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Simple Steps to a B2B Marketing Plan
Developing a B2B marketing plan designed to drive leads and sales is really quite simple:
- Identify your destination. (Your company’s sales revenue goal)
- Determine how best to get there. (Your marketing strategy)
- Get started. (Your marketing tactics)
- Measure your progress. (Your marketing results)
- Make course corrections. (Modify your marketing plan based on results)
So why do so many B2B marketers never get around to developing and using marketing plans?
I’m guessing it is because they don’t want to be held accountable for the results. Unfortunately, I’ve found the results of not using marketing plans usually begins with the word “No.”
- No budget.
- No staff.
- No raise.
- No respect.
Or it results in the biggest “No” of all: No job.
Please jump in with your thoughts. If you develop and use a marketing plan, what benefits do you get from it? If you don’t bother, why not?
One strong benefit from developing and using a marketing plan is experience or wisdom. Once established, a marketing plan seems like a great way to learn from your own mistakes, and have the power to adjust the course, as noted above.
Posted by: Andrew Baglia | Sep 23, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Another reason is that the participants in a company’s marketing efforts have a pretty good understanding of the overall plan and would prefer to spend their time fulfilling duties than re-hashing a bunch of fact they are already aware of.
Formally writing out a plan is something that has benefits, but those benefits need to be weighed against the opportunity cost of working time.
Posted by: Justin Baker | Sep 29, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Interesting article Mac. Sometimes the most important strategies are also the most simple.
Posted by: Justin Baker | Oct 4, 2008 at 9:38 pm