Sales & Marketing

Sales and Marketing Strategy
Creating a strategic marketing plan is your roadmap for turning strategy into action. It should be detailed enough to guide your daily efforts but flexible enough to adapt to market changes.

• Define your target market. Go beyond basic demographics and understand your customers’ needs, motivations, and buying triggers. Clearly articulate what makes your business different and why customers should choose you.
• Market Research – Analyze competitors, industry trends, and customer feedback to refine your approach. For market research, useful resources can be found on the SBA website.

Create the sales strategy

• Sales Channels – Choose where and how you’ll sell: retail storefront, e‑commerce, wholesale, direct sales, or a combination.
• Sales Process – Outline each step: lead generation, qualification, presentation, objection handling, closing, and follow‑up.
• Customer Experience – Plan for post‑sale engagement, including onboarding, support, and loyalty programs.

Set your goals and key performance indicators (KPI)

• Track progress using analytics tools, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, and regular performance reviews. (E.g.. Agile CRM, Hubspot, Salesforce)
• Review your marketing and sales plans at least annually — or more often if your market changes rapidly. Update strategies based on performance data, customer feedback, and competitive shifts.

   Helpful Hint: Creating a business plan is an effective way to piece together your marketing plan. It serves as a comprehensive roadmap for business growth and development and framework for achieving business goals. For a business plan template, follow the link to SCORE.

Branding is the process of creating a unique and memorable identity for a company, product, or service. Branding, done well, differentiate a business from its competitors and builds a strong, positive perception in the minds of consumers. It involves creating several brand assets including a brand name, logo, tagline, visual design, and overall messaging that communicates the brand’s values and personality.

Examples of branding include:

• Designing a memorable logo and consistent color palette (e.g., “Google”)
• Developing a tagline that captures your mission (e.g., “Think Different” – Apple)
• Creating branded packaging that reflects your company’s style

Advertising focuses on short-term goals such as sales promotion and targets potential customers. PR pursues long-term objectives such as a positive brand image and targets a wider audience including stakeholders, media, legislators and the general public.

Examples include:

• Running paid ads on Google, Facebook, or local radio
• Publishing press releases to announce new products or milestones
• Hosting a community event to generate goodwill and media coverage

Digital marketing is a vital growth engine for small businesses, giving them the ability to compete with larger companies by reaching the right audience at the right time — often at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising. It combines tools like search engine optimization (SEO), social media, email campaigns, blogs, YouTube and online ads.

Examples include:

• Search engine optimization (SEO) to improve website visibility
• Social media campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok
• Pay‑per‑click (PPC) ads targeting specific customer segments

Networking is the process of building and maintaining connections with other individuals or organizations. This can be done both online and in person, and it's a valuable skill for personal and professional growth. In business, networking involves exchanging information and ideas, seeking advice, and potentially finding new opportunities.

Examples include:

• Attending local Chamber of Commerce events or trade shows
• Joining industry associations or online professional groups
• Collaborating with complementary businesses for cross‑promotion
• Maintaining relationships with past clients for repeat business and referrals