What Should You Expect From Your Marketing Program?

Getting something for nothing seems to be a universal human desire that extends into the business arena. For example, company owners and managers are often heard to ask, "What should we expect to get out of our marketing program? How will our dollar investment translate into increased sales?"

Although the questions seem appropriate, they are dead wrong when it comes to marketing. The job of a company's marketing program is not to increase sales--or even to make sales. If this seems harsh, it's meant to be. There's far too much confusion about what marketing should accomplish. Marketing has one objective: to create customers. With this concept down pat, let's take it a step further. The mission of marketing is to create an environment so that the customer comes to appreciate the benefits of doing business with your firm.

So far, nothing has been said about what many consider to be the key issue--making the sale. It isn't that the subject of sales is being ignored. It's just irrelevant.

Marketing has nothing to do with selling, although it has everything to do with creating a proper environment so that making the sale is the logical, appropriate, and compelling next step. In other words, the task of marketing is to establish a climate so that the sales force can excel in its efforts.

Within this context, then, what kind of results can a company expect from its marketing program? In this two-part article, we'll share eight tangible, measurable ways to evaluate a marketing program. Here are the first four:

In far too many instances, companies literally steal from each other when it comes to their marketing efforts. All the brochures look alike, with the same photos, the same words, the same cover designs. "In our industry, this is how it's done." This is the denial of differentiation. Looking alike is a killer today.

Although it may seem elementary or obvious, it's easy to forget that leads precede sales. If a sales force is busy following on qualified leads, sales will naturally increase. On the other hand, if the company's salespeople must spend their time trying to get through doors and locate prospects, then their time will be used prospecting--and not making sales. So, it isn't too simplistic to suggest that the key to sales is leads. And it's leads that are the concern of marketing.

A primary role of marketing is to stay in the customer's mind at all times. Developing programs that reinforce awareness is an essential element of good marketing.

Too many firms hold the view that "doing a good job" is all that's necessary in order to get business. If this were true, then why are so many shoddy, second-class suppliers still getting orders--and taking business away from companies that can do better, more reliable work?

Check Lawn & Landscape Online next Thursday for the remaining four ways to evaluate your marketing plan.

John R. Graham is president of Graham Communications, a marketing services and sales consulting firm, Quincy, Mass. Graham is the author of The New Magnet Marketing, a book that sets for his unique marketing and sales concept. He also writes for a variety of publications and speaks on business, marketing and sales topics for company and association meetings. Graham can be contacted at 40 Oval Road, Quincy, MA 02170, 617-328-0069; fax 617-471-1504 or through e-mail at j_graham@grahamcomm.com. The company's web site is www.grahamcomm.com.