6 signs that you’re in control of your marketing

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Over the last two days I’ve shared checklists to help you asses whether you have enough marketing knowledge to make sound strategic decisions for your growing business. Across the hundreds of businesses I’ve encountered, I can say with absolute certainty that those with a marketing-savvy MD or Chief Exec always do better.

When a business is led by someone with a marketing brain, or at least by someone who knows enough to ask great questions and draw out great results from their people and their suppliers, it’s a business that knows where it’s headed. And, how it’s going to get there.

On Wednesday, I exposed 8 signs that you need to get more strategic about your marketing. Yesterday, I outlined 10 red flags that indicate that it’s YOUR knowledge of marketing that’s holing your business back. Today, I’m running down the key things that show that you’re truly in the driving seat of marketing that will deliver long-term sales results.

Six signs that you know enough about marketing to make sound strategic decisions for your business

Sign 1 – you see and support marketing at every step of the buying decision

• Ask yourself: Can you map a marketing tool or technique on your plan to every step in a buyer’s purchase decision?

Sign 2 – you understand the step up and step down from the plan you’ve chosen

• Ask yourself: Could you flex your marketing activity (and spend) up or down without leaving a gap in your path to purchase?

Sign 3 – the whole organisation is switched-on to sales & marketing opportunities

• Ask yourself: Does everyone in your business know what you do, and could they spot a lead, a referral or a customer needing help and know what to do about it?

Sign 4 – the business and its people are visible and active in social media

• Ask yourself: Do you trust and support your people to engage in social media on behalf of your business?

Sign 5 – you can predict the business that’s coming down the tracks

• Ask yourself: Do you know, and can you predict, your return on marketing investment?

Sign 6 – your marketing investment (in time & money) is on the higher side of average

• Ask yourself: Are you comfortable in making pretty hefty investments in time and / or money in marketing your business?

Knowledge = clear, calm and in control

When you understand, and see the cause and effect of, marketing delivering long-term sales results you are in the driving seat of your business growth. It means you can cut through the nonsense.

You find yourself able to quickly decide whether a marketing initiative is right for your business. Your marketing team and suppliers come up with brilliant ideas the first time. You can immediately tell the difference between marketing hype and a sound strategic investment. You know what you need from your team, and if recruiting you know what to ask and what to listen for. And, you’re comfortable making some pretty big investments in marketing infrastructure, because you know how it’s going to pay back. If that’s you, congratulations! If you’re not there yet, the Watertight Marketing book is a great place to start.

© Bryony Thomas | The Watertight Marketer.