How to Write an Effective Small Business Marketing Plan

If most small business owners are truthful, they'll admit that most of their marketing happens in a haphazard manner, if at all!

It is the result of the typical small business syndrome - too busy running around doing business - and too little time spent working on the business.

And thats where most of us go wrong! Hard as it is to do, you need to force yourself to put time aside to plan - as a Japanese proverb goes "Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare!"

And boy, can unplanned marketing activities turn into a nightmare for a small business especially if you have spent good money for little return.

So the crucial first step in marketing a small business is putting time aside to plan.

The second step is actually putting the plan together. Now this is where things get interesting and you are probably going to need some help.

So lets give you some help.

1) The Marketing Manual is a great resource. It walks you step by step through the process of writing a marketing plan and by the end of the process you have your very own marketing plan tailored specifically to your business.

2) Read these articles:

a) Why you Should Develop a Small Business Marketing Plan

b) Discover the Essential Marketing Steps for Small Business

c) The Successful Marketing Plan

d) Marketing for a Starting Out Small Business

The payback for spending time working on your business rather than in your business will be immense and ongoing!

In Harry Beckwith's book "Selling the Invisible" he raises the issue of "give me one good reason to buy from you!"

He puts forward a very good case for the need to define "what's your strongest argument for a single focused message on why people should buy from you"?

Ask yourself this single, basic question: What makes you so different/special that prospects would want to do business with you?

If you can't answer it yourself, ask some of your best customers the question "What is the single most valuable contribution we make to your business, which keeps you buying from us?"

For your prospects though, remember they want one question answered - what's in it for me. To answer this you need to give them one good reason why they should buy from/switch to you?

It's a simple request from your target market that begs for a simple response. But do you and your sales team have an answer and is the answer one that's going to make them sit up and notice you?

A complex response to this question, or more than one statement, means your prospects are likely to become confused and it gives them a problem to work through.

Remember once you have left the prospect, the first thing he's going to ask himself is "why should I buy from them?" If the answer is not clear, was not well delivered, or is not important in the eyes of the prospect he has to dedicate time and energy to think about what he's going to do. The longer he has to think about the answer the less chance there is of him buying from you.

As we all know people do not want more to think about ... they want less. When you or your staff leave the prospect they must understand your single message of "why they should buy from you". The customer must be able to recall your message without having to sort through other messages, and the message must add value for them.

The underlying lesson from Beckwith is "Meet your market's very first need - one good reason to buy from you!"
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The above is an extract from "Laja than Life" - a regular marketing newsletter written by Dianne Perrett, author of The Marketing Manual

If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter please follow this link lajathanlife@aweber.com and put Subscribe in the subject line.

Here are some more articles that will give you several perspectives on why it is so necessary for a small or home based business to have a structured marketing plan (That is if you want to make some money)

1) 5 Tips for Home Based Business Marketing

2) Why your Small Business Needs a Small Business Marketing Strategy

3) The One Small Business Marketing Tool you Can't do Without

4) Why a Business to Business Marketing Strategy for Small Businesses?