Do you own a business? Do you make decisions for the business? Then you need to understand one decision that could make or break your company for now and for good. 

What is this decision?

Marketing is defined as involving a mutually beneficial exchange of goods and services. It satisfies the needs and wants of buyers. Now read why this decision is so critical.

Should you hire a marketing agency?

Reasons this decision may come up:

• The Company is Growing
• The Company is Flat
• The Company is Shrinking

Often small business owners or company leaders can get so busy working IN their business they lose track of working ON the business. The day arrives when they must make a choice. 

Reasons this decision is important:

• The Company will Grow
• The Company will Flatten
• The Company will Shrink

This one decision can impact your current sales and really really impact your future sales. Depending on the choice, your business can take one of the three paths above.

So which company do you want? 

The Company that Shrinks:

The leaders try to ‘figure it out’ on their own.

- Marketing is not a do-it-yourself activity that can be learned from a video to get results. Just like any skill it takes time to develop and energy to become an expert.

The leaders are throwing spaghetti at the wall waiting for something to stick.

- Not knowing what is effective is a sure way to drown sales and dilute the brand. Digital Marketing provides a rich array of analytics and control.

Competitors are beating you and leaders don’t understand why.

- The needs are still present for customers, yet they continue to choose competitors for help and not you. Your company has a better product or service and leaders don’t understand why customers don’t see this!

The skills are lacking

- Many companies will hire cheap labor or young interns to fulfill marketing needs. (there seems to be a dwindling pool of young talent in Minnesota) It seems to work but months down the road it’s becoming evident your team lacks the skill and ability to market your business correctly.

The Company that Flattens:

The business has 2nd Generation Marketing.

- ‘We’ve always done it this way’ are famous last words for many companies. The marketing techniques appear to be working because sales are staying afloat, but there is a lack of attention paid to the future and emerging techniques. 

The business relies on referrals.

- With some exceptions, businesses that rely on referrals ultimately face an issue, referrals will dry up. And putting future sales in the hands of the public is a dangerous risk.

There’s no time left for marketing

- The flat company spends time on customers, on product, on training new team members, and they leave out time to stay relevant in the marketplace. Today’s society is fleeting, hello Twitter!

There’s no budget for marketing

- Unfortunately this is the case when a flattening company has worked with other marketing firms, or hired people for marketing and never saw the results, selling themselves it’s a waste of time and money. You couldn’t be more wrong!

The Company that Grows:

Leaders want talent to compliment their team.

- You understand what’s missing and have a need. Your vision is to expand and you need skill-sets to get you there.

Leaders want expertise.

- You could hire someone (The average Marketing Manager makes $127,130 per year) but the talent to cost ratio becomes way higher with an outside firm who’s sole focus is your marketing needs and goals.

Leaders want to save time.

- Again, an internal hire may be great but that person will take time to train and ramp up. (See Real Cost of an Employee)  You understand that too much time is wasted on figuring out who will complete the task and how to complete the task. You want it done now and done right!

Leaders want more sales.

- You understand that growing means more sales. Also, you want better sales and better prospects for your team. You understand what market you’re in, but how to make the funnel better is where you see growth.

Leaders don’t guess.

- You are willing to try new techniques and new ideas, but you want to understand the results and where the opportunity lies. Growing a company takes risk, but it doesn’t mean going in blind. 

At any stage, the one decision that can make a company blossom or bring it crumbling down, is how to handle your marketing. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the everyday and lose track of the decisions you as a leader need to be making. Good marketers should bring your company new ideas (For the Most Creative Ideas, Look Outside Your Industry), new perspectives, new insights, and especially results!

What are you waiting for!