- Begin With the End in mind... Start off by generating a marketing plan. Before structuring the plan for implementation, visualize the results you expect to achieve as a result of the company's marketing efforts. At this point you are positioned to establish the company's marketing goals.
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- Allocate a Budget. If you are serious about your marketing program you are realistic about implementation. We all know too well about the pitfalls that occur when marketing goals reflect a snapshot of high-end objectives on a bottom basement budget. Allocate a realistic budget supported by the step-by-step plan. If the company is operating with limited cash reserves consider some low cost marketing options capable of delivering measurable impact.
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- Marketing is Ongoing. Marketing is an ongoing process that promotes the initial sale, delivers the product and generates more sales once the purchase is made. Additional sales can come from satisfied customers, sales of more products and services to the same customers, or new sales generated from new customers. If you want to generate more than one time sales, you cannot approach marketing as a one shot deal.
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- Strategy plus Synergy = Success. Your marketing plan must contain a strategy, which is the master plan for generating the end result. Implementation of your strategy must be conducted with synergy. It is understood that several activities must occur in a set order, recognizing that timing is a key factor. For example, imagine hosting a grand opening event. You invite potential customers, the press and local community leaders. What happens if the invitations are sent out late, the catering arrives the day before, while the press show up three hours before the event gets started. What's the point? Without synergy the implementation process is defeated.
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- Knowledge is Key... Product knowledge, industry knowledge and consumer knowledge will help you plan strategies based on confidence. Sound marketing management comes from knowing what to apply, when and where to apply the marketing action plan. Research the market. Know the environment, the customer, the competitor and the product.
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- Sales and Marketing Means Solutions... When you think of selling a product or service don't just think about the revenues you expect to generate. Think in terms of your product being a problem solver. Your customers buy your products in order to solve a problem. Your products and services should offer them solutions. If your product does not fulfill a need, or satisfy a desire, then you're looking at a hard sell. Hard to sell products create hard work. Ultimately this creates problems for your company. To remedy this problem see: Marketing Principle #5.
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- Customers Mean Business. When a customer has a problem with your service they rarely tell you what went wrong. For the most part they don't even tell the Better Business Bureau, or any other regulatory agency. What they actually do is tell their friends and family, and those friends and relatives tell more of their friends and associates. Next thing you know business is slow. Then all of a sudden things start to die. Fulfill your customer's needs by producing or carrying quality products that are in demand, supported by good customer service. Remember that loyal customers are willing to pay extra for good quality and professional treatment.
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