The last of the snow is finally gone and the flowers are starting to bloom. If you are like me, the next few weekends will be spent cleaning out closets and cupboards, taking flower pots back outside for the spring and maybe painting a wall or two.

Just like your home, your marketing plans are probably a little cluttered or a little dusty. Here are a few things you can do to give your marketing a fresh face for spring:

Give yourself permission to let go. Just like that dress hiding in the back of the closet that you haven’t worn in a few years, there are elements of your marketing that just don’t fit anymore. Take a day and review all of your marketing expenditures and programs, networking memberships and subscriptions to software tools. What is working and what isn’t? What are you doing simply because you have done it so long it is a habit? Rank order all the things you do based on return for time and money invested. Let go of one thing that you have worked at for a while, but just isn’t producing results. Maybe it did once but isn’t any longer, or maybe it was an idea that just didn’t pan out. Either way, let it go, free up resources to devote to something better.

Clean up your lists. As data gets old, it gets less and less useful. Are those email addresses and phone numbers still good? Reach out with a brief note or phone call to confirm the contact information is still good. You might be surprised by the follow-up conversations you have just by reaching out.

Close proposals that have been inactive more than sixty days. Just as you let go of marketing strategies that aren’t paying off to make room on your plate for new ones, you should close inactive proposals and stop chasing projects where the prospect has been giving you the runaround for months. Yes, every salesperson is an optimist and believes the opportunity is right around the corner, but by letting projects which will never happen stay in your pipeline, you are not as motivated to look for new prospects. Nothing gets me back on the phones like a small pipeline. Not ready to simply give up? Make one more phone call and tell the prospect you are closing the quote. If they are interested in the future, you will be happy to rebid at the 2013 pricing. Every now and then the looming risk of a higher price is just what they need to be pushed into action.

Clean up your website. Take an afternoon and go through your website page by page and actually read the copy. Read every word. If it has been awhile, it is likely you will find a few grammar or spelling errors to update or content which needs to be changed. Maybe you have added or discounted a new product or had changes to your team. Make sure your website accurately reflects your company today.
Emptying closets and getting your yard ready for spring can be tedious and time-consuming, but investing a few weekends makes the rest of the summer more enjoyable. Do the same for your business.

Need a little help? Call us. We will even bring the broom.
photo credit: Lorraine Ball