3 months and counting down to 2012 - are you ready! I am asking all my clients the same question. Do you know what you are in for next year.....can you make some educated guesses perhaps? Whilst we all like to have a crystal ball we DON'T! But we can make educated guesses and yes this is as good as a crystal ball - at least if you see some risks that could cause a threat to your business, it can be managed.
I will never forget this when I was in high school, my physical education teacher once told me if you don't plan, you plan to fail. The same thing happened during my business lectures in University. The best part of the last 20 years I have been doing plans, plans for all sorts of things and it does work! So much so, I am not called a planner and Functional Marketing Planner..........and you know what I say in addition to planning - execution is 99% of the game.
So lets get down to some basics. Have you heard of a FUNCTIONAL MARKETING PLAN? The simple fact of it is, it is FUNCTIONAL! It describes the HOW TO get my goals for the business in a structured and simplified manner. Many of us graduates have written beautifully bounded business plans and marketing plans for our professors, well that was to get a good grade, be a star student but in the real world of business, we don't have that luxury! As practitioners for small to medium size corporations, there is no time to get to that point of a beautifully bound and presented plan, because money talks and action in executing plans count every minute. In saying that I am not saying don't do it just do one that is FUNCTIONAL.
We all have sat in meetings [I am sure of this] where a group of people talk about ideas, actions, different activities and everyone has that feel good factor going.....hey we have it together! Everyone is all raved up and the meeting goes on for 2 hours and 2 days later, no one really knows who is doing what, by when!. They meet again and Sally says to Harry, what did we talk about the other day..............time waster! Not FUNCTIONAL at all.
I have been through meetings after meetings where there are either egos being rubbed, or egos being hurt or muscles being flexed and before you know it, 4 hours have gone by where no decisions are made. Sound familiar? Everyone does the tough talk, some try to act like Donald Trump.......[without the hair do] but no ACTION is taken or coordinated to get to that FINAL OUTCOME required for the business. Once again not FUNCTIONAL at all.
I have a process which eliminates all of this....If you want action you need a FUNCTIONAL MARKETING PLAN.
So, let me tell you what you get for FMP - FUNCTIONAL MARKETING PLAN. An assessment of what your clients think of you is top priority. Point here being that no customers, no business. Unhappy customers equals declining sales........whether it is painful to see the result(s) or not, it is absolutely mandatory. Second priority is what your competition is up to? Have you had a chat with your competition lately? Have you been watching their new product releases and how many more sales people they have hired? Did you know that the very same product you sell, they are selling 3 times more! Third, how much money do you have and will you need to get one step ahead of your competition i.e. how creative do you need to get? Most businesses spend a lot on marketing without realizing it. My first reaction to audits is to ask the question WHY three times. If there isn't a solid reason for doing something, why do it.
What cracks me up sometimes is that people think they know their business but it is often easier to get someone from the outside looking into the business. Believe me, I do this for my own business. Yes I get other people to critique and tell me what's the deal, what should I be doing better, I know I am a marketer but it is always easier to get an outsider ( by someone I mean a professional person with an FMP mindset) to look into the business. When you are working day to day in the business you often get caught up with competing priorities that sit on your plate and perhaps your colleagues plates....whatever it is, you are not working ON the business.
So, let Ms. Just Do It, come in and take a look at your Functional Marketing Plan. It really is a MUST........... if you don't.....you might just be missing that next big opportunity for your business? Just get it sorted and watch that money tree grow....how cool is that! Talk to us write to me personally at hema@iffelinternational.com
