Crafting a Better Marketing Plan

The best marketing plans are concise and clear, says Selina Oppenheim, president of Port Authority, a Boston-based consulting firm. Written wisely, marketing plans can help companies find and retain customers. "Being proactive is critical because you shouldn't let the world guide your business," Oppenheim says. "A conscious plan can become your guidepost."

Marketing plans vary, but all require discipline, structure and patience. "Before you begin, it's important to understand that marketing is like moving a steering wheel, then waiting months before the car turns," says David Baker, principal of ReCourses, a consulting firm in Nashville, Tenn.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Marketing isn't about tooting your own horn. It's about determining an objective and mapping a course to achieve it. "Before you look for a new list of prospective clients, you must analyze yourself," says Ilise Benun, editor and publisher of the quarterly newsletter "The Art of Self Promotion." This is a 2-step process:

Step 1: Write a specific objective. ("To get 10 new medical clients in the next 18 months.") Make sure the objective is realistic. All other steps in your marketing plan will be determined by this goal.

Step 2: Develop a focused positioning statement. Examine and articulate your strengths. ("We excel at providing health-care clinics and community hospitals with label/form combinations that increase efficiency and reduce errors.") "You need to understand what business you're really in and why you're different, then apply that knowledge," says E. Brooks Warner, president of 101, a North Granby, Conn.-based marketing services company for the document management industry.

"This is the toughest part of the marketing plan," Baker says. "Everyone thinks they're cost-effective, responsive and customer service-based. What does that really say? Not much. Most firms have very unfocused, non-compelling descriptions of what they do." The key, he says, is touting your specialties. Developing a focused positioning statement helps you do that.

Questions to Answer:

1. What sets your firm apart from competitors?
2. Who are your best customers?
3. Who would you like your best customers to be?
4. What is the value you bring to clients?

GETTING TO KNOW THEM
Your objective and positioning statement will help you target prospects. The next move—one that takes a little more time—is research. Here are the steps:

Step 3: Find and qualify a list of target companies. Prospects are available from a variety of sources, including your own Rolodex, the Yellow Pages, trade-association member directories and publications, and list-rental services.

Questions to Answer:

1. Who is your primary marketing audience?
2. What are their strengths, worries and weaknesses?
3. Where and how do they currently buy printing?

Step 4: Research. Visit your prospects' web sites, and ask them to send you more information about their companies. If your distributorship targets publicly traded firms, get their annual reports. Oppenheim recommends visiting www.adbase.com, a membership-based web site that doesn't charge fees when users download lists of companies and their purchasing contacts. If your distributorship offers promotional products or commercial printing, go to the library and flip through the Standard Directory of Advertisers (sometimes called "The Red Book"), a book listing corporations' key contacts and advertising budgets. If your manufacturing firm targets distributorships selling specific products, visit PSDA's home page at www.PSDA.org and click on "Print Buyers Search," or contact companies appearing in the annual Print Solutions Top 100 Distributors issue.

GETTING READY FOR ACTION
After you've analyzed your company and prospective clients, consider the plethora of marketing tools available, including brochures, post cards, press releases, speaking engagements, email newsletters and radio advertisements.

Step 5: Determine your marketing vehicles. Companies learn about printing firms and their offerings in a variety of ways, so consultants suggest integrating several tools in your marketing plan. "It's a mistake to think that one method will get your message across," Oppenheim says. Integrate direct actions that tout your capabilities (direct mail, advertisements, etc.) with indirect ones that enhance your visibility (community events, open houses, etc.).

Questions to Answer:

1. What methods best align with your marketing content?
2. How many prospects will you reach?
3. How much will it cost?
4. How long will it benefit your firm?