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1. Targets and objectives – financial and sales/marketing.
2. A product plan.
3. A pricing plan – strategic pricing aimed at building business and

profits.
4. A market information plan – including detailed analysis of

competitive capability and your competitive advantage.
5. A sales plan – direct sales, e-commerce, distributors, affiliates.
6. A promotional plan – paid for and free promotional activities.
7. Structure – building the organization to do the job.
8. Staffing – having the right people with the right skills in the right

place with the right behaviours and attitudes.
9. Budgets – frugal but realistic.
10.A competitive plan – clear identification of the customers to be won

from competition with a schedule of which competitors are to be
attacked, in order, from weakest to strongest.
11.Feedback, evaluation and review planned in advance.
12.Contingency planning with clear action indicators to trigger the
plan(s).
13.An implementation plan – Who has the responsibility for taking
action? What support will they need and who will deliver it? By what
date is the support required? What is the deadline for implementation
to be completed? Who needs to authorize the activities? Do they need
to be co-ordinated? Who needs to be informed of what is happening?
Who has the responsibility to ensure effective communication?

Summary

I Marketing plans devised by marketing departments often fail
I because too much depends on expensive advertising and
I promotional campaigns and not enough understanding of the
I logistical and financial problems of responding to increased
I demand. That is why the top team, supported by their people
I must direct and be fully involved in the planning process.
I Business today is under major time pressures. Customers,
I investors and all other stakeholders are increasingly impatient
I and looking for quick results. Meanwhile, the business cycle spins
I ever faster so that the cost of failure is higher and the timeframe
I in which to recover is shorter. In such circumstances it is essential
I to ensure that you build a firm platform today on which you can
I construct tomorrow’s growing prosperity. Creating highly
I profitable operations today is not short-term thinking. It is the
I only way to ensure survival in the future. So look at today’s

146 Key management questions