Objectives, strategies and tactics must work together Want to feel better now about next year?  Then finish that marketing plan so you have that behind you – and frankly it isn’t all that complicated. First, remember that in the b-to-b world, marketing is not “advertising”.  Effective marketing combines selling, customer retention, customer service, sales lead generation, sales tools, branding, website optimization and a host of communications tactics. So start here – with your objectives Your objectives are your broad, business-driven, brand-driven, market share-driven goals, and defining them is a cornerstone of your sales-and-marketing plan, for example: 1)      Increase sales revenue … Read more »

Struggling to Determine Your Marketing Budget? In the b-to-b space, “task” budgeting is often the best method. One of the most often-asked questions of b-to-b marketers, “How do I determine or set my marketing-advertising budget?”  Let’s look at some options… The most common business-to-business marketing budget approaches are: 1)      A percentage of expected sales revenue 2)      A percentage of last year’s budget (up or down) 3)      A number given to marketing by top management 4)      The task method We feel that the best way to arrive at your budget is the last one above, the “task” method. Here’s how this … Read more »