Warning: I ask questions

I ask a lot of questions when we first meet.

Because it's important to listen and understand our clients' challenges and aspirations.

But most client requirements, although the sector, discipline or scale might differ, usually centre on the following issues. So ask yourself

• Do you need more customers but are OVERWHELMED by the prospect of MARKETING yourself or business?
• Is that WORD OF MOUTH business you've relied on for so long DRYING UP?
• Are you struggling to get cut through to the right DECISION MAKERS?
• Are you even talking to the RIGHT CUSTOMERS?
• Is being CREATIVE and fresh with what you're putting out stopping you doing your best work?
• Do you want to SAVE TIME, be more CONSISTENT and more EFFECTIVE by knowing exactly what to do, when using which tools and platforms?

See yourself below?

I have ways of working with micro business owners. Here the focus is on 5-50 staff, £1-20m turnover manufacturing and professional services businesses. To get the best out of working together, you're likely to fall into one of the following camps.

(1) You're an ambitious BUT LONE marketing executive or new marketing manager working in an environment where marketing strategy is not really understand or valued as the business is driven by sales. Much of your day is spent planning and implementing very tactical promotional campaigns. You lack a marketing minded sounding board and crave support in improving how the company talks to customers and prospects. You know it could be so much better.

(2) You might be a sales or marketing director running a team that is working hard but perhaps doesn't get the time to learn and refresh their skills and ideas. You might be spending significant sums on marketing and the vanity metrics may indicate it is successful, but the reality is there might be a lack of substance and you'd benefit from a fresh perspective that may even take you deep into your brand and overriding mission.

(3) You might be a managing director of a larger business where you may have a sales team and a marketing person, probably operating at a tactical level. Yours is a sales led organisation that has traditionally worked on word of mouth, you might even be second generation management. Your in-house support may or may not have a background in marketing or a qualification.

But your marketing isn't really achieving cut-through and there may be a disconnect between the sales and marketing effort because marketing is seen as fluffy and not strategic. You have a great business with a rich history but you're not really attracting the calibre or number of new customers because you're lacking a consistent marketing strategy and plan.