Giving Back to your 2007 Marketing Plan!!

 
Post is included in group: Giving Back

32 Comments on Hey it's 2007! Where to go from here?

JAN
01
2007
135,825 Points 15 Featured Posts Outside Blog
Jessica - Wow you are really lucky to have such a great resource in your family.  I think your dad should become a blogger!  Thank you so much for sharing this information.  I do have a business plan - but it is thin and could definitely use some fine tuning for the new year.  Thanks so much for sharing - and give your dad an extra hug today!
8:17pm • #1
4 Featured Posts

Thanks Maureen!  I like the fact that his style is very straighforward.  It doesn't have to be fancy, or have a certain number of sections in a certain order; you just have to go through and ask yourself those questions.

I found that once I started brainstorming and writing it out; so many new ideas and thoughts came to me.

8:21pm • #2
611,506 Points 244 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog
Wow Jessica, Excellent post. This most have taken you a while. When TLW and I first opened our business 9 years ago I spent almost 2 weeks putting together a 40 page biz plan. It was very comprehensive and it was a great learning experience doing it. It really made us focus on what we were trying to achieve and how we were going to get there. Once we put our plan into action I learned that it was equally important to be flexible and to not fight it when your business takes you in a different direction. Really good post Jessica thank you for taking the time to share this.
8:21pm • #3
4 Featured Posts

Thanks Bryant!  So true, you have to be flexible!  I like the quote at the end:

One important thing to keep in mind is that this type of plan is only a starting point. It should be reviewed often and changes should be made accordingly. After all, as Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."

8:26pm • #4
15 Featured Posts

Jessica,

First of all, you deserve a Gold Star for this - what an incredible amount of work you put into writing it!  And the pictures were delightful!

Your dad sounds like a very wise man!  Thank you for sharing his principles with us here.  I am planning to bookmark this so I can refer back to it and use the information to create a WRITTEN marketing plan for 2007.  I thought my 5 or 6 ideas that were written in a new journal were going to help propell me forward, however after reading your blog, I realize that I'm not going to get off that easily!  I think that the written timetable is going to be the hardest for me to create.

A few years ago I read a book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Steve Covey. I didn't choose to read it, but rather was required to in order to take on the marketing for an company that I worked for which was one of the biggest insurers of musical instruments in the U.S.and Canada.  What I learned from that book, however, was how to create a goal and how to reach it.  The "Benchmarks" which the book teaches are part of the plan to help you reach your goal, are probably akin to the "Written Timetable" your dad refers to in his marketing plan.

My wish for you is that your company becomes everything that you wish it to be!  Best Wishes for a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous 2007!

(p.s.  my e-mails are on the way!)

9:16pm • #5
259,160 Points 102 Featured Posts Outside Blog

I have learned that the business plan can be paralysis by analysis (this past year)...HOWEVER...

You MUST have a plan even if it is two pages long...you MUST have a plan.

Two gals meet up in New York and agree to meet up in San Francisco.  The first one maps it on yahoo, schedules her driving, resrevs hotel rooms, eats breakfast, and takes off.

The second one drives somewhere towards the sun. 

Who do you think got there first? 

11:27pm • #6
4 Featured Posts
yeah but who had more fun ;)
11:40pm • #7
JAN
02
2007
2 Featured Posts

Jessica this post is excellent, I have bookmarked, printed and flagged for a featured article.  A business plan is so essential and can always use updating and fine tuning.  Thank you so much for sharing this valuable information.

I LOVE the Alice in Wonderland excerpt-it hits the nail on the head.

12:04am • #8
4 Featured Posts

Thank you both Val and Gina!  I can't take all the credit though, it was my mentor (my father) that did the bulk of the work.  I was a bit conflicted as to whether I should even post so much of someone else's content; I would normally never do it.  But seeing as we are family, we share intellectual property.  Besides I did give it a bit of a 'spit n' polish' :)

Val you are a sweetheart!  I also wish you every sucess in 2007!  I loved that book, my sister lent it to me last year!  It is a must read:

7 Habits of Highly Sucessful People

12:19am • #9
1 Featured Post
Thanks for the info.  Definately a neccessity!!  Keep on blogging!
11:32am • #10
JAN
03
2007
538,742 Points 35 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog

Happy New Year, Jessica! Thanks for the link! Regarding 'review it often and make changes accordingly' we always use the example of a plane flying to Hawaii. 99% of the time they are off course, constantly making corrections along the way until they land on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean. Follow your written business plan and that flight may be one of your rewards! ...

... Which brings up my second point. Schedule your vacations and time off first, and then plan your work within the remaining time. It's important to have regular quality time, it will help you stay focused, and the rewards will pull you through small obstacles. If you want to be a little more agressive, book and pay for your vacation -- now you have an even bigger reason to follow through and consequences if you don't! Good luck in 2007!

2:09am • #11
8 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Jessica- this is awesome. I just printed it out and I am going to use it to re-analyze our marketing strategy for 2007. All business owners- not just stagers can use these tips. I spent way too much on marketing kast year that did not work. Thanks for sharing! KH

7:08am • #12
117,596 Points 11 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Jessica, you may have written the most bookmarked post of the year!

Great wake-up call. Thank you. Your timing couldn't be better for me. 

John - I never heard that vacation and time off thing before! Love it!

logo

Stage It Forward! 

7:50am • #13
127,093 Points 5 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Hi Jessica

I did write a business plan and it is a lot or work but it helps you to focus on the positives and negative. What to do if this does not work, etc. Also helps you to look at demographics.

Good luck and Happy New Year

Phyllis Pafumi 

12:49pm • #14
2 Featured Posts
Jessica---Thank you for sharing this with the AR community.  This will be very helpful to me in planning my goals and strategies for the year.  Thank your father, too!
9:43pm • #15
3 Featured Posts

Hi, I'm new to Active Rain and reading this post I have to say that I am happy to be a part of this community. It's a great reminder to stay on top of my plan especially when I feel things are not working out quite as I think they should at the moment.

I'm looking forward to 2007 and the best of wishes and luck to everyone!

-Teresa 

Chaney & Lewis Home Staging 

10:48pm • #16
JAN
04
2007
4 Featured Posts

John~  I like the airplane analogy!  Unfortunately I never hesitate to take time off for travel.  But it usually ends up being pretty spur of the moment.  Which means everything is a disaster by the time I get back!

Teresa~ Welcome to ActiveRain!!  I'm sure you will get as much out of this community as I have (which is a LOT!).

11:48am • #17
JAN
10
2007
1 Featured Post

Jessica,

Thanks for your great post. I guess as plans go - first thing to do  - is to bookmark it! It makes me rethink my plans for this year!

10:09am • #18
JAN
26
2007
2 Featured Posts
Love the images!
3:04pm • #19
4 Featured Posts

Thanks Devon!

I found the first image by googling "Cheshire Cat"  and I loved it so much that I e-mailed the artist on her website to ask her permission to use it.  She got back to me within a few hours and gave me her permission. 

The girl is a photograph is her daughter, and I love how she superimposed the image in front of the painting.  It is a stunning work of art!

4:39pm • #20
JAN
27
2007
117,596 Points 11 Featured Posts Outside Blog
Jessica - with the new AR format, one never knows when an old post is going to pop up. I thought your post here looked familiar! And this is a very timely pop-up because we are into the year now and am wondering if your plan has been revised and exactly what did you add or take away...only if you have a few minutes though...just quickly. It would be interesting to see the "before and afters".
8:32am • #21
4 Featured Posts

Well Sheron, part of my Business Plan for this year is to focus more on occupied homes and staging consultations.  Since the beginning I have specialized in vacant home staging.  Kind of working backwards, I know, but it's worked for me.  To that end I decided to beef up my power point presentation on staging so I could hit the streets and earn some more business.

However, it seems I may have done a little too good a job, as I am in the process of being added to the schedule of education presentations for our local Keller Williams Realty, as well as having my course on staging added to the Boulder Area Realtor's Association (B.A.R.A.) resource course curriculum.  To this end I have shifted the focus of the presentaton from a sales pitch to an informative + DIY focus.  Also one of our B.A.R.A resource committee members has stepped down and I will find out next week if I am slated to take his place.  I have also joined the board of our local Colorado Stager's Association (and am responsible for overseeing the website development and management).  So it looks like I'm going to be more involved in the comittee and education side of things than I intended.

The downside is that it looks like I'm going to have to work a lot more to bring in more money to afford to pay for childcare during the time I'm working with these comittee's and boards.  All these activities occur during work hours so I can't have my husband watch the girls.  It's more than I bargained for but I feel like in the end it will be worth it.  The power of staging is something that I believe strongly about and Craig has inspired me to "Stage It Forward"!

10:58am • #22
2 Featured Posts
A wealth of information, thanks.  I am actually paying to sit down with someone to write the business plan for me, I don't have the attention span to sit for that length of time so we'll work together to get my thoughts and ideas down on paper.
9:34pm • #23
FEB
03
2007
256,153 Points 3 Featured Posts Outside Blog
Hi Jessica, Thanks for all of the great tips and the link to SBA. I'm learning so much from AR! Debbie
8:43am • #24
FEB
28
2007
1 Featured Post
Hey Jessica, thats quite  impressive, great blog keep it up
11:04am • #25
MAR
04
2007
MAR
06
2007
4 Featured Posts
Thanks for the compliments.
8:49am • #27
You are going to have a great year and I am happy to hear that your family backs you
10:09am • #28
APR
06
2007
1 Featured Post
Great post  , i enjoyed all you said and those great pictures as well
12:01pm • #29
4 Featured Posts

Paul,

Did you forget that you'd aready commented on my blog back in February?

2:42pm • #30
JUN
30
2007
Thank you very much for sharing, that was a great post!
12:27am • #31
OCT
22
2007
590,728 Points 63 Featured Posts Outside Blog
Jessica, sometimes I think at various stages in life despite all your best laid plans you are connecting dots into an uncertain future. But I think goals set the direction and then you take it from there. Winging it doesn't really set a direction.
11:17pm • #32

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Jessica Hughes

Boulder, CO

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Ambiance Staging

Office Phone: (303) 435-1784

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