1.5 - About University

➎Integratethis strategyinto amarketingplan.➟✔ What are the long-term marketing goals for your internal professional service group?✔ What are the short-term marketing goals for your group?✔ What is your plan for marketing your group’s professional services?✔ How will you communicate with your clients in a way that supports their acceptance?✔ How will you get feedback in order to take corrective action on the inevitable problemsthat will crop up as you implement your new marketing plan?H OW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOL“Business-ing = The process of turning every job into a business, every worker into abusinessperson, a business unit of one.”—Tom Peters, CIRCLE OF INNOVATIONDeveloping a marketing plan for your internal professional services group needs the involvementand support of all members in the group. If you don’t provide enough structure, peoplewill feel there is no mechanism or process through which they can contribute to developingthe marketing plan. On the other hand, if you provide too much detail and structure, peoplewill think “It’s a done deal” and their contribution is not required. We suggest this minimallevel of structure for preparing a marketing plan. (Some of these steps will need adjustmentdepending on the size of your professional services group.)WEB WORKSHEET1. Present the benefits for preparing a marketing plan. [☛ 9.7 Selling Wheel]2. As the group’s leader, define your givens—your overall goals for having a marketingplan, the minimum specifications of the marketing plan (e.g., “We must continue toservice the Northern Operations Business Unit”), and elements of the process that mustbe used in developing the marketing plan (e.g., “We will need to involve all senior serviceprofessionals in our group; our clients need to be consulted”). [☛ 2.3 DirectionalStatements, 2.7 Goal Statements]3. Explain and discuss your thinking with members of your internal services group. Askkey members (or all members) to challenge and refine your givens, and to add theirown ideas.4. Prepare a first draft of the marketing plan (either alone or with the help of others).5. Next, have the group come together as a whole to review drafts of the marketing plan,test assumptions, develop refinements, and seek synergies. [☛ 10.7 Getting Participation]6. Depending on the size of your group, you may wish to form a task force representingall stakeholders inside your group, to work on further developing the marketing plan.7. The task force can then prepare a final draft. However, this draft should have full groupsupport.8. Finally, you or your task force need to go out and talk with your clients and furtherrefine your plan.SECTION 3 TOOLS FOR STRATEGIC THINKING 97