Sales & Marketing

The Marketing Plan

The goal of any marketing plan should be to increase revenue. Any thing that leads to getting sales can be considered marketing, to include advertising, brochures, catalogs, sales letters, Internet web sites, signs, literature, labels, cold calls, public relations, and many other activates and promotion. Every thing you do in business should be looked at as a promotional opportunity. You go out to eat, leave a business card, You send an E-mail, include a link to your web site, You mail an invoice, include a discount coupon etc.

I break my marketing plans down into specific areas, and plan each out. These areas are, Location specific marketing, Daily activities marketing, Advertising, Public relations and Promotions.

Choosing a good location is the first and best use of promotion dollars. A well-chosen place of business will make marketing your business much easier,r and there for less expensive. When asked in a survey "Why did you choose to do business here?" over 50% of the customers say. "They drove by and had seen the location, or convenience of location" the answer to this type survey have not changed in the 35 years that I have been in business. Even for a web site the location of the business's placement on a search engine's results list, was the deciding factor.

Make a list of how you would promote our Bar-B-Que business.

Location Specific. This list would include signs, banners, bag advertising, business cards, printed bags, daily special board, point of sales material, graphics, menus, and landscaping, and other esthetic appearance maintenance.

Daily activities. Including business cards, sales calls, discount coupons include with the sales, letterheads, envelopes, suggestive selling.

Advertising. The list might include newspaper, radio, TV, brochures, flyers, magazine ads, web site, and billboards, door hangers, letterheads, envelopes, and ad specialties.

Public relations. Letters to the media on any event form store opening to new hires or new product development, customer service.

Promotions. Trade shows, consumer shows, off premise sales or displays, package deals, discounts, coupons, affiliate Internet marketing, E-mail, marketing, newsletters, etc.