Whether your focus is on retaining existing clients, acquiring new ones, or re-engaging with lapsed clients, you'll need a strategic marketing plan to help you achieve your goal. Download the template in the column opposite, then use the guidance below, plus this strategy wheel to create your plan.

Your marketing should be designed to consistently communicate to the right audience with the right message until that audience is ready to buy.

And then to keep communicating to them in a way that encourages them to continue to buy from you, and refer you to friends and colleagues.

When they are ready to buy, will they choose you?

Three reasons to develop a marketing plan:

1. Sales leads (for customer recruitment) will increase.
2. More of your existing customers will be retained each year.
3. Your profits will rise as a result.

The four stages of your marketing plan

1. Where are you now?
2. Where do you want to be?
3. How do you get there?
4. How will you know that you are getting there?

"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face."

Mike Tyson, former world heavyweight boxing champion