The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand out From The Crowd

Persuaded:I will admit that I picked this book up with grave misgivings. I was asked by the author’s assistant to review the book but declined to do so. Coincidentally, a week later, one of my clients was looking for a way to get his leadership team on the same page when it came to marketing and sales. So, I picked up the Kindle version of the book and promised I’d let him know what I thought.By the time I finished the introduction, I was shaking my head in agreement with Mr. Dib. Halfway through the book, I was confident enough to recommend that my client get the book for himself. Let me explain some of the reasons why I believe this book is worth your time to read.Layout:The chapters are in a logical order that builds from one marketing principle to another while working toward completing the plan. There are frequent referrals between concepts that tie everything together.I appreciate the way Dib starts each chapter with a summary and a list of what he will be telling you in that chapter. Then, at the end of each chapter, he has an action item and instructions for filling in one block of the nine-block marketing plan.Marketing:It is refreshing to read that Dib believes there is no longer (and maybe never was) a reason for not doing the work of determining the return on investment (ROI) for your marketing budget. Technological advances in digital media make parts of the ROI equation very easy to manage. Print media is also much more targeted and traceable than in the past. So, no excuses! Continuous improvement in marketing effectiveness is possible and required for a well-run business.Dib also dispels the myth that print and direct marketing are "dead," or dying. He drives home the concept that all the media can be useful and should be used in a mix that is most effective for your target market. Also, yes, some of the determination of the proper combination will be trial-and-error which is why measuring is so critical.On the target market subject, Dib suggests that a narrow focus is best. We cannot be all things to all people in all markets. Combine a narrow focus with the creation of a customer avatar, and you will be able to create a powerful model for marketing and sales personnel to use as a guide for their work.There are many other great tips and ideas for a highly effective marketing program; too many to itemize here. As I mentioned above, it is well worth your time to read what Dib has to say.Sales:Marketing and sales are very closely intertwined. Generally, the sales process is where I disagree with most sales and marketing trainers or authors on these topics. Try as they might, they cannot seem to get to the point where they stop making the process about making the sale. Many start out saying the right things: “It’s about the buyer; You must add value; You must build trust, etc." Then, inevitably, they wind up inculcating tactics that make things all about the salesperson making the sale. Find out what your customer needs – so you can make the deal. Build a relationship with your customer, because that is what will make them comfortable placing the order. Always be closing.Dib has come the closest I've seen so far to reaching my own sales philosophy – if you want someone to buy, stop selling. People want to buy; they do not want to be sold – no matter how pleasant you are as a salesperson. Today, if I want or need something, I have researched it already, and I either have it or have decided it’s not in my budget. Therefore, if you’re trying to manipulate me (no matter what fancy tactic you use) into purchasing something I don’t need or can’t afford, then you’re serving yourself and not me as the customer.The most egregious sales tactics today are those based on neuroscience. They are designed to use new knowledge about how the human brain works to manipulate people into doing what you want them to do rather than help them understand what it is they want to do. To me, doing that is evil. As a vendor, my job is to be found. That, being found, is why this book is so important and worth reading.Definitions:Dib uses an interesting story to define some of the common terms we use around marketing and sales. “Here's the simplest, most jargon-free definition of marketing you're ever likely to come across: If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying, ‘Circus Coming to the Showground Saturday,’ that’s advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that’s promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor’s flower bed and the local newspaper writes a story about it, that’s publicity. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that’s public relations. If the town’s citizens go to the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they’ll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and, ultimately, they spend a lot at the circus, that’s sales. And if you planned the whole thing, that’s marketing.”As you might imagine, my difficulty is only with the portion that states, you “explain how much fun they’ll have spending money at the booths.” Just show them the booths. They’ll figure out if they want to spend time and money having fun.Bottom Line:As I said, Dib comes closest to meeting my "don't sell" sales philosophy. Moreover, he is right on target with the marketing, branding, and promoting philosophy. This book is the most lucid and most thorough book on this topic that I've read to date. Also, Dib has more useful resources on his website for those who want to dig deeper. I highly recommend the 1-Page Marketing Plan.

I found this book clear, down-to-earth, and actionable. Allan writes in a clear, no-nonsense manner, explaining all terminology and providing plentiful examples. He has a flair for making apt analogies to explain marketing principles, from hunter-vs-farmer to infrastructure for roads. More importantly, he never talks down to the reader, instead showing great insight into human nature, and justifying human behavior.The biggest benefits that set this book apart are the following:1.) Allan doesn't escape the difficult questions. He answers them. Much as he writes in the book, he tries to address concerns that his past clients and many people already have, participating in the risk assessment process with you. For example, when advising the use of a shock & awe package, a physical parcel to provide customers with unexpected value and nurture memorable relationships, he immediately discusses the cost concern, and later provides examples of how existing marketer Joe Girard used it to set a world record in car sales and customer retention. Even when I encountered specific questions the book didn't answer, Allan was a quick email away in providing insight.2.) In simple language, Allan defines difficult terms like Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and even terms that seem simple but involve more nuance, like marketing vs. promotion vs. advertising, and front-end vs back-end. He uses anecdotes effectively to illustrate his points, clearly aware that case studies provide more impact and lasting applicable knowledge than general statistics. There are a few more uncited statistics than you might like, but he always drives it home with an example.3.) Actionable advice. Each chapter of the book drills down into one square on the 1-page marketing plan, a fill-in-yourself template for creating your marketing plan. At the end of each chapter, he prompts you to think about your answer, and how you might take action on it. Certain things, like choosing a mass email newsletter mailing system, such as MailChimp, are so pinpoint-specific and relevant today to the point that you may wonder whether he would need to update the book in a year or two. This is good, because you can begin acting on the advice as you read, and Allan encourages you to do so: "Knowing and not doing is the same as not knowing."Overall, I'd recommend the book, even if it doesn't cover every possible business model. In fact, it covers the human mindset and human buying behavior, more than specific business models, which is both refreshing and sensible, in that people buy from people. He discourages big-corporation-style advertising reliant on a large marketing budget, and advocates a more direct approach to identifying prospects, staying in touch, building value, and making transactions natural. You can find this advice on many websites like Julian Shapiro, but they don't do as good a job as Allan as tying it all back to human psychology, emotions, and means for growth, with examples that seem real and down-to-earth. He doesn't overdo the A/B testing and measurement mindset, or social network marketing, instead discussing them and their merits and then leaving them in the margins to focus more on crafting a message, and building a customer retention/management system. The book reads quickly, motivates action, and inspires belief that results are both measurable and manageable.

If you ever thought of becoming an entrepreneur or you are one already, this book is well worth having and should be placed within arms length of your office desk for regular reference.This book is not just about marketing plan, in fact it delivers more than expected because it has a lot of action items applicable for those who are in startups and I really appreciated that there are specific take-aways in every chapter - specific and actionable steps to do (rather than just rah rah pep talks from so called inspirational speakers). It's not just a plan but it articulates the entire cycle from finding your customers, selling your product/service to them, and continuously expanding your customer base.I also appreciate that it is written without so much fluff - plain and simple english and direct to the point.The author did take time to articulate the technical jargon into plain english (which is really not so simple as it sounds) which helps in relating to the topic at hand. Mr. Dib said that he is an IT expert and he tells you how to leverage technology in plain english.I've studied marketing in college but I find it really challenging to keep my eyes open in class. Well, this book is actually fun to read because the author relates a lot of his explanations to stories that sometimes we are even familiar with and then relates it to the subject of marketing -- practical and applied marketing that is.

I enjoyed reading each page of the book and felt that was what I needed to read regarding marketing. The ideas are clear and there are many action tips to help you know what to do next for your business. I automatically did changes during and after reading the book and I’m happy with the changes so far. I’ll re-read the book sometime again in the near future.