Marketing & Business Development Questionnaire: Diagnose your Needs–Part One

Article by Leslie McKerns–McKerns Development

Use this questionnaire to diagnose your marketing and business development needs. Then assign a simple formula and rating system to fix it.

Directions: Squint your eyes tight and reach frantically for sand (to bury your head). Or…you could thoughtfully and completely answer all questions. There are no right or wrong answers. If you are not currently doing something on this marketing and business development list, it does not mean that you must start. It does mean that you can use this questionnaire to diagnose your marketing and business development needs.

Your Current Marketing & Business Development Program

Describe (in one or two paragraphs) your current Marketing & Business Development Program (who, what, when, where.)

How many of the following elements apply to your marketing and business development program?

1. Our company has and follows a written Marketing Plan & Calendar of Action.

2. Our company has collateral material (brochure, job sheets, catalog sheets, flyers) pre-printed and assembled by category of potential interest.

3. Our company has elements of collateral formatted and able to be tailor-made each time we need to reach a new audience.

4. Our company has an effective and active website. The website is updated with new content on a regular basis. The website hits are monitored, leads tracked and contact information gathered.

5. Our company has and maintains an active database of contacts. The database is current and updated often.

6. Our company database is regularly analyzed for effectiveness. How are potential contacts reached? How often? With what results?7. Our company participates in the communities where our office and business is located. How?

8. Our company leaders attend conferences and provide outreach such as speaking engagements and seminars. Where and how? What methods are used for follow up?

The Nature of Your Firm

Are you able to describe the nature of your firm in three minutes or less?

1. What are the main features that make you outstanding and differentiate your firm from your competitors?

2. Can you easily explain why your services are of interest?

3. What are you most known for?

4. Why have clients hired you in the past? Do you know?

Your Market Share

What are your current Market Sectors?

1. Name the major categories that you can effectively claim as your market sectors. Within these market sectors, name your target geographic areas (states/counties/countries.)

2. How and why do you claim these as your target market? Do you have a significant body of work, service or product offerings in these areas? Are they photographed and described? Do you have examples, project sheets, video, catalog sheets or case studies of your work?3. What percentage of your business is Public? Private? Are you staffed to effectively handle both public bids and private marketing and negotiations?

4. Of your private clients, can you count on repeat work? Referrals?

5. Do you have plans in place in the event your market share is changing or dwindling?

6. Do you seek alliances with other related and complementary firms?7. Are your current alliances effective in developing new and repeat business?

If you identify areas in which there is no clear yes or no answer, you can assign a numerical scale of 1–5 for each answer (with 5 the strongest and 1 the weakest). Once you have identified any area that is 3 or below, you can go back and define your priorities for improving these areas, ranking them least important to most important. You are now on track to proceed with Part Two in diagnosing your marketing and business development needs.

Leslie McKerns, owner of Florida based PR, marketing and strategic business development firm, McKerns Development, offers more free how to articles, top ten marketing tips, checklists and 5 packages for PR, press and media relations, marketing and strategic business development at http://www.freewebs.com/mckernsdevelopment

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About the Author

Leslie McKerns, owner of Florida based PR, marketing and strategic business development firm, McKerns Development, offers more free how to articles, top ten marketing tips, checklists and 5 packages for PR, press and media relations, marketing and strategic business development at http://www.freewebs.com/mckernsdevelopment