For You to Consider

Here are some questions to consider as you plan your first...or tenth ...strategic marketing plan:

You have a vision.  Are you following a consistent strategy to pursue that vision?  Have you considered adding or streamlining products, modifying your pricing, or diversifying your distribution?

You know your customers.  Do they know that you know?  Is this target audience growing or declining, and what should you be doing to respond to the change?

You know your competition.  Do you share customers?  Do they view you as a respected and formidable adversary?  Are your marketplace efforts predictable, perhaps easy for them to duplicate? 

You provide stellar service. Why do your customers boast about you to their associates and friends?   Have their compliments resulted in personal referrals or a discernable impact on your sales or market share? Are you leveraging your success to reinforce the excellence of your staff, customer loyalty and your market dominance?

You have set sales or profitability goals.  Have you set specific measures of success for the marketing programs in which you may invest?

You know how to measure success.  What will you do with the results?

If you have answered these questions with confidence, you are ready to create growth for your brand. If you've paused, you have some work to do before developing your next plan.