Archive for November, 2008

Do you have your 2009 marketing plan ready?

Have you evaluated the strategies that will be best for you next year?

Do you have systems and budgets in place to support your plan?

Do you know where and when you are spending your advertising dollars?

Developing a marketing plan is one of the most important functions in business management and leadership. Yet it is often one of the most overlooked. Or, even worse, it is developed then changed or forgotten as day-to-day decisions get management’s attention.

One of the easiest ways to develop your marketing plan is to approach it the same way you approach preparing to take a trip. Here’s how. Read more »

Depending on your perspective, the world is experiencing an economic downturn, a slump, or a slowdown. No one is using the “R” word yet. But the reality is that the sooner you start thinking about your business from a recession perspective, the sooner you will be in a better position to keep your business healthy.

As Frank Luntz points out in his best selling book Words That Work, “It’s not what you say, it’s what people hear.” When it comes to consumer spending, people are hearing something much more serious than economic downturn. Companies of all sizes, in all markets, and all countries are seeing sales drop in double digits.

Two questions you should ask yourself are:

1. How do you continue to sell your goods and services when people stop spending?
2. How should you change your strategies to stay as financially viable as possible during a bad economy?

Here are the answers that will help you formulate strategies for smart advertising, management, and development during bad economic times. Read more »