Looking Backward and Forward

The kids are back to school, the leaves are turning colors, and the hurricanes are hitting. It can only mean one thing - it's time to do marketing planning for 2009.

If your fiscal year starts January 1 chances are good that you are currently closing out the third quarter, evaluating those telling year-to-date numbers and planning for 2009. The financial folks are begging you for budgets and your boss is hounding you for sales projections.

In the meantime, you have all those normal day-to-day "to-do's" to, uh, "do" and let's not forget about putting out those unexpected fires. Let's face it, you're not sure you even NEED a marketing plan.

So Why Have a Marketing Plan?

Here are just a few reasons why having a marketing plan for 2009 is a good idea:

1. Maximizes Sales and Profits - You and the entire company will know when and how you will be spending your budget and what sales should result from those efforts.
2. Saves Time and Money - You and your team will spend your time and money wisely on things that are important to making the plan come to life.
3. Creates Time - Clear direction actually creates time by minimizing chaos and keeping non-priority items off project list.

Ok, so you're convinced having a marketing plan is worthwhile, but you still don't know where to start? Read on.

First, Look Back

Any planning process comes down to three basic parts:

1. Figuring out where you are today,
   
2. Deciding on where you want to be after a certain amount of time, and
   
3. Designing a course of action to get you there.

First, look over the past year to see where you are today. Define that location in terms of revenue, sales, profits, number and type of people on staff, products, or anything else that matters. Look at these criteria on an absolute basis as well as relative ones. "Relative to plan or forecast" is an important one in most companies.

So you are NOT doomed to repeat the past make sure that you have a good handle on what results were achieved by various programs over the past 1-2 years, and have some ideas about the reasons for those results.

Then, Look Forward

Next, look at the internal (company) and external (market) factors affecting your goals for the next 12 months. What is working to your advantage? To your disadvantage? Where are the opportunities and where are the potholes?

The big question to answer in this step is "Where do you want to be or NEED to be after the next 12 months?"

This second part of the planning process differs significantly from the first step as it requires you to meld uncertainty (what will the market be like in 2009, will the new product come out on time) with current real demands and constraints (sales need to be 10% over 2008 with a 20% lower marketing budget). This is a bit riskier and a lot more unnerving.

Finally, Set A Course

This part is easy for a fortune-teller but not for even a stellar marketer like you! It takes creativity, time, and painstaking effort to plot out a variety of courses and evaluate each for their ability to provide the maximum return. But this is exactly what you need to do.

If you're not sure how to get started on this "higher risk" step in the process give me a call.

Get Started

Even if you can't get a complete marketing plan done for 2009, a little bit of planning is better than none at all. You will be surprised at how much you can accomplish and learn through the process. Can't plan the whole year? Then, plan the first half or first quarter.

Ask For Help

Ask your boss (or subordinates) to respect the time you have set aside for this important task. Ask other departments like sales, engineering and finance for their thoughts, data and ideas for the marketing plan. This act alone goes a long way in making you more knowledgeable and in building important relationships you'll need in the future.

Show Others What's In It For Them (WIIFT)

While you're asking for time and information from others in the company, show them how the plan - and their time and input - will make their lives easier down the road. Remember, clear direction creates time and a good solid marketing direction for the upcoming year reduces chaos and increases returns on time and money for the entire organization.

Tell The Plan To Others

Obviously, until the plan is embraced by the organization it will be nearly impossible to implement and harvest positive results. Make sure you tell and sell it to key managers in the company - as well as any other key personnel like suppliers and channel partners - who are critical to its success.

Mosaic creates customers and increases sales for business-to-business companies through specific project work, on-going retainer assignments, and coaching sessions.

Until next month…..happy planning!

Rosemary Walter
847-438-5018
Rose1Walter@MosaicMM.com

Quote of the Month

© 2008 Rosemary Walter, all rights reserved. You are free to use material from Mosaic's Monthly Marketing Tips in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including a live website link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read:

"By Rosemary Walter of Mosaic Marketing Management, Inc. Please visit Rosemary's web site at http://www.MosaicMM.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for business to business companies."