Investigating a Company’s Marketing
Overview
Research the website
Manager/Owners description
Impression of a site tour
Is there a target product or service?
Marketing
Does the company it employs specialists in its marketing organisation, e.g., market research manager, advertising manager?
Who is the head of marketing in the company? What are the responsibilities?
How far ahead does the company plan its marketing operations?
What are the company’s marketing strengths?
What are the company’s marketing weaknesses?
What other marketing problems does the company have?
What share of turnover is taken by the largest 10 customers?
When did the company last introduce a new product/service?
What plans are there for introducing new product/services?
What use is made of market research techniques?
Competition
What is its share of the market?
What share of the market does this product/service now have?
How much is the market penetrated?
Selling
Product features of target product/service?
Business benefits of target product/service?
What is the typical buying cycle (by sector)?
What is the general cash situation of the sector?
What are the responsibilities of the head of sales in the company?
What are the ratios of numbers of enquiries, quotations & of sales made?
Does the company employ its own sales representatives and/or agents, whether in the UK or elsewhere?
What regular meetings (at any level) are held in the company’s sales & marketing organisation and between marketing and other company functions?
What regular analyses are made of historical sales information and records?
How are these analyses used in the control and evaluation of sales & marketing effort?
What are the short-term objectives of the company?
Where does the company plan to be in five years time on an overall turnover and profitability basis?
Pricing
How is PRICE determined?
Cost?
Market Comparison
Opportunist
Who are the competitors?
Their prices?
What are you UPS’s?
Your strengths compared with the Competition?
Your weaknesses compared with the competition?
Can you get more/different from current resources?
Do you need more resources?
Are they available?
Analyses
What opportunities are present?
What risks are there to these opportunities?
Can you sell more of the same to current customers?
Who else can you sell of current product/service?
What else can you sell to current customers?
Then there is selling different products to new customers
Export?
Alliances?
New Product/service Launch Questionnaire
Typical Client Profile
Their Business
Problems
Personalities
Buying Cycles
Cash situation
Business Needs
Cost of Problems
Product/service Definition
Benefits Analysis
Definition Documented
Tested
Quality
Launch costs
Support costs
Sales costs
Your price
Business & Profit Plan