| Notice that my title is NOT Write A Marketing Plan For | | | | 3. What marketing are you doing now? List the |
| Your Business. This is not wrong but in my experience | | | | marketing activities you're doing to achieve this. Make |
| with entrepreneurs they don't do it. It may feel too | | | | a detailed list of what you're doing, when (the dates |
| formal, too big a task, too frightening for them or they | | | | and how often), how many clients you get from this |
| just don't 'have' (translate this to 'make') the time. I | | | | and how much each spends with you. |
| believe that your business and therefore your | | | | 4. What marketing works at getting you clients? Do |
| marketing is changeable. Watch the results you get | | | | more of this. |
| from each kind of marketing activity. (Don't just do it | | | | 5. What marketing doesn't work at getting you clients? |
| once and expect it to work and grow your business.) | | | | Stop doing this or if you're only doing it once, do it |
| This is not about having a PLAN (noun) but about | | | | more. An example: it took going to the same |
| PLANNING (verb). Inherent in the word plan is that you | | | | networking group each month about 8 times to get |
| only do it once. In reality you keep doing it. Definitions | | | | clients there. Now that they know me, they use my |
| for planning include: to formulate a scheme or program | | | | services. |
| for the accomplishment, enactment, or attainment of; | | | | Start again from #1 and do it again. |
| or to have as a specific aim, purpose or intention; or to | | | | Review the results of all of your marketing every six |
| make plans. | | | | months and at the end of every "corporate" year. |
| So what are you doing and how do you do marketing | | | | Marketing is meant to change with "the times" and |
| planning? Here are some of the things you can do. | | | | what your clients want. Get their attention and be the |
| 1. Where are you going? Write down your goals for | | | | person/ business that everyone has heard about, is |
| the next year and the next five years. | | | | talked about and shared (like a good movie is) ... AND |
| 2. Know where you're going and with whom. Describe | | | | buys from. Be known and keep reviewing the |
| your "ideal client" in detail. Who do you want to work | | | | marketing that works. |
| with? | | | | |