Yes, You Must Test A Market Strategy

A marketing strategy is a series of actions intended to

accomplish a specific sales goal. For example, an

advertising strategy for a new product or service. The

words marketing campaign is commonly substituted in order to

catch readers attention. Normally, left-brain dominants

(logical) prefer the word campaign and right-brainers

(creative) prefer strategy.



Before we address the nine basic steps in testing a product

or service, let's briefly discuss the common faux pas

generally made that keeps the process from succeeding. For

marketing beginners, there are two typical mistakes. The

biggest is trying to take on too many strategies at once.

The other mistake is creating a strategy that is either too

big and can't be measured or too small and can't deliver

enough results. Both are frustrating.



Other bloopers include impatience, boredom, obscure

measurements or limited focus, or any combination thereof.

Another blooper, if you are a solopreneur, is trying to

juggle more than one strategy at a time. When the results

don't equal our expectations, mind or on paper, it is easy

to say this doesn't work and want to jump to another

strategy.



First Stage: Choice. This is the time to plan and prepare.

It contains three vital steps.



Step 1: Brainstorm Strategies. It is important to create a

list of as many possible strategies known by you or your

team at this time. don't scrutinize, just list. For the

perfectionists, please know that there are hundreds of

strategies for any one scenario and a complete list is

nearly impossible. If you don't know of any possible

strategies, do some research, and stop at three. Three that

feels comfortable and achievable for you.



Once the list is done, stop looking for or learning any new

material that doesn't fit. Set those aside for now,

temporarily. The time spent chasing more possibilities will

water down the success of the current strategy. You never

want to chase the next best thing when you still haven't

worked what you already have going.



Step 2: Choose and Prioritize. Measure the top five

strategies according to needed resources and the learning

curve. Choose the one that requires the least resources and

run with that one. It may or may not be your first

preference.



Step 3: Measurement. This tells you whether the strategy

is working. You can do this by measuring the number of

responses or the type of responses you receive. The

measurement can include a set percentage of the gross

revenue expectations. Time is also a measurement. Or, the

measurement can be any combination thereof. For example, if

you wish to get 5,000 responses a month when you get to the

maintenance period, the first measurement may be 10%, or 500

responses with 50 paid orders.



Second Stage: The Loop is a process that continues until

you reach the measurement.



Step 4: It's Time to Try It. Run the test. If you are a

speaker, deliver the presentation once to a small group.

For an Internet sales letter, post it, and measure the

results in 8, 16, and 24 hours after first notification. If

it's a widget, stand on a busy corner, hand them out, and

talk to people about their reaction. If it's a children's

book, complete one or two story times at the local

libraries.



Step 5: Review Time. It's time to evaluate. Is it working?

How does it compare to the measurement? It's time to gather

all the yellow sticky notes and other comments received

earlier and evaluate each one for its merits and

possibilities. Which ones do you want to incorporate into

the next test?



Step 6: Tweak, Pinch, Pluck and Twist. It's time to

tighten and sparkle. If speaking, rewrite. If a sales

letter, add, delete, or expand the content. If a widget,

redesign or edit the sales copy.



Step 7: Put It Out There Again. Time to test it again with

the changes. Before sending it out there double check to

see if the measurements still fit or need adjusting. When

you hit the measurement, the loop stage is complete. If

not, return to Step 4 and loop again. Continue until it

meets or exceeds the measurement.



Stage Three: Working the Strategy. Now it's time for

consistency.



Step 8: Work the Process. This is the maintenance period.

don't drop the ball here -- consistency and pattern are the

keys along with sporadic measurements. Watch the

marketplace for changes that could affect your results.

Know the marketing history of similar products. Available

resources should begin to open.



Step 9: Next! If the current strategy has opened

resources, it is time to choose the next strategy. If not,

keep working this strategy and allow the other strategies to

wait until the resources become free. don't fall into the

trap of tweaking it just because you get bored with the

process.



(c) Copyright 2005, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.





About The Author:



Catherine Franz, CEO of Eagle Communications, is a

syndicated marketing columnist,

radio host, International speaker, and master life and

business coach. http://www.abundancecenter.com