Paul Riddle
Contributing Writer
Success Group International

A new year is here.  Do you have your marketing strategy for the rest of the year?  If not, it’s time to get on it.  Jumping in and boldly announcing new marketing initiatives without proper thought, review, planning, and execution only justifies the old notion of “Ready. Fire. Aim.” Ask yourself the following questions to learn what makes sense for your next marketing “step” in 2016.

What do you want to accomplish? Many times this answer is stated as, “We need more leads.” But consider what you need in greater detail. What kind of leads? Replacement leads? Repair leads? Perhaps you just want to build your brand in the market, or drive people to your website? Determine exactly what you need to obtain from you marketing before you take any additional steps.

What have you learned in the past? Take a look at what you have done before. What tactics have you used to accomplish the same thing? What was successful? What challenges did you discover that you should take into consideration? Which tactics or methods would specifically be useful now?

What’s in your marketing plan? If you have a marketing plan in place is it out on your desktop and used as a reference? Open it up. What did you have planned for this time of the year? What were your thoughts when you created the plan and does that line of reasoning hold true today? Have circumstances changed? Are you reacting to a recent event or marketing opportunity without consideration of your deliberate plans for your business?

Who is the audience you’re trying to reach? Before you decide to do something, determine who you are trying to reach. Your audience may vary depending on the message or offer you extend. Consider your audience along with your message to make sure it’s the right people and the right message.

What’s the best way to reach them? Your audience may also dictate how you reach them. Different demographic market segments respond differently to direct mail, radio, advertising, television, or phone calls. A key factor in your success will be how you deliver your message and if the audience “accepts” it by reading, viewing, or listening.

What is your message? Keep your message simple. Don’t confuse people. If you want to develop repair leads, don’t add in an offer for a major replacement. Your customer won’t understand if they should repair something or replace it. Make sure your message is clear, easily understood and timely. There’s nothing more embarrassing than a marketing piece that refers to an upcoming opportunity that occurred last week.

What are your expectations? Always establish what you think you will achieve through your marketing efforts. That way you will be able to gauge your success later. If you can’t state any expectations, you probably haven’t thought through the project fully or aren’t personally committed to the project.

Do you have a plan of execution? Don’t just talk about it.  Put your plan on paper, even if in a simple form. That way you’ll be less likely to forget an important task, or fail to inform another individual of their responsibilities. And, most importantly, don’t miss making sure your other employees are aware of your marketing efforts. They will be the ones answering the phone and providing the service. They should be aware of the project and trained in any role they need to assume.

Are you ready to execute? Many marketing effort fail due to problems in execution. If you planned for the project, like in the last question, take the Nike approach and “just do it.” Your execution should be timely to take advantage of the marketing opportunity and efficient, if you planned well.

Is there an end to the project?  With all of the questions posed, you are probably wondering if there really is an end to the project. The end is all about results. Have you set up the methods to track your results? Were you successful? Did you face challenges and record them so you handle them differently another time? Were the results helpful enough to add this project to you marketing plan for the future?

Have you missed anything? Always be prepared to ask additional questions. The constant prodding will keep you sharp, more accurate, and definitely more successful. Also, let us know how things turn out. We love hearing about where you have found success and potentially sharing that good news with other members.

About the Author: Paul Riddle, Vice President, Success Group International

Paul Riddle has over 25 years of hands‐on experience as GM, COO, CEO, and owner of service companies specifically in the mechanical and restoration segments. Throughout his career, he has personally trained the owners and employees of hundreds of businesses, including several turnaround situations.  His hands‐on training for owners and their employees has been in the areas of business planning, sales & marketing, and company culture. Paul enjoys applying his knowledge and experience working directly with business owners and their employees to increase profits, improve the company’s present value, and unlock the intrinsic value of the business when sold. Paul joined SGI in 2009 as the VP of Operations.