the 20 questions your marketing director or agency don't want you to ask

The 20 questions your Marketing

Director or Agency – don’t want you to

ask!(or that you should ask yourself)

Darren Stevens Dip Inst M, MCIM

My credentials28 years in Marketing and PR.

Bang & Olufsen and Chelsea Building Society.

Set up Prestbury Marketing nearly 5 years ago – now working with over 30 businesses.

Have been asked lots of difficult questions over the years!

1. Can I see the Marketing Plan that supports our Business

PlanDoes it contain detail on how and when required levels of leads will be delivered?

Does it take account of pipeline, trendline and business we will “just get”?

Does it breakdown targets by month, product and distribution channel.

Do we review results monthly?

2. Are making the most of all our leads/opportunities?

Are all quotes received?

Are all quotes /leads followed up?

Is the process being followed in all cases?

Have we trialled different forms of follow up?

When business is lost do we record the reason and to whom?

3. Is there any residual value in past enquirers?

Did everybody who enquired buy from somebody? Need for a survey?

Can they be fed back into the marketing system?

Are there any other products/services they might need that we can provide.

When is the most appropriate time to make contact again and how do we keep in touch?

4. Do we know why people didn’t buy?

Back to the survey ?

Did they buy at all?

Who did they buy from?

Why did they not buy from us?

What were the factors in their decision?

What one thing could we do to improve?

Would they consider us again?

5. Have we clearly defined who are customers are?

Firms –IndustrySize GeographyJob roleMotivation/needs

Individuals –AgeSocio-economic profileLocationMale/femaleDecision maker/buyer

6. Have we mystery shopped our competitors?

Where does our price fit?

What is their process?

How do they package their product?

How do they differentiate themselves?

What do they ask us?

What is the follow up?

7. Do we know where people found out about us?

Do we ask?

How do we ask?

Do we interrogate?

Is the information recorded?

Do we monitor trends?

Do we share results with media partners?

Do we analyse source through the sales funnel?

8. Do we have a marketing “plan” for prospects?

Are their details recorded?

Are they classified / segmented?

What is our follow up?

Do we mix “socially”

How do we keep in contact?

What value can we add to them?

What mechanisms will we use?

What frequency – measurement.

9. Is our marketing geared to generating turnover or profit

(or both)?Does marketing have visibility of this information?

Do we have a plan to set out to attract the most profitable customers?

Can we analyse which forms of marketing or distribution channels attract the most profitable customers?

10. Do we know how effective the different forms of marketing we use are?

Can we measure –Cost per leadConversion rateAverage order value£’s order per £ of marketing spendProfit margin per orderRetention rateCross sell / upsell

Do we make decisions on this basis?

Do we have a system in place to trial other methods?

11. Are we up to speed with the latest digital forms of

marketing?How do we keep up to-date?

Are we using –Search Engine OptimisationPay per clickRe-marketingEmail marketing (is it integrated with CRM)Lead nuturingLinkedin marketing

What are our measurements and goals?

12. Is the content on our website keyword search

optimised?Have we carried out keyword research?

Are the results embedded in the website content?

How do we rank on keyword terms?

What is our ongoing plan?

13. Is our website responsive?

Does it adapt to tablets and mobiles?

If not –What proportion of visitors use mobiles and tablets?What is the “bounce rate” for different devices?What are the page views by device?Goals achieved by device.

14. Can you talk me through our Google AnalyticsIs it on our website?

Are we monitoring it?

Are we using it to determine what is and is not working?

Do Google Analytics measures feature in our marketing objectives?

Is our email marketing or adwords work integrated?

Have had professional help to assess it?

15. Do we have a social media policy?

Do employees sign up for it?

Is it covered in induction?

Does it cover work and personal use?

Should suppliers be asked to sign up for it?

Do we monitor usage?

Do we have a plan for enforcement?

16. Are we making the best use of social media?

Does we know which forms of social media our customers use?

Do we post regularly enough?

Do we have the right mix of conversation, information, promotion and observation?

Do we have goals for social media?

Are we tracking extent to which it is driving traffic to the website?

17. Do we have a PR calendar?

Is there a pro-active plan – with space for re-active opportunism?

Do we know the journalists?

Do we read the publications?

How do we monitor coverage and share this with employees?

Do we make the most of calendar opportunities?

Can we create our own content?

18. Do we have a sponsorship policy?

Does one exist?

Are we clear on what we do and why we do it?

Does it say what we will and will not do?

Does charity adoption form a part?

Do we measure, report and PR?

19. When did we last review our agency arrangements?

Loyalty has its benefits – understanding and industry knowledge

Periodic reviews generally a good thing.

Keeps relationships working at optimum level and avoids complacency.

Opportunity to see what is out there.

20. Can we sit down and review the Marketing Budget?

How are we performing against budget?

What are records like?

Opportunities for savings?

Is balance/mix right?

Does it stand up to cross-examination?

21. When did we last get an external view on what we are

doing?You would expect an advert from a Marketing Man.

Email – darren.stevens@prestburymarketing.co.uk

Telephone – 0788 904 2345

Connect on Linkedin

Twitter - @Prestburymktg

Any Questions?