Your 3 Step “Before You Start” Marketing Plan

I was chatting with a client recently about new products that she wanted to launch.  She was so pumped because she just knew the products could really help her customers.  Her enthusiasm was contagious.  I couldn’t help but get jazzed with her.

And then I started thinking.  Is this really where she should spend her time to grow her business brand?  How does she launch her business AND get her marketing off the ground?  How does everything move from the idea stage into into cash flow?

Please be clear –  I get really jazzed when I hear my clients talk about new business ideas and launches.  I know it’s embedded in your life mission and purpose.  And there is nothing I want more than to support that.

But my job is to listen carefully to what my clients are not saying and address areas that could turn up and create disasters with a launch – ie lost money, no money, bad positioning.

So we took a step back and I started asking her questions about the products.  Like how she could spread the word via social media, her newsletter, in person events, etc.

And that started to get the real heart of the question:

HOW DO I PROVIDE VALUE?

Whew!  That got us both thinking!  And I actually had  to step back and start thinking how I could help out my own business with that idea.

So we came up with a plan and I wanted to share three tips from that conversation with you.  I thought these could be easy ways to spread the word with your business and help you move your message forward to clients and future clients.

First – Talk to five real people about your business 

It’s too easy in today’s social media and online world to forget about talking to real people about your business.  So reach out via phone, attend a networking event, or talk to someone while waiting on line (who is open to the conversation of course!).  Tell them what you do and find out if there are people they know who could benefit.

If you really want to take this next level, give them something to say thanks.  I’m a big fan of chocolate and gift cards (for really big thanks!!) so keep it fun and easy.

Second – Get creative and develop one fun  way to your business  – without saying a word

I did this once by attending a conference and wearing a tshirt under my business suit with my company logo. Seems normal? Not really when I knew that most of the attendees would come dressed formal.  It started the conversations immediately.

Start brainstorming and think about how you can creatively spread the word about what you do.  If you are feeling totally non creative, represent your company visually with car door magnets or yard signs from www.vistaprint.com as a tool.

Third – Do the damn work and schedule a minimum of 30 min weekly to work on your marketing plan

Don’t get me started on this one!  Most entrepreneurs love what they do but would rather push off marketing, sales and many of the other things…that BUILD your business.   So stop procrastinating and schedule time each week to review everything.

Want to really amp your business up?  Find a coach or accountability partner or mastermind group to get you thinking next level.

I hope you enjoyed !  Share your comments below.