Small businesses seem to be failing in near-record numbers these days. An obvious reason is that there are many that simply don’t deserve to succeed for a number of logical reasons, i.e., inferior products and services, severe under-capitalization, no clearly defined business plan, weak management, no clear niche, etc. Of course, recessionary conditions figure in, also.

What chills me down to the marrow, however, is the high rate of unnecessary failures that we are seeing. In the sports world such things are called unforced errors. Like when the quarterback has plenty of time, a wide-open receiver, yet still throws a lousy pass that has no chance of being caught by anyone but the guys in the other uniforms.

There probably are many reasons for this unfortunate, unforced business-failure phenomenon, but the closer one looks, the more evidence there is of the presence of an oft-repeated pattern. And, yes, the culprit is marketing, or, rather, lack of it – at least, the effective kind that produces the dual desired results of sales and profits.

IT’S NOT NEW, BUT IT’S TROUBLING

Though it could be said there is nothing really new in all of this, something I have encountered recently, and in a place where one would least expect to find it, is gnawing at me in a persistent, haunting kind of way.

What I encountered was an attitude, one that seems to be as prevalent as it is disturbing – especially when its somewhat surprising source is considered. I’ll elaborate. I recently facilitated a marketing case histories roundtable at which 46 attendees were present, all bright beings and all heads of small businesses.

This time, when the month’s featured subject-company presented its story, and asked for suggestions, the responses were plentiful and erudite, ranging from suggestions for the establishment of an advisory board to a reordering of priorities for the CEO as to the use of her time.

NO WONDER WE’RE MISSING THE BOAT

But, something was strangely absent among this learned group’s body of suggestions. It was the absence of a suggestion that the subject-company should craft and set out to follow a strategic plan. Based on their overall responses, I wanted to praise and paddle the panelists at the same time. I could hold off no longer, so I finally chimed in, mouthing words to the effect, “who can say S-T-R-A-T-E-G-Y?” At this point, some seemed to be nodding in agreement, while others merely seemed to be nodding, as in nodding off

THINK OF IT AS A GAME PLAN

The fact is, no team ever became a consistent winner without a game plan, which is merely a strategy to exploit the perceived weaknesses of its opponent while maximizing the effect of its own strengths. How often have we heard about the superior team that got beat by “the team that was better today”? If a sports team depends upon its strategic plan, should not a business team?

My concern grows. Would we head out to explore new territory without a map? Only to our own peril, with, at a minimum, a huge waste of time. Can those of us in business afford to burn gobs of time and risk serious fiscal injury by being tossed, as it were, on the rocky shores of indecision and trial and error? There are precious few reasons to do little or no strategic planning, and none of them are good. The trick is to wake up and smell the coffee before it evaporates or our competition has drunk it all.

Author Bio: Allan Starr founded Marketing Partners of AZ in 1976, providing strategic marketing, advertising, public relations, e-mail marketing, website optimization and other online initiatives nationwide. Starr is former governor of the Southwest District of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), a two-term president of The Arizona Small Business Assn. and served six terms on the board of directors of The Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. http://www.marketingpartnersaz.com

Category: Marketing
Keywords: marketing firm,business marketing,marketing plan,marketing campaign,marketing strategy