I have heard a ton of marketing plan horror stories in my 25+ years in this industry.
After all, what could possibly go wrong when you try to take historical information from multiple disparate systems? Combine that with industry research and the company’s forward-looking goals. Then, build that into a tactical plan using all the latest-greatest marketing platforms and methods. Don’t forget to establish a solid budget and tie your spending to predictable results. Of course, you will also need to collect feedback from both the sales team on the front end, and the customer service or implementation teams on the back end, to keep the plan continually evolving. Regular reporting and updates will be required to communicate results and roadblocks. Again, what could go wrong?
These horror stories range from mortifying to just plain silly, but across the board, they can be avoided by including key stakeholders in the planning process. Below you will find a list of people you should bring to the table while developing your marketing plan, along with what they bring to the table and what they will take away.
If you need help with a strategic marketing plan for your small or mid-size company, please contact us. We develop dozens of marketing plans every year across a variety of industries and also see them through to execution. We can help >>