Most businesses have no marketing plan at all.  To compound things, they make plans based on whoever is trying to sell them the next shiny object.  In speaking with business owners and entrepreneurs daily, I’ve found that less than half Of all business actually do it, but those that do have a HUGE competitive advantage.

Below are a few things to consider when creating a marketing calendar.  We’ll do a few each tip for the next week or so.

First, you need to devote specific, uninterrupted time each year when you create your calendar.  I like to use the time near the end of each December.  Things seem to slow down a bit then.  The phone doesn’t ring quite an often, and there’s less demands on my time.  While this may not be ideal (the phones ringing less, etc), it gives me that uninterrupted time that I need to get it done.

Second, you want to solicit information and help from key people in your business.  Do have sales reps?  Get them, or their manager involved.  Want to run a specific campaign that requires accounting/book-keeping to get involved, do.  In fact, I just met with our VP of Operations regarding a “Pay Later”  campaign I want to run.  Her input on the implementation of it, from an accounting standpoint, was invaluable.

If you’re a sole proprietor, you may want to meet in advance with your vendors who will be helping the campaign along.  See that they can meet your deadlines and that they can implement what you want to do.  You don’t want to get to the time to implement, and then get stalled because a vendor or key person can’t get the job done in time.

That’s it for today.  Later in the week we’ll discuss three additional things you need to consider when creating your marketing calendar.  See you then!

Blog Readers Only Special

My friend and very successful marketer Troy White has created a great resource where he’s created the marketing calendar FOR YOU!

The Cash Flow Calendar contains completed marketing campaigns that guarantee to grow your business. 

You will learn how to capitalize on the thousands of opportunities you have at your disposal to write new product or service launch. How to transfer an unusual holiday, even the standard ones, with a few minor changes, and one simple addition, to create monster successes with each mailer you send out to your clients.

9 success keys to making any promotion you send a money maker

For each MONTH of the year, you will receive countless opportunities and ideas to run month-long promotions - or one major product launch tied into a monthly event (for example, did you know that April is National Customer Appreciation Month? Perfect time for a mailer and promotion. Or that April also is the month of National Couple Appreciation Month? How easily could you tie in that to a promotion applicable to couples? I show you how.

23 different ways (and reasons) to stay in touch with your customers and prospects (each on of them can make you a bundle if you use them).

And tons more.  Visit Troy's site to see it all for yourself.

www.cashflowcalendars.com/