Q: Marketing leader - can you put together a marketing plan? No matter the function you lead, you need to build a viable plan that builds confidence and alignment with your peers and senior leadership. However, what I often find with marketing plans is the following: => A kitchen sink of tactics covering everything we do / will do. => Countless charts & spreadsheets with excruciating details. => Details on all the wonderful things marketing has done. Instead, what I want to see is the following: => A plan aligns with the key business objectives. => The key initiatives required to make this happen. => A rationale & logical justification for why the plan is achievable. => The investment, resources, and timing required to deliver the plan. => The key risks and mitigation plans. => Alternative approaches considered. This breaks down into the following framework: 1-2 Goals & Objectives aligned to the company's business objectives. 3-4 Strategic Initiatives to deliver on the Goals & Objectives. 4-5 Tactics per Strategic Initiative. *** You should be able to summarize this on one slide. *** The rest of the plan outlines in more detail the justification for why the plan will work, the investments required risks/contingencies, and other options discarded. Note: like most frameworks I use - I "borrowed it" - details in the first comment. In this plan: => Don't describe everything you will do, only the key initiatives. => Focus on the "gap" - the difference btw your run rate and goals. => Use prior successes to explain your confidence in this plan. => Use data insights to justify your assumptions. => The plan should only be detailed a quarter out - high level after. => Articulate why you will have success vs. competition. => Ensure you can deliver the first quarter of the plan. => Make the ask - "you want us to do X, we then need Y" investment. => Tell a story backed by data and logic. A plan isn't for your team. It's for everyone else. Your leadership, board, and employees. The purpose is to build confidence and align your priorities with the rest of the organization. I've used this structure for billion-dollar divisions at large public companies, mid-market technology companies, and VC-backed startups. Each time I've gone into a company, I've assumed there would be a better marketing planning process, only to find myself implementing the above. Give it a shot, and if you need help - don't hesitate to reach out. #b2bmarketing #b2bsales #revenue #planning
Marketing Plan <> Marketing Calendar. Act accordingly.
I remember applying for an internal promotion and being asked about what I would do as a marketing leader, but when I asked the CMO what plans he had in mind so I can work on something aligned with his and the company's vision, he had nothing 🤷🏾♂️. Great post man!
Your posts are so insightful Cassidy Shield appreciate you sharing your framework. Great to see the gap between how marketing reports today and what it SHOULD look like
This is a short Masterclass in planning. 🔥
Cassidy this is the best thing I've seen on LinkedIn all week
Great breakdown, Cassidy! Thanks for sharing.
Awesome breakdown Cassidy! I saved this post, it will definitely be useful in the future. 😁 How do you define those Strategic Initiatives? I want to better understand how they are different from tactics.
I have a one page marketing plan summary template that I would be happy to share with anyone.
"=> The plan should only be detailed a quarter out - high level after." 👏 "But what about our 5-year plan?!?" Best anyone can give on this is an outward time cone where, the farther from day 0, the more uncertainty. Totally fine to throw out speculations, but anyone making predictions for what their team will be doing 5-years from now and naïve enough to think it holds much accuracy isn't fit to build the plan in the first place.
Helping Revenue Leaders Maximize Impact.
1yThe framework I've used for 10+ years is from the following book written by Tim Calkins. It's short and concise - as it should be. https://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Marketing-Plans-Wasting-Driving-ebook/dp/B00PIWJHAE/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=breakthrough+marketing+plans&qid=1665583347&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjQxIiwicXNhIjoiMC4yOCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMzAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=Breakthrough+marketing+plan%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-1