Imagine that I handed you a clear plastic bag with 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle in it and asked you to put the puzzle together as quickly as possible. What would likely be the first thing you would ask for? What would you want in order to make the task more doable?

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? 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.



Julie Chance is president of Strategies-by-Design, a Dallas-based marketing coaching, training and consulting firm that helps businesses from specialty retailers to professional service firms Map A Path to Success by implement marketing programs that work. Interested in learning more? Explore teleseminars presented by Julie at www.success-strategies-u.com, the training division of Strategies-By-Design. While you are there be sure to get your certificate for a Free Teleclass.