The Marketing Plan Defines How You Intend to Succeed (It's Not Optional, Part 1)

The Marketing Plan Defines How You Intend to Succeed:                        

It was President Dwight Eisenhower, the architect of D-Day and planner of our interstate road system that said “Plans are useless but planning is essential.” Because conditions are never static, Eisenhower was pointing out the importance of a plan so that no matter what happens there is a foundation point to make changes and build upon. 

The marketing plan is the pathway to your organization’s destination.  It demonstrates the steps that will be taken and the results that are expected.  It is not positive thinking but practical tactics. It is the record of how your organization intends to succeed.

It's Not Optional (Introduction)

“Would you take a trip to a place where you never had been without doing some research, downloading a map or knowing how long it takes to get there?”

It’s Not Optional:

I’ve heard many of the excuses for not having a marketing plan:

“Our business is evolving and changing too quickly.”

“I know where we are going and that’s good enough.”

“We don’t have the time and resources to plan and draft one.”

“I don’t come from a marketing background.  I wouldn’t know where to start.”

Seem like reasonable objections; right?  The only problem is that the primary attribute of all successful companies, both large and small, is planning.

Let me counter those objections with several great reasons to have a written marketing plan.  (To be continued.)

How You Can Focus and Finish Strong (Conclusion)

5. Commit to Reflect and Reward.

Once the task is completed, stop and observe what has been accomplished.  Take some time to enjoy the “fruits of your labor.”  Allow yourself to feel a sense of triumph and pride.  Next, evaluate what you learned and decide what you will do differently on future projects.  Conducting a postmortem will improve your future performance.  Finally, what was the nice thing you planned to do to reward yourself or your team?  This “reward time” is where you celebrate the great work done by all.  Having a reward before you at the start is also useful throughout the project to provide motivation and encouragement when things are not going well.

The next time you seek out “new worlds,” no matter how big or small, first work through these five steps.

·          Commit to Prevail.

·          Commit to Plan a Strategy. 

·          Commit to Manage Distractions and Interruptions.

·          Commit to Set “Time Frame” Goals.

• Commit to Reflect and Reward.

If you do, you will stay focused and finish strong and like the explorers before you, you will “unfailingly arrive at (your) chosen goal or destination.”