Archive for the ‘Marketing’ Category

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be posting about marketing and why it’s so important to have a marketing plan that aligns to your business vision.

Without marketing, your potential clients will not know you are there or what your do. Reactive marketing that does not align to your business plan,  will be unproductive and costly as it may not reach your target market or give the right message.

A proactive sales & marketing plan that is coordinated with your business plan, will help you set clear objectives, establishing direction and focus on your target market. Assessing and monitoring what your competition is doing will also help you to work out the best ways to keep existing customers happy whilst reaching and winning new customers.

Your marketing plan is a working document that will help you structure effort within the resources you have available, including people, time and money. It will support you in monitoring success and reviewing what to do differently to build on your success; also to identify what is not working, so you can allocate resources more effectively.

‘A sales and marketing plan must be reviewed and revised regularly to gain maximum return and to make your vision become a reality’.

Align your marketing with your business vision

Your marketing goals are your route to achieve your key business vision goals. 

 Before you  create your marketing plan, or  consider any marketing activity, you need to be clear what you are offering to whom.

 -          What is it that you will tell prospects that you do?

-          What are the features and benefits of what you have on offer?

-          What does your product offer that your customers’ value?

-          Are you product or market driven, ie have you a product for which you are trying to find a market, or are you seeking to provide a service/product to meet market needs, or, is it a blend of the two?

Next time I’ll be posting on being clear about your target market, your pricing and competitors.

To set a solid foundation for your marketing plan with a clear business vision, why not join my Vision Formula Workshop this Wednesday 16th May in Maidstone.

It costs just £47 and you will leave the workshop with:

More details can be found here.

Look out for Marketing Part 2 !

Denise

Denise Molloy works with small business owners to help them build a profitable and sustainable business that suits the lifestyle they choose.

Sounds like common sense I know – but having real clarity on your products, services and your niche market will provide a solid foundation for an effective marketing plan.

Integral to your business vision, must be clarity about what you have to offer, and to whom you are likely to sell it. Addressing the following questions will help focus you on what action to take before you are ready to invest in marketing.

Be aware if you are product or market driven:

• Do you have a product you want to get to market?
• Do you want to create a product that the market needs?
• Is it a combination of both?

Know your target market:

• What do they look like? Actually visualise and describe your prospects so you get into their head and see your company and services through their eyes.
• Where do they hang out? Where and how can you get access to your prospects?
• How much choice do they have? Which of your competitors can they also buy from?
• What is most important to your customers in the way they do business?

What products and services you have to offer:

• What solution do you offer your client? Focus on benefits not just features.
• What is your pricing structure? Know the profit margin for each product/service
• Is your pricing and profit margin dependant on your client eg residential or business, small business or corporate?

You may need to do more market research and scrutiny of your accounts before you can answer all of the above in detail. But once you have, you will be better positioned to write a marketing plan that ensures you reach a target market for whom you have a solution that they want and need to buy.

*****

Denise has designed a comprehensive coaching programme based on the work she does with her VIP clients. The programme may be accessed on line and/or through her 1-2-1 programme. Contact Denise for an informal discussion to find out more or visit www.denisemolloy.co.uk. Even better, come and meet her at Kent 2020 7 April at Detling Show Ground

For those of you that are local to Kent, please do come and see me at the Kent Business Show at Detling.

It will be a chance to meet you in person or an opportunity to catch up since we last spoke.

You will find me on stand 004c, where you also will have the opportunity to win a strengths profile and discuss the findings in a 1-2-1 coaching session to help you to maximise your potential and build your business success.

Entrance is FREE so do come along and network. Here’s the link

Hope to see you there!

Denise