Page 278 - Duct Tape Marketing

Commit to Your Marketing with a Plan, Budget, and Calendar

to getting you unstuck. So turn off the phone, unhook from e-mail,
and write the answers to the statements below on a sheet of paper.

What will your business need to look like, act like, and be in
order for you to achieve your most important goals in life? In one
year? Three years? Five years?

Describe the ideal experience/relationship you want your clients
to have with your business.

Describe a perfect day at work for you.
Okay, now what needs to change for you to realize any of the
pictures above? Your vision marketing goals should flow fairly easily
from the answers to that question.

Tactical Goals
Unless you are an accountant, the thought of math may not be

that appealing to you. This book does not attempt any foray into the
inner workings of accounting, but I have found that, like it or not,
your marketing success at many levels is tied to basic accounting prin-
ciples. At the very least your tactical marketing goals should include
projections for revenue and profit:

Revenue. For the most part, revenue is sales. Sales are good, and
they keep the machine running, but they are not the entire picture.
Your revenue plans must address your capacity to actually service the
amount of business your marketing plan generates. Some people sim-
ply pick a number that is X percent above last year. If you have not
done any type of goal setting or marketing to support that goal in the
past, that may be your best approach. The primary point is to have a
number that you are shooting for.

Profit. A sale without profits is a recipe for disaster. Many busi-
nesses fail to understand how to account for the expenses involved in
their business and either price their products and services incorrectly
or simply fail to make any profit. This is one of those places where
employing the services of an accounting professional can be a very

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