Lima Lerch Marketing Consulting

Lima Lerch Consulting Behind EcoLogicalMom.com

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Lima Lerch Consulting is excitedto support eco-friendly parents by  providing information throughEcoLogicalMom.com. 

Brookfield, WI – October 3, 2009 – LimaLerch Consulting, a Strategic  Marketing Consulting company based inWisconsin, is launching a  website for eco-friendly parents. The siteprovides information and  share experiences from multiple sources aboutraising kids with an Eco and Logical mindset.  From homemade food recipes,travel information, active lifestyle and  product information, it reflectsa journey to a healthy and meaningful  lifestyle. All with an eco-friendlytwist.  “We are very excited to work with the EcoLogicalMom editors. Eco- friendlyparents can play a big role in supporting our environment by  raisingtheir kids with an eco-friendly mindset", said Renata Lerch,  ManagingDirector at Lima Lerch Consulting.  The site URL is www.ecologicalmom.com. Readers can alsoaccess information through www.facebook.com/EcoLogicalmom, and followtweets on www.twitter.com/EcoLogicalMom.

Lima Lerch Consulting developscustomized programs for large and small  organizations, coaching clientsin the US and Latin America to develop  strategic thinking and effectiveimplementation processes. Services  provided include development ofcomprehensive marketing plans,  communications, advertising and promotionstrategies, strategic alliances  and partnerships, internationalexpansions and representation.  

For more information, please visit www.limalerchconsulting.com,e-mail renata@limalerchconsulting.com, or call (414) 243-0192.  

Contact: Renata L.Lerch (414) 243-0192 renata@limalerchconsulting.com

Press Release: Lima Lerch Consult Supporting Local Latino Business

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Lima Lerch Consulting is excited to support the Hispanic Community of
Small Business Owners in the Greater Milwaukee area.
Brookfield, WI – March 3, 2008 – Lima Lerch Consulting, a Strategic
Marketing Consulting company based in Wisconsin, is offering free
strategic marketing counseling to Hispanic Small Business Owners that
are members of the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee
(HPGM).

HPGM members now will be able to count on very experienced
marketing consultants to take their small businesses to the next level.
Lima Lerch Consulting professionals have 16 years of strategic marketing
experience in the US and Latin America, developing and executing a
wide range of marketing and sales strategies designed to establish
market presence and increase profitability.

“We are very excited to work with HPGM, supporting Hispanic
entrepreneurs with their business initiatives. Lima Lerch Consulting has
very strong ties with the Latin American community, and is eager to
help members in Wisconsin achieve strategic precision”, said Renata
Lerch, Managing Director at Lima Lerch Consulting.

This offer is valid from now to August, 30, 2008. For more details,
terms and conditions please logon towww.limalerchconsulting.com/hpgm, or www.hpgm.org, under “What’s
going on” section.

Lima Lerch Consulting develops customized programs for large and small
organizations, coaching clients in the US and Latin America to develop
strategic thinking and effective implementation processes. Services
provided include development of comprehensive marketing plans,
communications, advertising and promotion strategies, strategic alliances
and partnerships, international expansions and representation.

For more information, please visit www.limalerchconsulting.com, e-mail
renata@limalerchconsulting.com, or call (414) 243-0192.

Contact: Renata L.Lerch
(414) 243-0192
renata@limalerchconsulting.com

Social Media Explosion: A Guide

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Editorial and Cover, Home Business Magazine, June 2011

There are many ways to promoteyour business online, even when your budget is tight. However, the options youpick should be based on your audience’s behavior. From social media and onlineretail stores, to group buying sites and public relations, make sure you takeadvantage of most, if not all fifteen opportunities mentioned in this article.But before you begin your online efforts to market your business, focus on yourown website, as it is imperative that your website is search-friendly

1. Your Own Website  Your website is your company’s virtual face —a perfect location to promote your business. It is quite surprising how manybusiness managers don’t pay much attention to such an important aspect of theircompany’s brand. Visitors often react negatively when they see poor qualitycontent and clutter. A well-designed website provides content with the leastamount of clicks and unnecessary pages. It also motivates visitors to learnmore about what you offer as they navigate through the site. Make sure thecontent is relevant, clear, and direct to the point, as customers should beable to get their answers effortlessly.  Products andservices should have specific landing pages featuring photos, qualitydescriptions, and videos. Landing pages should be coded for search, includingkeyword-rich copy, header text, title tags, a unique URL, and Meta informationthat describes the product.  For more information, read thearticle, How to Spring Clean Your Website: Freshen Up Your Site and Bring NewLife and New Customers to Your Online Business, in this issue. 

2-8 Social Media and OnlineNetworks  Social media is anamazing way to promote your business and receive immediate feedback frompotential customers. It is perfect for small and mid-size companies as itfacilitates your communication with thousands of targeted people easily,effectively, and quite inexpensively. It is a great investment to dedicate atleast an hour a day to send appropriate messages, ideas, and comments ofinterest to your audience. They will get hooked on your postings, opening a keyline of direct dialogue. It is a communication channel that allows you todevelop branding and promotions. Social media applications give merchantsopportunities not only to learn about their customers, but to connect with themin real time.  Start with social media channels your audienceis likely to use:

2. Facebook  If your customers are composed of directconsumers, there is a good chance that most of them are Facebook users.Creating a business page on Facebook is a tremendous opportunity to announcepromotions, product launches, and general information about your products andservices. Research shows that promotions are one of the top reasons why peoplebecome fans of (a.k.a. Like) business pages. It is also a valuable tool toreceive feedback. Because of Facebook’s informal environment, readers tend toreact to postings, and their comments can give very important feedback to yourcompany. You can manipulate your postings to receive specific insights. It is aperfect tool to develop relationships with potential customers and business partners.

3. Twitter  Twitter is another excellent channel toconnect with customers and followers, offering quick messages (maximum 140characters) on product announcements and promotions. It is also ideal todevelop business relationships with your followers and the people that youfollow. What’s more, Twitter allows you to track industry leaders and staycurrent with the latest trends.  In addition to creating yourown stream of followers, connecting with social media influencers can be a veryuseful strategy. Find them easily by searching key Twitter players in yourindustry through applications such as twittergrader.com. Influencers alreadyhave a targeted group of followers that respect their opinions. Developingrelationships with them may land you a recommendation. Actually, even a simplemention of your product or service may generate high quality exposure topotential buyers and business partners.

4. LinkedIn  Are you maximizing your profile on LinkedIn?As a business owner or manager, you can take advantage of LinkedIn for yourpersonal and business connections. In order to grow your network, search forpeople you know. Don’t be shy to ask customers and associates to posttestimonials. It can be very valuable for networking and future connections.Use LinkedIn as an imaginary trade show. Update your status like you do withFacebook and Twitter. You may benefit from keeping your network up-to-date onyour business progress. Your new products or services may be a solution fortheir personal or business needs. There are several forums and groups postingquestions that your business may help answer. Post your comments and answers tobusiness needs. Search on LinkedIn for industry-related groups and become amember to be aware of trends and questions from your business audience. It isyour chance to post answers and promote your business.  Formore information, read the article, LinkedIn Profile Secrets: The #1 Reason WhyYour LinkedIn Profile Fails to Attract More, in this issue.

5. YouTube  YouTube is an exceptional channel to visuallypromote your business, and it doesn’t require expensive equipment. A simplecamera will do it, along with well-planned content and production. You cancreate several short videos teaching how to fix or build things, or for productdemonstrations. Develop a strategy with objectives. Create a channel with aseries of episodes connected by themes. Viewers should be able to understandyour message by watching just one video, but embed some sort of hook at the endof each episode to induce the audience to want to watch the next one. It is agreat way to position your brand and build loyalty. If your videos are goodenough on YouTube, viewers most likely will distribute them virally,multiplying the exposure without any extra cost.  Takeadvantage of YouTube’s versatility by posting your videos on websites, blogs,newsletters, press releases, and social media.

6. Geolocation  Geolocation services are becoming powerfulmarketing tools. If you have a physical location for walk-in customers, utilizegeolocation tools like foursquare.com. Offer special deals for your business’smayors, and promotions for your best customers. It goes a long way in creatingbuzz for your new offerings and locations.  Geolocationlocally engages people by distributing rewards and combining friends and cityguide elements with game mechanics. When they use the application within a fewblocks from your business, a special offer can pop up on their mobile phones.Location-based services offer customer-relationship tools, rewards programs,social networks, games, business directories, city guides, and review sites.Other geolocation services include gowalla.com and loopt.com. Scvngr.com’splatform offers a quite flexible rewards program allowing you to rewardcustomers for specific action such as posting a picture, checking in, etc.Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and Google are developing location-based functions aswell.

7. Blogging Many businesses can greatly benefit from blogging. You can writeabout your industry, your products, and your services. Blogging is a uniquechannel for branding, and to personally position you as an industry expert.Blogs can also be part of your website, giving it a dynamic flare. As visitorsread your postings regularly, they will visit your website more often,resulting in more exposure to your line of products. There are cleverlydesigned free platforms such as blogger.com and wordpress.com available in themarket, and you don’t need any programming skills to use them.  LikeTwitter, some bloggers can be hugely influential. They have thousands offollowers that read their postings every day. Having your product or servicereviewed or mentioned by these bloggers can be very valuable to your brand.Finding them is very easy by using online search engines such as Google andYahoo. Make sure you have a good understanding of their editorial policies,styles, audience, and content before submitting your product or service. Yourgoal is to have them review and make a positive recommendation. Also, pay closeattention to their feedback. It may be very insightful to your productdevelopment team.

8. Online Forums and IndustryNews Portals  Forums and portalsare great channels to get your brand and yourself involved in relevantdiscussions. You can unlock deals by posting solutions to business managers’problems. You may also be able to visualize business opportunities orpartnerships. What’s more, by placing your message and links to your website incomment strings, you will get additional significance in search enginerankings. Maximize your exposure, but make sure your comments are relevant.Follow at least the top two or three industry news websites on a daily basis.

9. e-Newsletters  Another direct way to connect with customersand solidify your brand is through your own electronic newsletter. It isinexpensive (or even free depending on the size of your database), and you willbe able to present first-hand your new products, service announcements, and ahandful of useful information to your customers. E-mail platforms such asmailchimp.com and constantcontact.com are very user-friendly.  Consideroffering a sneak peek of your new product or service, exclusive only to e-mailrecipients, or before it is available to non-subscribers. Rewarding yourdatabase will help you add and maintain subscriptions. Distribute yournewsletter issues periodically, but do not spam your subscribers. Make sureyour design is professional, and that your editorial follows some sort of guidelineswith objectives. Your e-newsletter design and content should reflect your brandpersonality, which will help build your brand awareness.

10. Press Releases  Issuing press releases is an importantcomponent of any effective communications plan. Embedding multimedia into yourreleases will enhance the reader’s brand perception and recall, and increaseyour chances to be picked up by mainstream media. There are multiple options ofpublic relations services available for small and mid-size businesses. You canhire a service to write and/or distribute it online, or you can write ityourself and distribute it to your local media. Your distribution choicesshould reflect the geography of your audience. If it is a local business,distributing to your local media is as simple as sending your press releases toindustry reporters’ addresses listed in the publications’ websites, via socialmedia, and e-mail. Be creative and send journalists to customized landingpages. Embed YouTube videos with the announcements and demonstrations. Theoverall content should be succinct, avoiding wordy and long messages. If youraudience is spread nationwide or internationally, it may make sense to hire apublic relations agency. For text-only and multimedia options, you can use servicessuch as prnewswire.com, prweb.com, or mindtouch.com. Less expensive servicesinclude freepressrelease.com and prlog.org.

11. Online Advertising  Keyword search programs such as Google Adwordsand other pay-per-click services are valuable tools for promoting products andservices for a wider group of people. These targeted groups are composed of webusers actively looking for your category of products but are not necessarilyfamiliar or connected to your brand. It is a great tool for brand awareness,and perfect for small and mid-size businesses due to its flexibility to managedaily changes with limited budget. Other online advertising services thatshould not be overlooked include social media platforms such as Facebook. Whilethe audience may not be actively looking for a product or service, social mediapaid advertising allows you to target users by location, age, gender, andspecific areas of interest.  All online ads should beclickable and linked to a high-quality landing page on your website or blog.Landing pages should have specific information about your product offerings,including description, prices, and instructions for making a purchase. Don’texpect visitors to navigate many pages of your website to search forinformation, because they won’t.  For more information, readthe article, Expand Your Ideas Using Google: Six Steps for New Product orService Development, in this issue.

12. Group Buying Sites  People are becoming ever more connected togroup buying sites, attracted by their great deals. They are valuable tools forbrand awareness, or to eliminate extra inventory while promoting your business.The audience is quite targeted, which means that they opted in to receive dailydeals for a particular location and product category. Users sign up to receivedaily deals. Since group buying sites allow you to target a group by location,they open up great marketing prospects for brand awareness, and customizedgeographical reach. You can benefit by providing aggressive offers to specificmarkets while keeping mature regions away from low margin deals. Group buyingwebsites include groupon.com, dealon.com, and livingsocial.com.

13. Online Retail Sites andAggregators  Big online retailwebsites offer a range of services that small and mid-size businesses can tapinto. By selling your products through websites such as amazon.com, ebay.com,and etsy.com, you can reach nationwide customers that are already engaged inthe search and purchase processes. You can also take advantage of theirpayment, fulfillment, and shipping programs, and benefit from their popularcustomer reviews. When using those services, you are providing peace of mind topotential customers that already trust these reputable online retailers oraggregators.

14. Quick Response Codes  Depending on your audience, your company canhugely benefit from using QR codes in store windows, and product packages,posters, ads, and displays. A QR code is a matrix bar code with data and/or aURL encoded. Customers can access information by scanning the code with theirsmartphones. This technology opens up a wide range of customized promotionalopportunities for brands. Basically, you can have a sign to guide customers toscan the code to access coupons, and product or contact information. It will belinked to a landing page with all promotional or demonstration details.  Because QR codes are fairly new technology, you may need to helpcustomers understand what they have to do to access them. For example, you cansay something as easy as “Scan this code now using your smartphone to access…”Customers can download the scanner software for their phones’ cameras at i–nigma.comand scanlife.com. The software is free, and it only takes a couple of minutesto download. Since users will read your code’s landing page using theirsmartphones, it is important to create a mobile-friendly site.

15. Article Publications  Lastly, as an industry expert, try to buildyour professional reputation by publishing articles online. You can indirectlyincrease your company’s brand awareness by adding to the credits a link to yourwebsite. Make sure readers can easily contact you to request authorization forsyndication, and to obtain information about your company. Articles are anefficient way to spread your message and promote your company. Expert articlesmay vary from one to three thousand words, depending on hosting requirementsand topic. Try to publish at least three or four articles a year to build yourexpert status and increase your company’s search engine rankings. Free portalsinclude ezinearticles.com and associatedcontent.com. You can also submitarticles to industry magazines. Look for their editorial calendar — your topicmay fit their needs.

Your Core Message  Now that you are aware of the value of manyinexpensive opportunities to maximize your business exposure, it is importantto think about the core message you want to communicate. Elaborate on theconcept and sentiment you want associated with your brand. All communicationsthrough all media channels should reflect that core message. You have to takethe lead on how your brand is perceived. Once you have established yourobjectives, you can decide which channels are best suited to your business.

The cyberworld is quite dynamic, so promoting your business online requires dailymaintenance. You must keep your basis fresh by posting content daily, answeringquestions, connecting to followers, learning industry trends, and developingrelationships. Don’t just post your content on social networks and walk away.There are many tools available to help you manage multiple social media such ashootsuite.com or socialoomph.com.  Your master plan should berevisited at a minimum once a month. Your competitors change directions periodically,and you need to be alert to any movement. Realigning your strategies will allowyou to maximize your marketing efforts. HBM

© Lima Lerch Consulting2006-2011. All Rights Reserved. Renata L. Lerch is a recognized authority onstrategic marketing and communications. She is the founder of Lima LerchConsulting, and has worked with strategic marketing for over 18 years. Beforestarting Lima Lerch Consulting, she managed marketing and business developmentin large multinationals, covering the US, European and Latin American markets.Renata has developed and executed strategic consumer and trade marketing andsales plans across multiple channels, including communications, branding,market research, promotions, social media, online/offline advertising, partnershipsand PR. Renata also has extensive experience with customer service. Lima LerchConsulting (www.limalerchconsulting.com)provides leading marketing consulting services to small and mid-size companiesin the US and Latin America. Contact us at customerservice@limalerchconsulting.com,or logon to limalerchconsulting.com. Renata’s direct e-mail address is renata@limalerchconsulting.com

Biografia

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Renata B.L.Lerch,fundadora da Lima Lerch Consulting, trabalha com  marketing há mais de 17anos. Antes de fundar a Lima Lerch Consulting,  ela gerenciou as áreas demarketing e desenvolvimento de negócios em  grandes empresasmultinacionais, nos mercados dos Estados Unidos,  América Latina e Europa.  Renatadesenvolve e implementa programas de vendas e marketing  estratégico paraconsumidores e Business-to-Business. Sua área de  atuação abrange planejamentode canais de distribuição,  estabelecimento de metas internacionais,desenvolvimento de  estratégias de comunicação, pesquisa de mercado, promoçõesde  vendas, campanhas de publicidade online/offline, estabelecimento de  parcerias,e RP. Renata também possui longa experiência com Serviços  de Atendimento àClientes.  Ela escreveu artigos sobre marketing estratégico, tem 2 MBAs, e fala  português,inglês e espanhol. Renata participa do conselho de diretores  de algumasorganizações nos Estados Unidos.

Serviços

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Desenvolvemos programas internacionais customizados parapequenas,

médias e grandes empresas. Nossos serviços incluem:

Desenvolvimento e implementação deprogramas internacionais de

marketing e vendas:

• Planejamento e implementação de estratégias demarketing e  vendas.

• Pesquisa de mercado: análise competitiva, identificação de  oportunidadesde negócios e canais de distribuição de vendas.

• Desenvolvimento de estratégias de comunicação, promoção e propaganda.

• Recomendações de estratégias de entrada em mercados  internacionais.

• Reestruturação e revitalização de divisões de vendas emarketing.

Implementação e gerenciamento de alianças estratégicas eparcerias

internacionais:

• Representação internacional.

• Processos de globalização.

• B2B matchmaking.

• Organização de missões comerciais, representações ou  acompanhamentosem feiras internacionais.

• Agendamento de visitas comerciais internacionais.

• Assessoria na obtenção de registros de produtos,relações  públicas e imprensa, assistência juríídica, tradução de  documentos.

• Budgeting e análise de resultados.

Ajudar nossos clientes a atingir precisão estratégica é a nossamissão.

Para mais informações, ou para conversar com nossos consultores,por

favor entre em contato.

Quem Somos

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Com 20 anos deexperiência em gestão de empresas na  América Latina, Estados Unidos eEuropa, nossos consultores têm  conhecimento e experiência em diversas áreasde negócios, nos  permitindo ampla atuação em mercados locais einternacionais.  Trabalhamos junto a nossos clientes no desenvolvimento e  implementaçãode uma variedade de estratégias de marketing e  vendas, com o objetivo deestabelecer presença de mercado e  maximizar resultados financeiros,resultando em um crescimento  sustentado.  Nosso time trabalha de formacolaborativa, com empresas de  pequeno, médio e grande porte. Nossosconsultores, brasileiros e de  outras nacionalidades, combinam a experiênciacomercial local à vasta  vivência mercadológica internacional, gerandoexcelentes resultados  em expansões internacionais.   Clique aqui paramais informações sobre nossos serviços, ou entre contato.

Leiaa biografia de nossa fundadora

Reaching Out to your Audience: Creating an Efficient Marketing Communications Plan

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Article published by Home Business Magazine

Communicationis a key element of marketing in any type of business organization. From smallor large businesses, profit or not-for-

profit,in all segments; it is an essential part of business planning.

Organizingobjectives and how to accomplish them allows business leaders and their teamsto stick to the plan, resulting in

strategycontinuity.

Makesure your communications plan is clear and straight to the point, including thefollowing items.

1.Communications Objectives

Usethis section to nurture general actions that will deliver your positioning, andthe information needs of your audience. List a

minimumof two but no more than four or five key objectives for the period. Bespecific, and try to make your goals measurable.

Someexamples are:

•“Effectivelyreach key targeted audience.”

•“Cultivatea long-term relationship with targeted audience to gain credibility.”

•“Positionthe business as a niche leader.”

2.Audience Profile

Defineyour targeted audience and be as specific as possible. Learn where your audience is located,and how they live, their

standardsand beliefs, what, how and when they use your product or similar, what theylike or dislike. Is there aprimary and

secondaryaudience? List them in order ofimportance, and identify who and what influences that audience. Focus on the

audience-relateddata that is important to your organization. Understanding consumer behavior is critical in order tosuccessfully

buildyour strategies and action plan.

3.Key Messages

Thinkabout the concept you want associated with your brand. These messages will deliver yourobjectives, positioning your

brandthrough all media and points of contact with customers, such as brochures,advertising, website, call center, locations,

pressreleases, etc.

Hereare some examples:

•“Wedeliver customized services.”

•“Weprovide the fastest service in its niche.”

•“Professionaldevelopment courses at reasonable costs.”

4.Main Communication Channels

Identifythe most important and credible channels for your audience, the ones that arepopular and would best deliver your

message. Take into consideration your objectivesand budget. You want to maximize your dollars and exposure, reaching out to

yourcurrent and potential customers at the right timing, and withsignificance. Make sure thechannels you choose are in line

withyour objectives, and that they reach a very targeted audience. Don’t waste money delivering yourmessage to unqualified

customers.

5.Key Strategies and Programs

Strategyis how resources are distributed and utilized to achieve your keyobjectives. Tactics are importantto make the

strategiesaction-oriented. List no more than5 top strategies, and underneath each one, align programs in support. Keep them

organizedwith time schedules.

Forexample:

Strategy1: Utilize Press Releases to increase visibility to corporate organizations.

Programs:

•Developmonthly publicity actions on appealing topics to maximize the exposure of theservices or products you offer. The

informationshould be released by approaching journalists and/or issuing press releases totrade publications. Press releasesare

normallyissued a minimum of 2 months prior to the program/event.

•Combinethe schedule of topics with marketing activities.

6.Budget

Preparea detailed budget chart, breaking it down by activities. Prepare year-over-year comparisons toevaluate results and

calculateROI.

7.Evaluation Plan

Inaddition to the numeric targets, it is important to establish parameters tomeasure the effectiveness of your activities.

Establishstandards of performance to use as a benchmark, which will allow you to takecorrective action, adjusting your strategies

alongthe year.

Examples:

•Increasein volume of contacts and inquiries after key communications.

•PRexposure and ROI by type of publication.

8.Attachments

Attacha calendar of activities and the timeline.

ABOUTTHE AUTHOR

RenataB.L.Lerch is a recognized authority on strategic marketing. She is the founderand managing director of Lima Lerch

Consulting,and has worked with strategic marketing for over 17 years. Before starting LimaLerch Consulting, she managed

marketingand business development in large multinationals, covering the US, European andLatin American markets.

LimaLerch Consulting (www.limalerchconsulting.com) provides leading marketingconsulting services to companies in the US and

LatinAmerica.

Contactus at customerservice@limalerchconsulting.com, or logon tolimalerchconsulting.com.

Renata’sdirect e-mail address is renata@limalerchconsulting.com

Effective & Easy Marketing Plan Template for Small and Mid-Size Businesses

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A marketing plan can be a very simple document with key elementsto keep your growth strategy in perspective. It is a very

important tool for your organization, serving as a reference forall individuals working with the service or product.

Keep in mind that the content should be very dynamic. Updatingthe document when significant changes are made is key,

incorporating important learning along the product or servicedevelopment.

Here is a basic and effective template:

I. Overview

1. Situation

1.1 Trends/Key Changes in the macro environment: economic and social factsthat affect your industry and audience.

1.2 Customer profile.

2. Strengths and Weaknesses of your companyand top competitors.

3. External Threats and Opportunities for yourcompany during the designated period of time.

II. Targets: revenue and volume for the time frame. Break itdown by shorter periods, if your business involves seasonal variances,

and by sales channel, online, offline, etc. That will allow youto track results closely. In addition to numeric targets, try to establish

parameters to measure the effectiveness of your programs. Determine what to evaluate, and establish standards of

performance. That will allow you to take periodiccorrective action.

III. Key Objectives: list here the broad actions that will leadyour company to reach your numeric targets. List a minimum of three

but no more than six or seven key objectives for the period. Beaggressive but realistic.

As an example of a Key Objective, “Increase your online saleswithin the channel mix.”

IV. Strategies: now it is time to start planning how you willapply resources to implement and achieve those Objectives.

As an example of a Strategy related to the Key Objective above,“Increase unique visitors to your website.”

V. Tactics: list the programs that will turn your strategiesaction oriented.

As an example for the Strategy above, “Optimize the use ofkeyword search on top search engines.”

IV. Attachments: Add to this section your communicationsschedule, funds allocation chart, and any other charts that will help

your team visualize and compare results.

When building your Marketing Plan, make sure you include yourteam members in the process, and pay close attention to what

competitors are doing. Try to look at your brand, services,strategies and programs with the eyes of your audience.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Renata L.Lerch, founder and managing director ofLima Lerch Consulting, has worked with strategic marketing for over 16

years. Before starting Lima Lerch Consulting, she managedmarketing and business development in large multinationals, covering

the US, European and Latin American markets. She holds 2 MBAs

Lima Lerch Consulting(www.limalerchconsulting.com) provides leading marketing consulting services tocompanies in the US

and Latin America.

Recomendações Preliminares de Atendimento de Serviços Internacionais: Empresas Brasileiras Prestando Serviços a Organizações Norte-Americanas.

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1. Atendimento telefônico

Éaltamente recomendável que a prestadora de services no Brasil disponibilize umalinha telefônica com um número nos Estados

Unidos.Este telefone deve sempre ser atendido por uma pessoa que fale inglês fluênte,e que já atenda as ligações em inglês.

Istoé importante para que não haja confusão na hora do atendimento, passando umaprimeira impressão de estrutura

despreparadoe amadora. Quando um cliente internacional entra em contato com uma empresa emoutro país, ele já vem com

umacarga grande de ansiedade, e encontra-se fora de sua zona de conforto comrelação ao idioma e cultura, sendo fundamental

removerqualquer barreira entre a prestadora de serviços e o potencial cliente.

Osistema telefônico deve ter uma gravação em excelente inglês durante oshorários em que o escritório estiver fechado.

Taisligações deverão ser retornadas o mais rápido possível, dentro de no máximo 24 horas. Preferencialmente, quando a ligação

forrecebida na noite anterior, o retorno deve ser feito na manhã seguinte, equando for recebida durante o dia, o retorno deve

serimediato.

2. E-mails

Quandoa prestadora de serviços no Brasil receber e-mails ou contatos de solicitaçõesde serviços internacionais, seria ideal

respondê-losimediatamente. Se a empresa não tiver estrutura para responder rapidamente, érecomendável a instalação de uma

“auto-resposta”para confirmar o recebimento do e-mail.

A“auto-resposta” pode conter um texto genérico, tal como:

“Thanksfor contacting XYZ International.

Wereceived your message, and will contact you within the next 24 hours.

Thankyou,

XYZInternational Team”

Amensagem do e-mail original deverá ser respondida dentro de no máximo 24 horas.

3. Follow-up

Oacompanhamento proativo (follow-up) eficaz é um dos mais importantes fatores nosucesso do relacionamento com clientes.

Torna-seainda mais importante no serviço internacional, pois confirma ao cliente que adiferença cultural não vai impactar

negativamenteno resultado da parceria.

Empresasamericanas estão acostumadas com atendimento rápido e organizado. A falta defollow-up durante todo o projeto traz

insegurançaao cliente com relação a qualidade da comunicação e a capacidade da empresacontratada entregar seus produtos e

serviços.

Portanto,recomenda-se o envio de relatórios semanais ao cliente para a organização daconta. Estes devem conter informações

sobreo andamento do projeto, próximos passos, e materiais/informações que a E-Openespera que o cliente envie para que os

prazossejam cumpridos.

4. Proposta de Serviços

Paraeliminar todas as incertezas e preocupações da empresa internacionalcontratante com relação ao serviço contratado, é

necessárioque a proposta formal da prestadora de serviços seja bastante completa. Deve-seitemizar todos os serviços

contratados,prazos, preços, termos e condições, identificando nomes de gerentes de projetoe formas de contato, e deixando

clarasas expectativas das partes.

Normalmenteas empresas nos Estados Unidos também esperam cláusulas de confidencialidade,protegendo seus segredos

empresariais.

Aproposta deve conter as assinaturas de ambas empresas e a data de contratação.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Renata L.Lerch, founder and managing director of Lima Lerch Consulting, has workedwith strategic marketing for over 16

years.Before starting Lima Lerch Consulting, she managed marketing and businessdevelopment in large multinationals, covering

theUS, European and Latin American markets. She holds 2 MBAs

Lima Lerch Consulting (www.limalerchconsulting.com) provides leadingmarketing consulting services to companies in the US

andLatin America.

International Marketing Planning

2011-08-17T12:58:00.001-07:00

Article published by Home BusinessMagazine

Expandingyour business in international markets involves risks that should bemeticulously calculated. It requires additional steps

toyour planning process, but the results can be very rewarding!

Havingsolid operations at home is usually a first step to a successful internationalexpansion. Mastering the production, and the

overallbusiness experience, will give you the initial confidence to attract strategicpartners.

Beginwith a thorough marketing plan, which will serve as a reference to all individualsinvolved with the business. The document

shouldinclude all aspects of the product or service life, from complete research tolaunch, implementation and execution. This

willbe key for your business plan.

Starting with a comprehensive research plan

Adetailed research plan will help you make informative decisions on theobjectives and strategies. It will also help you decide how

toenter that market, whether by finding a local partner to distribute your goods,or by opening sales offices and importing your

products,or by building facilities to produce your goods in the new market.

Theanalysis of the macro environment is one of the most important steps ofinternational planning. This involves a clear

understandingof the political, social and economic climate of the target market. Search for trends and forecasts of variables like

theexchange rate, inflation, unemployment rate, purchasing power, import barriersand tariffs, and important socio-political

events. You need to understand what affects your audience and the industry ingeneral. These issues will hugely impact your

operations,and your business model should make provisions for them.

Next,compile information about the audience you want to reach: gender, average ageand income, geography, preferences,

decisionand purchasing process, etc. Based on cultural background, consumers inother markets have a different perception of

products,brands and related services. This will dictate the level of adjustmentrequired to your line of products and how you will

promoteit to that audience. The importance of understanding diversity cannot beoveremphasized. A common mistake that

manycompanies make is to lump many countries together into regions. Eachcountry on every continent has very individualized

habitsand traditions that you should take into consideration.

Anotherimportant element of your research should be the accessibility of localexpertise to support your operations. Search for

partnersthat can complement your business model in areas such as sales, operations,supply chain, legal, accounting and

distribution. Also investigate the availability of local talent to manage and run youroperations. Allowing for a fast and dynamic

localdecision-making process is vital for a successful expansion.

Thenyou should examine the competitive environment using the “SWOT” analysistechnique. At this time, investigate all public

informationavailable about your top competitors, and get a clear knowledge of theirStrengths and Weaknesses. Find out the

barriersfor entrants, be aware of your limitations as a new player, and know potentialcultural pre-concepts that may affect you

asa foreign brand. With this information in hand you will be able tocompare and elaborate on your Opportunities and Threats.

Youwant this section to be very objective, with clear bullet point lists.

Setting the basis

Thenext step is to quantify your targets. This should include yourtransaction volume and revenue targets; most multinational

companiesuse the US dollar as the official currency for revenue reports. Due toexchange rate fluctuations, it is recommended to

trackresults in both local currency and the US dollar. Create multiple columnswith targets for the year, and also broken down by

quarter. On a separate chart, break it down further by distribution channel suchas intermediaries, in store, online, etc. Detailed

reportswill help you understand market seasonality and channels.

Afterconducting thorough research and setting your targets, you are ready to developyour key marketing objectives. Use this

opportunityto figure out the macro course of actions that will enable your company toreach its numeric targets. Be realistic;

thinkthrough objectives that are both aggressive and achievable. Someimportant objectives at this stage usually involve

branding,product development and distribution channel mix. List a minimum of threebut no more than six or seven key

marketingobjectives for the year. Consider hiring your local manager before orduring this stage; the involvement of this

professionalin the planning process can be very valuable for the success of yourinternational expansion.

Next,work on the strategies and activities in support, which are the means torealize your objectives. Start with the

‘communicationsmessage’, the sentiment you want associated with your brand. Usein-country assistance to consolidate a single

powerfulmessage that should be reflected in all points of contact with customers suchas brochures, advertising, website, stores,

pressreleases, etc. Sometimes a message that is successfully communicated athome is translatable, but in most cases it will

requireadjustments to the native culture, which is why the use of local assistance isvital.

Then,develop the key marketing strategies, supported by tactics and programs toexecute them. In essence, strategy is how

resourcesare distributed and utilized to achieve your key objectives. Tactics andprograms are important to make the strategies

action-oriented.

Asyou work through your six or seven strategies, focus on delivering distinctivevalue to your customers through your programs.

Youdon’t have to limit the number of programs and tactics under each strategy. Keep them focused, with clear implementation

factsand time schedules. All should be visually organized, so your team canenvision how the tactics and programs relate to each

strategy,and how all strategies will contribute to the overall objectives. Bear inmind the resources and marketing funds available

forthe year.

Finishyour plan with a detailed budget chart, breaking it down by activities andcosts, in both currencies. In the future, a year-

over-yearcomparison will be helpful to evaluate the results and calculate return oninvestment.

Amarketing plan is not a static document. Revisions should be made atleast quarterly, as your team becomes more

knowledgeableabout the new market. In addition to the numeric targets, it is useful toestablish parameters to measure the

effectivenessof your strategies, tactics and programs. Determine what to evaluate, andestablish standards of performance, but

becareful with misleading comparisons between different markets. Thisexercise will allow you to take corrective action, adjusting

yourmarketing strategies to be more competitive during the year.

Theseare the basics of effective international marketing planning. Once implementationis in place, have your mind set for future

expansions,developing a business model that can be recreated in other countries, withproper adjustments. And finally, be sure

toinvolve your team throughout the process, and make allowances for culturaldistinction in management style!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Renata L.Lerch, founder and managing director of Lima Lerch Consulting, has workedwith strategic marketing for over 16 years.

Beforestarting Lima Lerch Consulting, she managed marketing and business developmentin large multinationals, covering the US,

Europeanand Latin American markets. She holds 2 MBAs

Lima Lerch Consulting (www.limalerchconsulting.com) provides leadingmarketing consulting services to companies in the US

andLatin America.

Contactus at customerservice@limalerchconsulting.com, or logon tolimalerchconsulting.com.

Renata’sdirect e-mail address is renata@limalerchconsulting.com

Key Elements of a Successful Marketing Plan

2011-08-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

Article published by Home BusinessMagazine

Duringmy almost two-decade career in strategic marketing I’ve seen numerous marketingcases involving different products and

services. A common element in all successful marketing stories has been anorganized and effective marketing plan, which serves

asthe backbone for the product or service life cycle.

Amarketing plan should be a reference for all individuals involved with theproject, including both employees and contractors. It

shouldcontain the core elements that keep launch and implementation in synch with thestrategy. Obviously, it is not a static

document. Revisions should be made at a minimum on a quarterly basis to incorporatekey learnings during the process.

Starting with a good research plan

The“OVERVIEW” of your plan should include trends and key changes in the macroenvironment, from the economic and social

aspectsaffecting your audience to important industry information. Find usefulestimates and forecasts that will help you make

decisions. Next, compile key information about the audience you want to reach:gender, average age and income, geography,

preferences,decision and purchasing process, etc. Your entire team should be familiarwith the details of your target clients.

Theanalysis of the competitive environment, or “SWOT”, should be workedsubsequently. At this time, investigate all public

informationavailable about your top competitors, and get a clear understanding of theirStrengths and Weaknesses. With this

informationin hand you will be able to compare and elaborate on your Opportunities andThreats. You want this section to be

clearand objective, with straight bullet point lists.

Bringing it all together

Thenext step is your numeric “TARGETS”. Include in this page your target revenueand transaction volume for the year, and

brokendown by quarter, especially if your product involves seasonal variances. If possible, also break it down by distribution

channelsuch as online, in store, through intermediaries, etc. Make a comparativechart with columns for the previous year and

theyear in question.

Aftercompleting the research you are ready to develop the “KEY OBJECTIVES”. Use this opportunity to think through the

macrocourse of actions that will lead your company to reach your numeric targets. Maybe you want to nurture differentiation

throughsuperior services, increase online sales in the channel mix, or enlarge yourgeographic coverage. List a minimum of three

butno more than six or seven key objectives for the year, which should beaggressive but achievable.

The“STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT” are the means to realize yourobjectives. Start with the “communications

message”,the sentiment you want associated with your brand. This should bereflected in all points of contact with customers

suchas brochures, advertising, website, call center, locations, press releases,etc. Brainstorm with your team and consolidate it in

asingle powerful message, related to your objectives.

Then,develop the “key strategies”, supported by tactics and programs to executethem. In essence, strategy is how resources

aredistributed and utilized to achieve your key objectives. Tactics and programsare important to make the strategies action-

oriented.

Envisionit as an umbrella:

MainObjectives:

-KeyMessage related to the Objectives

-KeyStrategy 1 to achieve the Objectives:

Tacticsand Programs to execute Key Strategy 1

-KeyStrategy 2 to achieve the Objectives:

Tacticsand Programs to execute Key Strategy 2

Asyou work through your six or seven strategies, focus on delivering distinctivevalue to your customers through your programs.

Youdon’t have to limit the number of programs and tactics under each strategy. Keep them focused and well organized, with

implementationfacts and time schedules. Bear in mind the resources and marketing fundsavailable throughout the year.

Finishyour plan with a detailed “BUDGET” chart, breaking it down by activities andcosts. A year-over-year comparison is always

helpfulto evaluate the results and calculate return on investment.

Asthe competitive environment evolves, so should your set of strategies. Revisions are necessary periodically. In addition to the

numerictargets, it is important to establish parameters to measure the effectivenessof your tactics and programs. Determine

whatto evaluate, and establish standards of performance. That will allow youto take corrective action, adjusting your strategies

alongthe year.

Theseare the basics of an effective marketing plan. Make sure you involve yourteam through the process; it is a very rewarding

exercise!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Renata L.Lerch, founder and managing director of Lima Lerch Consulting, has workedwith strategic marketing for over 16

years.Before starting Lima Lerch Consulting, she managed marketing and businessdevelopment in large multinationals, covering

theUS, European and Latin American markets. She holds 2 MBAs

Lima Lerch Consulting (www.limalerchconsulting.com) provides leadingmarketing consulting services to companies in the US

andLatin America.

Biography

2011-08-17T12:49:00.001-07:00

Renata B.L.Lerch,founder of Lima Lerch Consulting, has worked with  marketing for over 18years.  Before starting Lima Lerch Consulting, she managed marketing and  businessdevelopment in large multinationals, covering the US,  European and LatinAmerican markets.  Renata has developed and executed strategic consumer andtrade  marketing and sales plans across multiple channels, including  establishingtargets, communications strategy, market research and  analysis, salespromotions, online/offline advertising, partnership and  PR. Renata alsohas extensive experience with customer service, and  has publishedarticles in online and printed business publications.  She serves on the Boardof Directors of a few organizations, holds 2  MBAs and speaks Portuguese,English and Spanish.

Press

2011-08-17T12:47:00.001-07:00

Lima Lerch Consulting Supports Local Latino SmallBusines Owners. (March 3, 2008)

Lima Lerch Consulting Behind Launch ofEcoLogicalMom.com (October 3, 2009)

Fact Sheet Lima Lerch Consulting (English)

Fact Sheet LimaLerch Consulting (Portuguese)

Home BusinessMagazine August 2007 - "Key Elements of a  Successful MarketingPlan" 

Home BusinessMagazine February 2009 - "International  Marketing Planning" 

Effective and EasyMarketing Plan Template for Small and Mid-SizeBusinesses

Home Business Magazine,June 2010 - "Reaching Out to your  Audience: Creating an EfficientMarketing Communications Plan" 

Editorial Cover,Home Business Magazine, June 2011, "Social Media Explosion"

Associated ContentArticle, October 2010

Associated ContentArticle, November 2010

The Marketing Executives Group International, November 2010

Testimonials

2011-08-17T12:46:00.001-07:00

"Renata L. Lerch is one of the best marketing professionals I've met  during my career. She is always precise in her observations and in the  way she plans and executes marketing strategies. Renata made a great  contribution to our company during the period she provided consulting  services. Her focus is always on the delivery of the best services to customers, and incremental revenue to our operations."
Flavia Vicentini, Marketing Manager, Hertz Rent a Car, Brazil

"Working with Renata Lerch has been a very enriching experience. She’s  always ready to respond to our requests with the flexibility and  confidence required in global markets. One of Renata's best qualities is  that she will not always agree with your opinion, just to please you, the  client. Renata will act on what is best for the project, and if required,  will drastically change the course of actions for best results. Her  extensive experience with international markets allows her company to  provide strong partnership and means for a sustainable growth,  regardless of the size of your business. My experience has been very productive, Renata understands our  needs and available resources to build our business. This is a unique  skill; she can provide great insights to both small and large companies,  taking into consideration their individual culture, pace and resources.  The results of her work are rapidly noticeable. Dynamic and sustainable  results are key to the current business environment. I’m sure that our partnership will continue to grow along E-Open’s business phases."

Andre Escudero, President, E-Open International

"Renata has brought tremendous strategic insight into our business.  We've developed a platform for viral marketing, and Renata has been  involved from the very early stages. We needed someone with broad  marketing experience and specific knowledge of the relationship  between ad agencies and advertisers. Renata helped us identify the  key components that had to be provided by our platform in order to  fully satisfy the client needs. Renata is a very thoughtful individual.  She is driven by a desire to understand. Her approach is to ask  questions, the right questions. It is exactly this question and answer  conversation that helped us see things clearly and formulate our  marketing strategy. As we started to acquire clients, I am happy to  report, that she was right on the mark. What I like about Renata is  that she leads you along a path toward a solution rather than spit out ready answers and pre-digested recipes. She is a solid marketing professional with great work ethic and lot's of smarts.  Last but not least, she takes ownership of a project as if it were her  own company. I am a strong believer that taking ownership is the  single most important predictor of the success of any professional relationship."

Val Popov, uVizz Media, Founder and Managing Partner

"Renata is one of the most highly respected marketing consultants. She  has provided outstanding services to our international business development"

Loris Tedeschi, Sales Director, Interep Representações

"Renata has been instrumental in helping our growing not-for-profit organization reach its branding and marketing potential. The first month Renata joined the Board she asked all the right questions and created  our very first Marketing Strategy Plan. With Renata's leadership, we are  well on our way in positioning ourselves as the premier Hispanic  Professionals organization in the 7 county region. It has been an honor to work with such a talented, strategic, admirable individual."

Yvonne Brodsky, Executive Director Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee

“Renata Lima Lerch is one of those rare individuals who can take an  abstract concept or theory and turn it into an extraordinary reality. Her  understanding of the basics of marketing and its electronic tools will find  few equals. Renata is great leader and visionary web entrepreneur with  ability to change face internet and social web technologies for  businesses and consumer solutions. Renata is working on social media  strategy and design for Fonseca Andrade Law Firm.’s Facebook and Renata Andrade’s blog."

Renata Andrade, licensed lawyer in Brazil and USA, Attorney partner at Fonseca Andrade Advocacia, Brazil

Resources

2011-08-17T12:44:00.001-07:00

Key Elements for a Successful Marketing Plan

International Marketing Planning

RecomendaçõesPreliminares de Atendimento de Serviços Internacionais: EmpresasBrasileiras Prestando Serviços a Organizações Norte-Americanas.

Effective and EasyMarketing Plan Template for Small and Mid-Size Businesses

Reaching Out toyour Audience: Creating an Efficient Marketing Communications Plan

Social MediaExplosion: Promoting your Business Online

Fifteen HighlyEffective and Inexpensive Channels  

Contact

2011-08-17T12:43:00.001-07:00

For moreinformation, or to discuss how we can assist your organization, pleasecontact us.

Ph: +1(414) 243-0192
Skype: limalerch

Renata L.Lerch

Founder,Managing Director

e-mail:renata@limalerchconsulting.com

Services

2011-08-17T12:41:00.001-07:00

Ourmarketing team is distinguished by our functional, creative and  technicalexpertise in online and offline marketing communications. We  bring aproactive, fresh and innovative approach to your organization,  understandingyour needs and limited resources. Our goal is to exceed  the expectationsof every client by offering outstanding personal  service, increasedflexibility, and greater value.  Our core strengths include:

• Comprehensive Strategic Marketing Communications Planning

• Blog Developmentand Management

• Copywritingand Editing

• E-mailMarketing and Electronic Communications

• InternetMarketing

• PublicRelations

• CustomerRelationship Management (CRM)

• CustomerService

• SocialMedia Development and Management

• Websiteand Graphic Design

• OnlineAdvertising

• MarketResearch

• SalesChannels Identification

• InternationalMarketing

• ...AndMore

  Ourmission is to help clients achieve strategic precision and optimal  implementation.Formore information, or to discuss how we can assist your  organization,please contact us.

2011-08-17T12:39:00.001-07:00

Excellence in Communications Strategy

Functional, Creative and Technical Expertise

Your Overhead Low and Productivity High

We Bring Solutions

We Understand Your Limited Resources

Over 20 Years of Global Marketing Experience

Who We Are

2011-08-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Lima Lerch Consultingprofessionals have 20 years of strategic marketing experience in the USand Latin America.

Our team has a strongrecord of developing and executing a wide range of marketingcommunications strategies designed to establish market presence andincrease revenues and profitability.We have broad consumer and B2B experiencein the US, Latin America and Europe.

Our marketing team iscomposed of proven performers who move easily from vision and strategyto implementation and follow-through. We have the ideal tools towork with small and mid-size businesses, understanding your needsand limited resources.

Our mission is tohelp clients achieve strategic marketing precision and optimalimplementation.

Click here to access the founder's biography.For more information, or to discuss how our team can assistyourorganization - in English, Portuguese or Spanish - please contact us.

The Many Faces of You

2010-10-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

Great article about social media, and how it develops to reflect real life behavior. Check it out!
The Many Faces of You

Source: NYTimes

Key Elements for a Successful Marketing Plan

2010-10-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

This article has been published by a few publications, here is the full article.....

During my almost two-decade career in strategic marketing I’ve seen numerous marketing cases involving different products and services. A common element in all successful marketing stories has been an organized and effective marketing plan, which serves as the backbone for the product or service life cycle.

A marketing plan should be a reference for all individuals involved with the project, including both employees and contractors. It should contain the core elements that keep launch and implementation in synch with the strategy. Obviously, it is not a static document. Revisions should be made at a minimum on a quarterly basis to incorporate key learnings during the process.

Starting with a good research plan

The “OVERVIEW” of your plan should include trends and key changes in the macro environment, from the economic and social aspects affecting your audience to important industry information. Find useful estimates and forecasts that will help you make decisions. Next, compile key information about the audience you want to reach: gender, average age and income, geography, preferences, decision and purchasing process, etc. Your entire team should be familiar with the details of your target clients.

The analysis of the competitive environment, or “SWOT”, should be worked subsequently. At this time, investigate all public information available about your top competitors, and get a clear understanding of their Strengths and Weaknesses. With this information in hand you will be able to compare and elaborate on your Opportunities and Threats. You want this section to be clear and objective, with straight bullet point lists.

Bringing it all together

The next step is your numeric “TARGETS”. Include in this page your target revenue and transaction volume for the year, and broken down by quarter, especially if your product involves seasonal variances. If possible, also break it down by distribution channel such as online, in store, through intermediaries, etc. Make a comparative chart with columns for the previous year and the year in question.

After completing the research you are ready to develop the “KEY OBJECTIVES”. Use this opportunity to think through the macro course of actions that will lead your company to reach your numeric targets. Maybe you want to nurture differentiation through superior services, increase online sales in the channel mix, or enlarge your geographic coverage. List a minimum of three but no more than six or seven key objectives for the year, which should be aggressive but achievable.

The “STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT” are the means to realize your objectives. Start with the “communications message”, the sentiment you want associated with your brand. This should be reflected in all points of contact with customers such as brochures, advertising, website, call center, locations, press releases, etc. Brainstorm with your team and consolidate it in a single powerful message, related to your objectives.

Then, develop the “key strategies”, supported by tactics and programs to execute them. In essence, strategy is how resources are distributed and utilized to achieve your key objectives. Tactics and programs are important to make the strategies action-oriented.

Envision it as an umbrella:

Main Objectives:

-Key Message related to the Objectives

-Key Strategy 1 to achieve the Objectives:

Tactics and Programs to execute Key Strategy 1

-Key Strategy 2 to achieve the Objectives:

Tactics and Programs to execute Key Strategy 2

As you work through your six or seven strategies, focus on delivering distinctive value to your customers through your programs. You don’t have to limit the number of programs and tactics under each strategy. Keep them focused and well organized, with implementation facts and time schedules. Bear in mind the resources and marketing funds available throughout the year.

Finish your plan with a detailed “BUDGET” chart, breaking it down by activities and costs. A year-over-year comparison is always helpful to evaluate the results and calculate return on investment.

As the competitive environment evolves, so should your set of strategies. Revisions are necessary periodically. In addition to the numeric targets, it is important to establish parameters to measure the effectiveness of your tactics and programs. Determine what to evaluate, and establish standards of performance. That will allow you to take corrective action, adjusting your strategies along the year.

These are the basics of an effective marketing plan. Make sure you involve your team through the process; it is a very rewarding exercise!

Mompreneurs: Hire One if You Can

2009-03-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

I'm fascinated by how some home-based-business moms manage to build magnificent empires with little time and basically no business background.

It's hard to focus on a business plan with so many interruptions during the day; not only from kids but also from family members, sometimes inconsiderate of mompreneurs business hours. Even with so many distractions, they still pull their usually limited resources to build their enterprises.

What is the driver? How do they get there? While some are lucky, others are very determined to succeed. It requires a lot of organization, discipline and persistence to juggle personal and professional tasks under the same roof. Immense self-motivation and intelligence distinguish them from the crowd.

Business executives, give these ladies a round of applause, and learn their Modus Operandi! Their ability to multitask is unprecedented, and their team-work skills, simply extraordinary!

Reaching Out to your Audience: Creating an Efficient Marketing Communications Plan

2008-10-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

Communication is a key element of marketing in any type of business organization. From small or large businesses, profit or not-for-profit, in all segments; it is an essential part of business planning.

Organizing objectives and how to accomplish them allows business leaders and their teams to stick to the plan, resulting in strategy continuity.

Make sure your communications plan is clear and straight to the point, including the following items:

1. Communications Objectives

Use this section to nurture general actions that will deliver your positioning, and the information needs of your audience. List a minimum of two but no more than four or five key objectives for the period. Be specific, and try to make your goals measurable. Some examples are:

"Effectively reach key targeted audience."
"Cultivate a long-term relationship with the audience to gain credibility."
"Position the business as a niche leader."

2. Audience Profile

Define your targeted audience and be as specific as possible. Learn where your audience is located, and how they live, their standards and beliefs, what, how and when they use your product or similar, what they like or dislike. Is there a primary and secondary audience? List them in order of importance, and identify who and what influences that audience. Focus on the audience-related data that is important to your organization. Understanding consumer behavior is critical in order to successfully build your strategies and action plan.

3. Key Messages

Think about the concept you want associated with your brand. These messages will deliver your objectives, positioning your brand through all media and points of contact with customers, such as brochures, advertising, website, call center, locations, press releases, etc.

Here are some examples:

"We deliver customized services."
"We provide the fastest service in its niche."
"Professional development courses at reasonable costs."

4. Main Communication Channels

Identify the most important and credible channels for your audience, the ones that are popular and would best deliver your message. Take into consideration your objectives and budget. You want to maximize your dollars and exposure, reaching out to your current and potential customers at the right timing, and with significance. Make sure the channels you choose are in line with your objectives, and that they reach a very targeted audience. Don't waste money delivering your message to unqualified customers.

5. Key Strategies and Programs

Strategy is how resources are distributed and utilized to achieve your key objectives. Tactics are important to make the strategies action-oriented. List no more than 5 top strategies, and underneath each one, align programs in support. Keep them organized with time schedules.

For example:

Strategy 1:

Utilize Press Releases to increase visibility to corporate organizations.

Programs:

Combine the schedule of topics with marketing activities.

6. Budget

Prepare a detailed budget chart, breaking it down by activities. Prepare year-over-year comparisons to evaluate results and calculate ROI.

7. Evaluation Plan

In addition to the numeric targets, it is important to establish parameters to measure the effectiveness of your activities. Establish standards of performance to use as a benchmark, which will allow you to take corrective action, adjusting your strategies along the year.

Examples:

Increase in volume of contacts and inquiries after key communications.
PR exposure and ROI by type of publication.

Effective Marketing Plan Template for Entrepreneurs

2008-04-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

A marketing plan can be a very simple document with key elements to keep your growth strategy in perspective. It is a very important tool for your organization, serving as a reference for all individuals working with the service or product.
Keep in mind that the content should be very dynamic. Updating the document when significant changes are made is key, incorporating important learning along the product or service development.

Here is a basic and effective template:

I. Overview
1. Situation
1.1 Trends/Key Changes in the macro environment: economic and social facts that affect your industry and audience.
1.2 Customer profile.

2. Strengths and Weaknesses of your company and top competitors.

3. External Threats and Opportunities for your company during the designated period of time.

II. Targets: revenue and volume for the time frame. Break it down by shorter periods, if your business involves seasonal variances, and by sales channel, online, offline, etc. That will allow you to track results closely. In addition to numeric targets, try to establish parameters to measure the effectiveness of your programs. Determine what to evaluate, and establish standards of performance. That will allow you to take periodic corrective action.

III. Key Objectives: list here the broad actions that will lead your company to reach your numeric targets. List a minimum of three but no more than six or seven key objectives for the period. Be aggressive but realistic.
As an example of a Key Objective, “Increase your online sales within the channel mix.”

IV. Strategies: now it is time to start planning how you will apply resources to implement and achieve those Objectives.
As an example of a Strategy related to the Key Objective above, “Increase unique visitors to your website.”

V. Tactics: list the programs that will turn your strategies action oriented.
As an example for the Strategy above, “Optimize the use of keyword search on top search engines.”

IV. Attachments: Add to this section your communications schedule, funds allocation chart, and any other charts that will help your team visualize and compare results.

When building your Marketing Plan, make sure you include your team members in the process, and pay close attention to what competitors are doing. Try to look at your brand, services, strategies and programs with the eyes of your audience.

© Lima Lerch Consulting 2006-2008. All Rights Reserved.

International Marketing Planning

2008-01-02T06:51:00.000-08:00

By Renata L. Lerch

Expanding your business in international markets involves risks that should be meticulously calculated. It requires additional steps to your planning process, but the results can be very rewarding!

Having solid operations at home is usually a first step to a successful international expansion. Mastering the production, and the overall business experience, will give you the initial confidence to attract strategic partners.

Begin with a thorough marketing plan, which will serve as a reference to all individuals involved with the business. The document should include all aspects of the product or service life, from complete research to launch, implementation and execution. This will be key for your business plan.

Starting with a comprehensive research plan
A detailed research plan will help you make informative decisions on the objectives and strategies. It will also help you decide how to enter that market, whether by finding a local partner to distribute your goods, or by opening sales offices and importing your products, or by building facilities to produce your goods in the new market.

The analysis of the macro environment is one of the most important steps of international planning. This involves a clear understanding of the political, social and economic climate of the target market. Search for trends and forecasts of variables like the exchange rate, inflation, unemployment rate, purchasing power, import barriers and tariffs, and important socio-political events. You need to understand what affects your audience and the industry in general. These issues will hugely impact your operations, and your business model should make provisions for them.

Next, compile information about the audience you want to reach: gender, average age and income, geography, preferences, decision and purchasing process, etc. Based on cultural background, consumers in other markets have a different perception of products, brands and related services. This will dictate the level of adjustment required to your line of products and how you will promote it to that audience. The importance of understanding diversity cannot be overemphasized. A common mistake that many companies make is to lump many countries together into regions. Each country on every continent has very individualized habits and traditions that you should take into consideration.

Another important element of your research should be the accessibility of local expertise to support your operations. Search for partners that can complement your business model in areas such as sales, operations, supply chain, legal, accounting and distribution. Also investigate the availability of local talent to manage and run your operations. Allowing for a fast and dynamic local decision-making process is vital for a successful expansion.

Then you should examine the competitive environment using the “SWOT” analysis technique. At this time, investigate all public information available about your top competitors, and get a clear knowledge of their Strengths and Weaknesses. Find out the barriers for entrants, be aware of your limitations as a new player, and know potential cultural pre-concepts that may affect you as a foreign brand. With this information in hand you will be able to compare and elaborate on your Opportunities and Threats. You want this section to be very objective, with clear bullet point lists.

Setting the basis
The next step is to quantify your targets. This should include your transaction volume and revenue targets; most multinational companies use the US dollar as the official currency for revenue reports. Due to exchange rate fluctuations, it is recommended to track results in both local currency and the US dollar. Create multiple columns with targets for the year, and also broken down by quarter. On a separate chart, break it down further by distribution channel such as intermediaries, in store, online, etc. Detailed reports will help you understand market seasonality and channels.

After conducting thorough research and setting your targets, you are ready to develop your key marketing objectives. Use this opportunity to figure out the macro course of actions that will enable your company to reach its numeric targets. Be realistic; think through objectives that are both aggressive and achievable. Some important objectives at this stage usually involve branding, product development and distribution channel mix. List a minimum of three but no more than six or seven key marketing objectives for the year. Consider hiring your local manager before or during this stage; the involvement of this professional in the planning process can be very valuable for the success of your international expansion.

Next, work on the strategies and activities in support, which are the means to realize your objectives. Start with the ‘communications message’, the sentiment you want associated with your brand. Use in-country assistance to consolidate a single powerful message that should be reflected in all points of contact with customers such as brochures, advertising, website, stores, press releases, etc. Sometimes a message that is successfully communicated at home is translatable, but in most cases it will require adjustments to the native culture, which is why the use of local assistance is vital.

Then, develop the key marketing strategies, supported by tactics and programs to execute them. In essence, strategy is how resources are distributed and utilized to achieve your key objectives. Tactics and programs are important to make the strategies action-oriented.

As you work through your six or seven strategies, focus on delivering distinctive value to your customers through your programs. You don’t have to limit the number of programs and tactics under each strategy. Keep them focused, with clear implementation facts and time schedules. All should be visually organized, so your team can envision how the tactics and programs relate to each strategy, and how all strategies will contribute to the overall objectives. Bear in mind the resources and marketing funds available for the year.

Finish your plan with a detailed budget chart, breaking it down by activities and costs, in both currencies. In the future, a year-over-year comparison will be helpful to evaluate the results and calculate return on investment.

A marketing plan is not a static document. Revisions should be made at least quarterly, as your team becomes more knowledgeable about the new market. In addition to the numeric targets, it is useful to establish parameters to measure the effectiveness of your strategies, tactics and programs. Determine what to evaluate, and establish standards of performance, but be careful with misleading comparisons between different markets. This exercise will allow you to take corrective action, adjusting your marketing strategies to be more competitive during the year.

These are the basics of effective international marketing planning. Once implementation is in place, have your mind set for future expansions, developing a business model that can be recreated in other countries, with proper adjustments. And finally, be sure to involve your team throughout the process, and make allowances for cultural distinction in management style!

© Lima Lerch Consulting 2006-2008. All Rights Reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Renata B.L.Lerch, founder and managing director of Lima Lerch Consulting, has worked with strategic marketing for over 16 years. Before starting Lima Lerch Consulting, she managed marketing and business development in large multinationals, covering the US, European and Latin American markets. She holds 2 MBAs.

Lima Lerch Consulting (http://www.limalerchconsulting.com/) provides leading marketing consulting services to companies in the US and Latin America.

Contact us at customerservice@limalerchconsulting.com, or logon to limalerchconsulting.com.
Renata’s direct e-mail address is renata@limalerchconsulting.com