I want to put together a marketing plan. As I have a limited budget, I would like to optimize my sales without having to hire a salesperson. What are my options?
There are many marketing options, but they must be sifted to find the one best suited for your business. No matter what option you choose, hiring a salesperson would not be one of them. Marketing generates prospective customers; salespeople bring the "buy" to fruition. Therefore hiring a salesperson is a sales strategy, not a marketing strategy.
You are wise in that you have chosen to first develop a marketing plan: without one, any marketing method you choose would likely be quite ineffective. However, your question indicates that you see the marketing plan as merely a choice between methods, instead of the more comprehensive view of your business that it should be.
Therefore before beginning your marketing plan, you might want to take the time to do some strategic thinking regarding your business. This exercise, which involves much dreaming and little detail, will allow you to explore all the business opportunities that might be open to you. Don't limit yourself in this exercise – let your mind roam.
When you have settled on one or a few strategic directions, it is time to investigate them further as to business potential and accessibility. Only then do you compose a true marketing plan.
This plan should contain:
- A set of clear marketing objectives
- A target market profile
- An analysis of the competitive environment
- A comprehensive strategy to reach those objectives
Once you have determined this information, you can address the heart of your question, which is how to promote or market your business to prospective customers. Your options include:
- Advertising
- Publicity
- Sales promotions (such as discounts and contests)
- Sales literature (such as brochures and websites)
- Guerrilla marketing (novel, low-cost techniques to attract attention)
- Referrals, associations and other forms of networking
In your case, your choices will be governed by which vision and strategy you have chosen and by your target market profile. If you have decided to work only where you live, you likely will not need a web site, guerrilla marketing or even publicity. Instead low-cost advertising (in a community paper for example), sales promotions and sales literature would probably suffice. You could in essence be your own salesperson, since your marketplace is small.