One morning I went to a nearby coffee shop to meet a friend from my network. This is a something we do every so often just to touch base. However, this time it was different. Within 5 minutes of greeting each other, he told me that he needed help. “Ernie, I am spinning my wheels doing all sorts of sales and marketing activities. I’m out of control wasting time and I need direction,” he explained.
I’m sure many of you find yourselves feeling the same frustrations. Are you following a MAP, a Marketing Action Plan? I’m not talking about a 30 page document that you put together and is now collecting dust on a shelf. I’m speaking of a simple plan that provides daily, weekly, and monthly direction. To get started, here are a few questions you need to address. Your answers will help you design your MAP.
- What are you selling?
- Who will buy it?
- Why do they want it?
- How will you communicate your offering?
Let’s start with the basics and unpack each component as we move along.
By Ernie Dimalanta