Strategy Before Tactics = Sales!

Blog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing

You have a strategy, right? You don’t just go from one tactic to another – depending on what is the next hot idea – do you? Well, actually we all do from time to time. And when business conditions are more difficult we often go into survival mode and think only of the tactics that will bring us more immediate sales. We may announce a promotion, advertise a sale, reduce the price, develop an alternative offering, etc. But, a business needs a “Marketing Reason.” Simply selling products or services to people is NOT a reason or a strategy, it is a result. Determine your Marketing Reason, layout your Marketing Strategy and then develop and implement your Marketing Tactics. In that order.

So, before implementing the tactic of the day, consider answering a few quick questions that can lead you to your clear and defined Marketing Reason. It is critical to keeping your business on track in the short and long run.

1. What do you want your target market to know about what you sell?
2. What do you want them to believe about you?
3. What do you want them to think about you?
4. What do you want them to say about you?

Then, plan your strategy focused around your Marketing Reason. An example of a great strategy (and one that is certainly more inexpensive than implementing the tactic of the day) is to develop and focus your efforts on a pre-determined and specific niche. Do you have a niche, a narrow market niche? Do you have offerings that they need and want? Do they know about you?

Your strategy should be behind every business and marketing decision that you make. Tactics can often take us away from our Marketing Reason and away from our strategy. When you create your strategy, your business and sales efforts will become much easier. We want to help you with both Strategy and Tactics. Here are two great options to get you started:

1. Access a free download of the business planning tool, The Red Zone Business Plan. It is designed with questions you can answer that will lead to your strategy. Usually it can be completed in just one hour and has been proven to affect long term, important change and results for your business! Planning your strategy is too important to ignore! (PS. Pass it along! Connect others to this free download!)

2. Plan to Get Connected! As a special CONNECTORS PROMOTION: If you buy a copy of the book The Connectors, we will send you a free, electronic copy of the Marketing Action Plan Template that will help you organize your individual marketing tactics for 2010. Just forward your order confirmation email or receipt from the bookstore to info@redzonemarketing.com. Even easier, just email your favorite idea from the book. We will immediately email you back a copy of the electronic Marketing Action Plan Template that you can begin using right away. The Marketing Action Plan will help to organize your marketing tactics including the details of each activity, when an activity should be started and completed, and a place to assign who's responsible. It will help you plan and keep your whole team accountable!