Would it help you in completing the activity if I also provided you a picture of the completed puzzle? Of course. Without the picture of what you are trying to create you have no point of reference. You don't know if those blue pieces with white on them are part of the sky or an ocean with white caps. Are the red pieces part of a flower or the side of a barn?

Developing and implementing marketing and promotional activities like advertising, direct mail, a website, a brochure, or even networking without a marketing plan is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the cover of the box. The marketing plan gives you a point of reference and direction for implementing your promotional activities. To successfully market your business you must create the vision or the picture of the outcome, and then document that vision in an action plan format. Only then should you begin implementing promotional activities.

There is a tendency for business owners - those we are established as well as those who are just getting started -- to start trying to put together the puzzle without first taking the time to determine what the final picture should look like, making sure they have all the pieces, and sorting out pieces that may belong to another puzzle. They want to start with developing or revising their website. Or they think a brochure or an ad is the silver bullet that will bring in lots of business. They spend a lot of time and money then in the end they are disappointed with the results. The key to solving the marketing puzzle is to be sure you have each piece of the puzzle and that these pieces are assembled to create the outcome you desire:

• Develop Your Vision: Describe your five to ten year vision for your company. This is a vision not a set of goals - it should have emotion. Dream big. Remember if you shoot for the moon and miss you'll still be among the stars.
• Identify Target Markets: Who uses the product? What are the needs, wants, challenges of the target market(s) you serve? Why do they buy? Where do they buy? Who are the decision makers? Who are the influencers?
• Define Your Product: What products/services or product/service lines do you offer? What problems do each product/service or product/service line meet? What are the features and benefits of each product/service or product/service line?
• Identify Competitive Advantages: Who are your potential competitors? What is there value proposition? Where do you have an advantage over your competitors? Whey do they have an advantage over you?
• Develop Market Position and Brand Identity: What is the picture you want your prospective customers to see when they think about your company and your products/services?
• Formulate Your Message: You must: capture attention; identify problems, needs and wants; describe the product; tell them the benefit and value they will receive; give your message credibility; and tell them what you want them to do next.
• Formulate Your Marketing Strategy: What strategies will you use to reach potential prospects initially and build visibility? How will you collect contact information? How will you build credibility? Wha
  Time Management - Making the Most out of a Limited Resource
  More than a few dozen times, people say to me, 'I don't know how you fit it all in!' Sometimes even "I" don't know how I fit it all in, to be honest. However, not only did I realize early that if I wanted to accomplish the things in my life 'to do' list, I'd better take control of my time. I have learned that time management is a huge issue with many of my clients. So, to help with this common problem, below are some tips to at least get you started on how to make the most out of your limited resource: Time.e advertising, direct mail, a website, a brochure, or even networking without a marketing plan is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the cover of the box. The marketing plan gives you a point of reference and direction for implementing your promotional activities. To successfully market your business you must create the vision or the picture of the outcome, and then document that vision in an action plan format. Only then should you begin implementing promotional activities.

  There is a tendency for business owners - those we are established as well as those who are just getting started -- to start trying to put together the puzzle without first taking the time to determine what the final picture should look like, making sure they have all the pieces, and sorting out pieces that may belong to another puzzle. They want to start with developing or revising their website. Or they think a brochure or an ad is the silver bullet that will bring in lots of business. They spend a lot of time and money then in the end they are disappointed with the results. The key to solving the marketing puzzle is to be sure you have each piece of the puzzle and that these pieces are assembled to create the outcome you desire:

  • Develop Your Vision: Describe your five to ten year vision for your company. This is a vision not a set of goals - it should have emotion. Dream big. Remember if you shoot for the moon and miss you'll still be among the stars.
  • Identify Target Markets: Who uses the product? What are the needs, wants, challenges of the target market(s) you serve? Why do they buy? Where do they buy? Who are the decision makers? Who are the influencers?
  • Define Your Product: What products/services or product/service lines do you offer? What problems do each product/service or product/service line meet? What are the features and benefits of each product/service or product/service line?
  • Identify Competitive Advantages: Who are your potential competitors? What is there value proposition? Where do you have an advantage over your competitors? Whey do they have an advantage over you?
  • Develop Market Position and Brand Identity: What is the picture you want your prospective customers to see when they think about your company and your products/services?
  • Formulate Your Message: You must: capture attention; identify problems, needs and wants; describe the product; tell them the benefit and value they will receive; give your message credibility; and tell them what you want them to do next.
  • Formulate Your Marketing Strategy: What strategies will you use to reach potential prospects initially and build visibility? How will you collect contact information? How will you build credibility? Wh
    When Good Customers Go Bad
    Sooner or later, it happens to every business owner. A customer, that you thought was really great because they praised and flattered you, has suddenly turned into the most difficult customer you have. If it's not a matter of quality-control on your part, then it may simply be that your "good customer" isn't as easy to work with as you thought. Maybe they don't pay their bills on time, and you have to chase them down. Or they're always late for their appointments, and expect you to be late for you
    etermine what the final picture should look like, making sure they have all the pieces, and sorting out pieces that may belong to another puzzle. They want to start with developing or revising their website. Or they think a brochure or an ad is the silver bullet that will bring in lots of business. They spend a lot of time and money then in the end they are disappointed with the results. The key to solving the marketing puzzle is to be sure you have each piece of the puzzle and that these pieces are assembled to create the outcome you desire:
    • Develop Your Vision: Describe your five to ten year vision for your company. This is a vision not a set of goals - it should have emotion. Dream big. Remember if you shoot for the moon and miss you'll still be among the stars.
    • Identify Target Markets: Who uses the product? What are the needs, wants, challenges of the target market(s) you serve? Why do they buy? Where do they buy? Who are the decision makers? Who are the influencers?
    • Define Your Product: What products/services or product/service lines do you offer? What problems do each product/service or product/service line meet? What are the features and benefits of each product/service or product/service line?
    • Identify Competitive Advantages: Who are your potential competitors? What is there value proposition? Where do you have an advantage over your competitors? Whey do they have an advantage over you?
    • Develop Market Position and Brand Identity: What is the picture you want your prospective customers to see when they think about your company and your products/services?
    • Formulate Your Message: You must: capture attention; identify problems, needs and wants; describe the product; tell them the benefit and value they will receive; give your message credibility; and tell them what you want them to do next.
    • Formulate Your Marketing Strategy: What strategies will you use to reach potential prospects initially and build visibility? How will you collect contact information? How will you build credibility? Wh
      Bang Bang-Make Room In the Walk In
      During long sticky days at sea, one of the many exciting activities offered to passengers (we called them cones for some reason) on a cruise ship is skeet shooting. We used lead free pellets and biodegradable skeet discs to make certain that no creatures of the sea were harmed in any way. Never mind that we were handing a shotgun over to an inebriated, over heated, somewhat older and usually male cone. Happily full from the generous late afternoon lunch buffet and rum-runners, these cones would pay about thirt
      am big. Remember if you shoot for the moon and miss you'll still be among the stars.
    • Identify Target Markets: Who uses the product? What are the needs, wants, challenges of the target market(s) you serve? Why do they buy? Where do they buy? Who are the decision makers? Who are the influencers?
    • Define Your Product: What products/services or product/service lines do you offer? What problems do each product/service or product/service line meet? What are the features and benefits of each product/service or product/service line?
    • Identify Competitive Advantages: Who are your potential competitors? What is there value proposition? Where do you have an advantage over your competitors? Whey do they have an advantage over you?
    • Develop Market Position and Brand Identity: What is the picture you want your prospective customers to see when they think about your company and your products/services?
    • Formulate Your Message: You must: capture attention; identify problems, needs and wants; describe the product; tell them the benefit and value they will receive; give your message credibility; and tell them what you want them to do next.
    • Formulate Your Marketing Strategy: What strategies will you use to reach potential prospects initially and build visibility? How will you collect contact information? How will you build credibility? Wh
      The New Ways To Do The business: MBA or CIO?
      The old and standard business administration concepts included in any current MBA program are very important, but today the companies are very different.This new situation strong demands a new MBA program including the General Control Theory, the control engineering, the new business technologies, the Management by Exception concept automated by computer systems, the Feedback Control System and several other subjects like Internet Marketing & Sales.As we know the CIO is the abbreviation of "Chief Inf
      petitors? Whey do they have an advantage over you?
    • Develop Market Position and Brand Identity: What is the picture you want your prospective customers to see when they think about your company and your products/services?
    • Formulate Your Message: You must: capture attention; identify problems, needs and wants; describe the product; tell them the benefit and value they will receive; give your message credibility; and tell them what you want them to do next.
    • Formulate Your Marketing Strategy: What strategies will you use to reach potential prospects initially and build visibility? How will you collect contact information? How will you build credibility? What will your continuous communication program be? How will you close sales?
    • Identify Promotional Tactics: What vehicles will you use to communicate to your target market?
    • Develop and Implement Your Action Plan: What specific actions steps need to be taken when? Who is responsible for implementing the action steps and what will it cost? Put it down on paper.

    Before you begin investing - or invest any more - money in your promotional efforts be sure you take the time to define what you want your final picture to look like. Then you can begin solving the marketing puzzle one piece at a time.

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