On a Fall day in 1990, I was sitting in the locker room of Lake Oswego High School where it was halftime, and “Coach” was correcting me (not very subtly) in front of the entire team for the majority of the halftime break. In VERY direct terms, he told me I had better “Get with the Game Plan.”
I think we’ve all been there, just get with “the plan” and we could win this thing.
Common Obstacles in Marketing Plans
As sales and marketing leaders, we make plans every day and we are faced with 3 realities that affect how those plans are formulated:
- The Public Microphone,
- Low Advertising Barriers, and
- Specialization
The Public Microphone
Yes we have a point of view and we say what we want about our products and services, but that pales in comparison to what is said about your company by others. Social media has made it that any individual in the world can voice their opinions about how they feel about your product.
Low Advertising Barriers
First to market is still powerful, but it’s not what it used to be. Same as the public microphone, any of your competitors can use the internet to start talking about their own product and services for free or little cost. If you have a good thing going, someone will notice and start copying you or even create a price war. They can set up a web page in minutes, post on Twitter (now known as X) or LinkedIn, get a review on an affiliate site, send 1,000 emails–get the picture?
Specialization
With more competition and more information in the hands of consumers they have become more demanding. Take dog food for example. I walk down the aisle of my grocery store and I can find an overwhelming variety of options: grain-free, organic, gourmet blends tailored for different breeds, sizes, and dietary needs, alongside specialized formulas aimed at improving coat health, digestion, and even age-specific requirements.
So how do we compete in this digital world? Where do we start? What’s our plan? We want to help.
The 25-Point Game Plan
The Game Plan is a 25-point Sales and Marketing checklist with executable tools, templates, dashboards, and one-page canvas strategies to help you start growing your business. The best part is that the tools are free! These are tools based on our experience running our agency and helping business leaders like you grow their top line. They are actionable tools you can use right now without hiring an outside vendor or consultant.
We will dive into complex topics ranging from “search algorithms” to writing “thank yous”. I encourage you to take what you need and leave the rest. At the end of the day, sales and marketing are all about making small bets until you find the channel and message that resonate with your audience. It’s about persistence, observation, and insight.
A Brief Outline of the Game Plan
Each week we will be releasing a blog, a vlog, and a tool for you to immediately use in your business. Each video is less than 15 minutes, and the tools are designed to be completed in less than an hour. The list is as follows:
Who
Who is your customer and who are you?
- Ideal Customer Profile
- Focus / Niche Finder
- Developing your Value Proposition and the “3 Uniques”
- Finding Trends and Testing Demand
What
What is your messaging strategy?
- Messaging Guide – What is your point of view?
- What’s your hook? – And why should people care?
- 3 key pieces of content your business needs
- Your website – Are you telling the right story?
Where
Where do you find your customers?
- Intro to different marketing channels – And picking 3
- Content Marketing
- Cold Emails and Cold Calls – Do they work?
- Tradeshows – PreGame Planning
- Podcasts and Speaking Engagements
- Affiliate Programs
- SEO
- Off-Page SEO and Targeting Blogs
- Paid Search Marketing
- Social Media
- Social Advertising
- Current Customers & Referrals
- The last 2% – Things you can do that hardly anyone does anymore (but are still important)
How
How do you manage your team and processes?
- Building and training your team
- Integrating Sales & Marketing
- Setting up your CRM
- Managing & Measuring for Success
Let’s Get in the Game!
Please leave a comment and let us know what you think and what topics you would like to see us cover. Send me an email at [email protected] if you have any questions or want to talk about your revenue plan. I’m always happy to help if I can.
Blessings,
Nick
