How to Put Together a Marketing Plan

Professional Development provided by PPAI

APRIL 23-25, 2014

Plan Your Work. Work Your Plan. Put Together Your Marketing Plan.

Paul A. Kiewiet MAS+ CIP CPC



Today’s Objectives…

• What Are You Building?• Why Are You Building It?• What Results Will You Measure?• How Will You Build It?• What Is The Work To Be Done?

• The future you deserve is right there for the taking. Grab it.

• Make this about more than a number.

• Build something that reflects who you are and what you stand for.

What Are You Building?

• It should stimulate thinking, communicate passion and paint a very graphic picture of the business you want.

• It should be about exploration, creating possibilities and asking “what if?” and “why not?”


• What are you offering? What will you be known for?

• Where? Are your customers? Your Presence?

• Who? Are your customers? Your partners? Your advisors?

• When? • Why? Why will customers buy from

you? Why will others want to help you?• How? How will you finance your plans?

How will you interact with suppliers, customers, associates? How will your personal beliefs impact this business?


• Describe 3 Things You Won’t Do.• Describe 3 Things You Will Be

Known For.• Describe 3 characteristics of Best

Clients.• Describe 3 characteristics of

Clients You Will Fire.• Describe 3 characteristics of

businesses you admire.• Describe 3 characteristics of

businesses you do not want to emulate.


Your Vision Statement• Vision (What are you Building?)

XYZ Promotions helps people flourish and makes marketing fun and easy through sincere, resourceful and personalized service.

• To create a peaceful, abundant life with confidence, patience and passion as I build ABC Promos by providing influential tools for building brands and businesses with the most cost-effective, memorable and long-lasting solutions to results-oriented, trusting and trust-worthy people and organizations .ABC Promos will be appreciated and respected for demonstrating high standards of creativity, design excellence, innovative thinking, loyalty, honesty, dependability and value-creation.

Your Vision Statement• “Your Name” Promotions is an expert resource and partner that

– • helps you recruit, retain and engage happy productive associates– • comes up with “knock-your-socks-off” creative ways to attract and

keep happy customers,– • is always looking for cool ideas that will build your brand and

presence– • does what it takes to make you and your company look good

• Example Promotions is a creative organization that…• • Promotes Business, Boosts Morale and Rewards Customers

• Is known for delivering honest, innovative solutions, high-quality dedicated service and a memorable experience,• Does what it takes to make our customers look great in the office and on the playing field…through recognition and promotions.

• Describe the purpose for which your product, service or business exists.

• Make it short and memorable. • It should communicate your

company’s focus and what is being provided to customers.

• It should answer the question, “Why will customers buy this product or service?”

Why Are You Building It?

• 1. Why will customers buy your company’s product or service?

• 2. What is your company committed to providing your customers?

• 3. What can your company promise?

• 4. What passions are you trying to satisfy by building this business?


• What’s in it for your customer?

• What does it do for your soul?

• What values will drive your business?

• What’s the highest good that this business can achieve?


Your Mission Statement

• We listen to you and go to work to create memorable, worry-free solutions to earn your trust and help you build your organization through promotions and recognition.

• Conscientious, responsive and professional, ABC Promos makes promotional marketing a fun and beneficial experience.

• Our mission is to help our clients be more successful by adding value to their sales, marketing and branding efforts.

• We create unique and creative solutions that help businesses grow!

• We make you look good through any means possible.

What Results Will You Measure?

• Whereas your vision statement is expansive and idealistic, and your mission statement is short, powerful, memorable and customer-oriented — your objectives are designed to focus your resources on achieving specific results.

• The purpose of a well-defined objective is to cause meaningful action.

What Will You Measure?

• What would you like to celebrate?

• Where does success come from?

• What does success look like?


• Financial• Sales and Marketing• People• Personal• Efficiency


Objectives

• By This Specific Future Date• XYZ Promo will be working with at least 200 clients• XYZ will have gross sales revenue greater than $450,000 annually.• XYZ will open four new Bigger Accounts with over $30,000/yr budgets.• XYZ will have an annual income of over $100,000.00

Objectives: (What will you measure?)Achieve 2013 sales of $300,000, increase to $500,000 in 2014Improve overall profit margin to 40% in 2013Open one new Association account in 2013

ObjectivesOBJECTIVES What Results Will We Measure?• Achieve $600,000 total sales in 2014, $675,000 in 2015, $750,000 in

2016, $850,000 in 2017 and $1,000,000 in 2018.• Obtain Certified Advertising Specialist Designation in 2015 and

Master Advertising Specialist Designation in 2017.• Identify ten current clients and grow business within these

accounts by 10% each year.• Identify and maintain ten “target” prospects and turn three of them

into new clients each year.• Retire lines of credit and loans by December 31, 2015• Reward and inspire employees by bringing them to PPAI Expo 2016.• Develop five sports industry clients (Professional, Major, Minor

League, Amateur, Club Levels)

• Strategies set the direction, philosophy, values and methodology for building and managing your company.

• They set the basis for not only your to-do list but your stop doing list and don’t even think about it list.

• Strategies answer the question, “What will make this business successful over time?”

How Will You Build It?


• Describe Your Best Customers

• How and Where Do They Buy From You Now?

• How and Where will they Buy From You in the Future?

• How do you plan to promote to each category of customer?


• What is currently working for you?

• How can you improve it?• What isn’t working for you?• Fix it or forget it.


• Identify 3 issues that are limiting your growth?

• What is the root cause?• What needs to change?


• How the business will be built and managed?

• How will you capitalize on market opportunities?

• How will you solve your critical issues?

• It should build on the successes and overcome the current limitations affecting the business.


StrategiesStrategies: (How will this business be Built?)• Reconnect and reactivate client lists and contact lists from past.• Focus on associations serving small to mid-size industries and their member

companies.• Develop trusted advisors to keep me focused, accountable and on-track.• Utilize existing resources to maximum potential.• Organize office and activities for maximum exposure to clients and prospects.

Develop a series of workshops, white papers and customer luncheons to position ABC Promo as a promotion marketing expert.

Participate in healthcare industry trade shows and fairs and advertise in hospital trade publications.

Sell total solutions and programs rather than products.

Strategies• Strategies (How will you grow this business?) • 1. I will identify prospects who can spend $30,000 or more annually on promotional

products and create targeted messaging to open up conversations with them.

• 2. I will focus my marketing efforts on industries and services where I have a proven track record of success. (Senior services, ambulance, EMT, medical, hospice, etc.)

3. I will position XYZ Promo as the preferred promotional products vendor for (Major Account) with valuable tips and ideas for making franchisees more successful and effective.

4. I will spend my time on larger projects to increase my average order size and to reduce the number of orders that are less than $300.00.

5. I will create and implement a structured referral program to generate more business within existing accounts and industries.

6. I will make a conscientious effort to add “fun” and positive emotions to every interaction with clients and prospects.

• Plans are the specific actions that must be implemented to achieve the objectives.

• Each should relate to an objective and a strategy, should be action oriented, specific and have deadlines.

• The intent is to keep focus on the important but not necessarily the urgent tasks.

What is the work to be done?

List six projects that would make a big difference in your business. Tie them to an objective or a strategy and then answer these questions:

• 1. What impact would completing the project have?

• 2. How will you measure the results?

• 3. What are the next three steps?


• Which objective or strategy does it relate to?

• What is the project that needs to be completed?

• When does it need to be completed?

• Who or what resources are needed?


PlansPlans (What is the work to be done?) 1. Review website - upgrade the experience to make it fun and worthwhile and informative for visitors.

Upgrade the shopping experience.2. Define target accounts and deliver marketing based on rating.

– 2.1. A = Top accounts and prospects with potential to spend more than $10k per year – 2.2. B = Accounts with potential to spend $2500 - $10k per year – 2.3. C = Undefined prospects and low level existing clients. – 2.4. A level prospects will receive 1 email per month, two creative direct mail campaign per year, six sales calls

and invitation to lunch or a special event. Totally personalized calendar mailing late in 2014 with prospects name imbedded.

– 2.5. B level prospects will receive 1 email per month, one direct mail piece per year, six phone or sales calls. – 2.6. C level prospects will receive 1 email per month.

3. Plan monthly mailings. Make the content relevant, fun, interesting and reflective of personality and Vision and Mission. For example: January - Hot new products and trends for 2014; February - Earth Friendly and Eco promotions leading up to Earth Day; March - Made in America; April - Golf and outdoor living; etc. 4. Social Media Strategy - consistent engagement through LinkedIn, reinforce the FUN factor. Repost

valuable content. Spend one hour per week on blog, YouTube, SlideShare, FB, LI and Twitter.5. Send out a Spec Sample or a Virtual Sample to two A-level prospects and to 1 B-level prospect every

week.6. Send out cards (SendOutCards.com) to every person met with each week.7. Solicit testimonials from happy customers and share them on website, social media and emails.8. Reward those who refer us to others. Establish a referral program.

• Vision Statement• Mission Statement• Objectives• Strategies• Plans

Your Simple Marketing Plan

Paul A Kiewiet MAS+

[email protected] http://www.create2bgreat.comFollow me on Twitter: @paulkiewietLet’s connect on LinkedIn269-806-4489

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http://www.create2bgreat.com/

How to Put Together a Marketing Plan

Marketing

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