Mark Twain wrote, “Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.”
The following questionnaire will help you find out. How many “YES” answers do you get?
- I am receptive to advertising
- My staff is receptive to advertising
- I have a good product or service
- I have a unique product or service
- I will sell more if more people know my special or unique offer
- Most people don’t automatically think of my company when they need my product or service
- Most people don’t know about my web site
- I want to increase market share
- My offer or unique proposition is better than those of my competitors
- I want to expand my company
- I want my company to be an industry leader in the market
- My category is competitive
- My business is relationship driven
- I need a steady stream of new prospects/customers
- I want my potential customers to buy sooner
- I want my customers to buy more often
- My salespeople make cold calls by phone or in person
- I’d rather that my sales people spend their time on closing business than on cold calling
- My potential customers are skeptical about what I offer
- My potential customers don’t seem to respect or respond to my sales people
- My sales people don’t speak with confidence about my business
- My employees don’t feel generally proud of their company
- I want to hire talented people
- I want to retain good employees
- I want to ride the strong periods longer
- I want to recover from the recessions sooner
- I want to attract investors
0-9 “Yes” answers: There’s no real urgency to advertise. Advertising should be considered on an as-needed basis only.
10-18 “Yes” answers: Advertising is recommended to speed up your company’s growth. Allocate a consistent small to mid-size budget and start weighing your options.
19-27 “Yes” answers: Advertising is essential to your survival. It is the bread and butter of your business. Allocate a sizable budget, weigh your options and consistently commit to an advertising plan.
To get started with a deeper specific analysis on how advertising can help: