Why You Dont NEED a Marketing Plan

If you pick up a copy of the November 2003 issue of Entrepreneur magazine, you'll see my Web site listed on page 10, along with a good amount of promotional copy.

How did I get featured in a major, national magazine?

Do I have a great PR person? Did I know someone at the magazine? Was this part of my carefully-crafted marketing plan?

No, no, and um, no.

I'll tell you exactly how I did it.

Are you ready?

I picked up the phone.

A few months ago, I was flipping through a past issue of Entrepreneur and saw they had a section that listed Web resources.

I looked at the bottom of the page and saw the name of the author.

I flipped to the front of the magazine, found the masthead, and located the phone number for their editorial offices.

I called that number and asked for that guy.

He picked up the phone.

I asked how I could submit a resource.

He told me.

I submitted mine.

He ran it.

Serendipity?

Well, I do believe when you put energy out, you get good things back. But honestly, I just picked up the phone.

I see this as a great example of that you don't have to be perfect.

I didn't wait until I had a marketing plan.

I didn't wait until I had all my ducks in a row.

In fact, I'm proud to share that I've never been fully prepared for anything I've ever taken on.

I just knew who I wanted to reach and what I wanted to say.

(I wanted to reach small business owners and solo professionals, and I wanted to let them know about all the valuable, free information at my Web site.)

And you know what?

That's also all YOU have to know!

Listen, marketing plans are swell. If you have one, more power to you. I often wish that I did have a nice, neat plan to follow for the entire year. In fact, it's been on my to-do list for about five years.

It just doesn't look like I'm ever going to do it.

I've realized that what works better, for me, is to simply jump at opportunities as they arise, even if my pattern is haphazard. Otherwise I'd still be where I was two years ago, waiting until I worked out a plan. I'll never move forward if I keep waiting for everything to "be ready."

I just attended one of highest level Internet marketing conferences for entrepreneurs in the world. And one of the speakers, a man who has made millions from his Internet business, uttered a sentence that has since stuck with me:

"It's amazing how much money you can make in this world without being perfect."

Are you trying to be perfect? Trying to plan everything ahead? Standing in your own way?

STOP.

Right now, this minute, I want you to do one thing, just one thing, that you know would push your business forward. Especially something simple you've been putting off.

Perhaps it's picking up the phone and introducing yourself to that important person your friend referred you to.

Perhaps it's replying to that e-mail regarding a great opportunity but you've been more occupied with more "urgent" things.

Perhaps it's sending one of your articles to the editor of that e-zine with 100,000 subscribers who are your target market.

Perhaps it's completing that proposal to speak at a convention that's going to put you in front of 500 pre-qualified prospects.

Please, just do it.

(c) 2003 Alexandria K. Brown

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is author of the award-winning manual, "Boost Business With Your Own E-zine." To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/

---

Who Is Your Market and Where Are They?

An important part of planning your business is to know... Read More

Growing Your Brand Assets

Okay. Raise your hand if you think brand management is... Read More

Beware of Magazine Style Yellow Pages Ad Design.

I have been designing Yellow Page ads for the past... Read More

Systems - Marketing Your Business Successfully

Business Systems that work for anyone, are a fundamental necessity... Read More

Marketing Hat for Graphic Designers or Wannabe?s

Many people think that the quality of any graphic design... Read More

What IS the Difference Between Marketing and Sales?

There seems to be a never ending argument among marketing... Read More

Digital Printing vs. Press Printing ? A Comparison Guide

When it comes time to print your brand identity materials,... Read More

Marketing Strategy and Template for Independent Professionals

Having a marketing strategy and marketing approach is very important.... Read More

Whats Your Selling Sentence?

What's your Selling Sentence? If you have a business, you... Read More

Independent Professionals: What Stands Between You and Your Artist Statement?

What Stands Between You and Writing an Artist Statement or... Read More

Direct Mail Response Devices and How to Craft Them

Successful direct mail packages contain three things: an attractive offer,... Read More

Trigger Button Marketing

Sometimes, experiencing bleak sales is a matter of failing to... Read More

What Does It REALLY Take to Be Making 6-Figures as a Service Professional?

Over the past 30 years, I've read so much on... Read More

Want To Impress Customers, Win Clients and Influence People?

Remember the baseball cards kids traded while... Read More

How Gratitude Works

Want to know what the highest-impact, lowest-cost tool is in... Read More

Grab Your Audience by Focusing on Benefits

Have you ever chosen to pay attention to someone just... Read More

A Look at Color Brochure Printing

Brochures have become vital in today's workplace, serving a wide... Read More

What Are Focus Groups & How Do They Work?

Businesses and other organizations use focus groups to research consumer... Read More

Gaining Business Intelligence

A white paper on how companies should analyse customer data... Read More

3 Ways to Gain and KEEP Customers Using Postcards

In today's competitive (sometimes cutthroat) marketplace, savvy business owners need... Read More

Is It Time To Revisit Your Marketing Strategy?

Small & Mid Sized Business owners, have you revisited your... Read More

The Surprise Inside!

Think about all those Cracker Jacks you ate as a... Read More

Postcard Direct Mail Marketing Works (Its Cheap, Quick, Affordable and More)

Used the right way and with the right audience, postcards... Read More

Direct Mail Marketing Done Correctly, Cannot Fail

So how do you do it?Direct mail marketing. When it... Read More

Standards for Dry Washing and Pressure Washing in Mobile Car Care

The industry standard for mobile washing is completing the car... Read More

Marketing Effectively to More Than One Audience

What's a small business owner to do if they have... Read More

GoogSpy: Business Counter Intelligence for Everyone

So, you want to know what your competitors are up... Read More

The 10 Cornerstone Principles of Marketing

There are four parts to a marketing system and they... Read More

Create Your Own Rumors

A consultant new in the city asked me how I... Read More

Build Lifelong Networks With Your Own Barter Group

I don't know if you have ever seriously considered bartering.... Read More

How To Get Business With Your Business Card?

So, you have a business card? And you have given... Read More

Who are Those People Youre Selling To?

If you're in the IT business, that's an important question.Most... Read More

Effective Marketing

For any business to be successful whether on or offline... Read More