Marketing & Business Development Questionnaire: How to Diagnose your Needs

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Marketing & Business Development Questionnaire: How to Diagnose your Needs - Part Two
By Leslie McKerns Sun, 25 Feb 2007, 10:40 PST

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

Directions: As in Part One, thoughtfully and completely answer all questions. There are no right or wrong answers. If you are not currently doing something on this 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.

Assessing the Success of Your Current Marketing and Business Development Program

1. Do you have satisfied clients, customers or patients?

2. Have you captured this business success with written or filmed testimonials?

3. Can you name two or three problems you solved for your satisfied business clients, customers or patients?

4. Are these services highly marketable to future clients or customers?

Your Competitors

1. Name three of your major competitors. Why have they been successful in your target markets?

2. What have these competitors done that you do differently?

3. Can these differences give you an advantage or define a niche?

You and Your Staff

1. What is the style and working manner of your office? Is this an advantage in your potential market?

2. Do your clients come to your office, or do you go to theirs? Are you able to conduct a tour of your office?

3. Do you have plans, models, work in progress, videos or other material of high interest that you can show a prospective client?

4. Do you have open houses? When?

5. Have your ever done a joint open house with sub-consultants, complementary firms, other disciplines or even vendors?

6. What would get your guest list to attend your open house?

7. Do you and your staff regularly explore objectives, goals and marketing opportunities?

8. Are all parties responsible for contributing to your marketing and business development efforts?

Marketing Methods and Expectations

1. Do you have systems in place for receiving bid opportunities? Other business development opportunities?

2. Are you registered with any bid notification agencies? Other entities?

3. Have you offered your services as a speaker or expert witness?

4. Do you regularly write articles and conduct research?

5. Do you have methods in place that lead potential clients to you without the need for cold calling?

6. Do you have an effective procedure for taking and leaving messages? How do you follow up?

7. Have you defined expectations for a business development or marketing program?

8. Do you know the elements of a marketing plan you think you�d like to employ now and in the future?

9. Are the department heads and partners involved in the business development effort?

10. Do you have guidelines on how much time should be expended in the office, on the internet and out of the office making face-to-face contact with your market?

11. Would you bring in a marketing consultant? What would be the main goals of such an effort?

12. Are there at least three important things a consultant could accomplish for your 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, go back and define your priorities for improving these areas, ranking them least important to most important. You are now on track to deal with the diagnosis of your marketing and business development needs.

Key words: diagnosing your marketing and business development needs, marketing, PR and business development, McKerns Development, West Palm Beach PR, Marketing firms, Florida based PR and marketing firms, developing business, developing a business development program. developing a marketing plan, growing your business, increasing market share, strategic business development, marketing checklists, marketing advice for business,

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

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