Know-How Exchange : Other

Marketing Plan Pro does a good job of this. I always start with them, but don't always follow the template. What is the scope of the project. If its a single project, I have a 7 step guerrilla marketing plan I can forward. But that 7 step plan is geared to one part (vs long term) plan.

Here are some templates to look at:
https://www.mplans.com/sample_marketing_plans/
https://www.smallbiztrends.com/2008/06/one-page-marketing-plan.html/
https://entrepreneurs.suite101.com/article.cfm/free_marketing_plan_template...
https://www.quickmba.com/marketing/plan/

Dear Krina

I would also like to underscore Randall’s questions with a further warning. I have no doubt that the marketing plan templates you have been referred to are excellent, but to write a marketing plan using one; you will need to make it fit for purpose. You will need to set goals, budgets, forecasts, return on investment, means of tracking successful outcomes and a strategy for ditching the ones which do not succeed before they bankrupt themselves. You would also need to look at targets, use of media, milestones and who does what to make it happen and who carries the can if it doesn’t.

To do that you will need to ask about 50 to 100 questions of senior management to get their strategies, tactics, budgets, revenue and profit goals, In addition you will need to examine how you reward sales people for reaching the milestones in the plan or the fiscal target of the plan. That’s about 2 weeks of work, even with a template.

My major concern is that you will be ripped off. Time and time again I have had colleagues and friends spend upwards of two weeks writing a marketing plan in order to suitably impress the potential client company or potential employer.

The usual answer after the presentation is a variant of “No, you haven’t got the job or contract, but thanks for the detailed plan you have handed to me. You’ve just saved me $20,000 hiring a management consultant to write a valid plan, because we can’t. Please close the door behind you as you leave”

Randall and I find it quite easy to write a marketing plan because we’ve been doing it year in and year out for small, medium and larger companies and we know what questions to ask, what to put in the plan, how to justify the plan and how to implement and mange it. If you don’t have that knowledge, you could easily spend a month putting together a plan which is realistic, credible, accurate and comprehensible.

Just don’t fall into the trap of doing their work for them for free!

Best wishes


Steve Alker
Xspirt