The document discusses 20 questions that marketing directors or agencies may not want clients to ask about marketing strategies and effectiveness. It covers questions about marketing plans, lead generation, customer profiling, digital marketing tactics, website optimization, social media use, PR strategies, budgets, and obtaining external reviews of marketing performance. The overall message is that regularly evaluating and questioning marketing approaches is important for ensuring objectives are being met cost-effectively.

1. The 20 questions your
Marketing Director or
Agency – don’t want you
to ask!
(or that you should ask yourself)
Darren Stevens Dip Inst M, MCIM

2. My credentials
28 years in Marketing and PR.
Bang & Olufsen and Chelsea
Building Society.
Set up Prestbury Marketing nearly
5 years ago – now working with
over 30 businesses.
Have been asked lots of difficult
questions over the years!

3. 1. Can I see the Marketing Plan
that supports our Business
Plan
Does it contain detail on how and
when required levels of leads will
be delivered?
Does it take account of pipeline,
trendline and business we will
“just get”?
Does it breakdown targets by
month, product and distribution
channel.
Do we review results monthly?

4. 2. Are making the most of
all our leads/opportunities?
Are all quotes received?
Are all quotes /leads followed up?
Is the process being followed in all
cases?
Have we trialled different forms of
follow up?
When business is lost do we
record the reason and to whom?

5. 3. Is there any residual
value in past enquirers?
Did everybody who enquired buy
from somebody? Need for a
survey?
Can they be fed back into the
marketing system?
Are there any other
products/services they might need
that we can provide.
When is the most appropriate
time to make contact again and
how do we keep in touch?

6. 4. Do we know why people
didn’t buy?
Back to the survey ?
Did they buy at all?
Who did they buy from?
Why did they not buy from us?
What were the factors in their
decision?
What one thing could we do to
improve?
Would they consider us again?

7. 5. Have we clearly defined
who are customers are?
Firms –
Industry
Size
Geography
Job role
Motivation/needs
Individuals –
Age
Socio-economic profile
Location
Male/female
Decision maker/buyer

8. 6. Have we mystery
shopped our competitors?
Where does our price fit?
What is their process?
How do they package their
product?
How do they differentiate
themselves?
What do they ask us?
What is the follow up?

9. 7. Do we know where
people found out about us?
Do we ask?
How do we ask?
Do we interrogate?
Is the information recorded?
Do we monitor trends?
Do we share results with media
partners?
Do we analyse source through the
sales funnel?

10. 8. Do we have a marketing
“plan” for prospects?
Are their details recorded?
Are they classified / segmented?
What is our follow up?
Do we mix “socially”
How do we keep in contact?
What value can we add to them?
What mechanisms will we use?
What frequency – measurement.

11. 9. Is our marketing geared to
generating turnover or profit
(or both)?
Does marketing have visibility of
this information?
Do we have a plan to set out to
attract the most profitable
customers?
Can we analyse which forms of
marketing or distribution
channels attract the most
profitable customers?

12. 10. Do we know how effective
the different forms of
marketing we use are?
Can we measure –
Cost per lead
Conversion rate
Average order value
£’s order per £ of marketing spend
Profit margin per order
Retention rate
Cross sell / upsell
Do we make decisions on this
basis?
Do we have a system in place to
trial other methods?

13. 11. Are we up to speed with
the latest digital forms of
marketing?
How do we keep up to-date?
Are we using –
Search Engine Optimisation
Pay per click
Re-marketing
Email marketing (is it integrated
with CRM)
Lead nuturing
Linkedin marketing
What are our measurements and
goals?

14. 12. Is the content on our
website keyword search
optimised?
Have we carried out keyword
research?
Are the results embedded in the
website content?
How do we rank on keyword
terms?
What is our ongoing plan?

15. 13. Is our website
responsive?
Does it adapt to tablets and
mobiles?
If not –
What proportion of visitors use
mobiles and tablets?
What is the “bounce rate” for
different devices?
What are the page views by
device?
Goals achieved by device.

16. 14. Can you talk me through
our Google Analytics
Is it on our website?
Are we monitoring it?
Are we using it to determine what is
and is not working?
Do Google Analytics measures feature
in our marketing objectives?
Is our email marketing or adwords
work integrated?
Have had professional help to assess
it?

17. 15. Do we have a social
media policy?
Do employees sign up for it?
Is it covered in induction?
Does it cover work and personal
use?
Should suppliers be asked to sign
up for it?
Do we monitor usage?
Do we have a plan for
enforcement?

18. 16. Are we making the best
use of social media?
Does we know which forms of
social media our customers use?
Do we post regularly enough?
Do we have the right mix of
conversation, information,
promotion and observation?
Do we have goals for social media?
Are we tracking extent to which it
is driving traffic to the website?

19. 17. Do we have a PR
calendar?
Is there a pro-active plan – with
space for re-active opportunism?
Do we know the journalists?
Do we read the publications?
How do we monitor coverage and
share this with employees?
Do we make the most of calendar
opportunities?
Can we create our own content?

20. 18. Do we have a
sponsorship policy?
Does one exist?
Are we clear on what we do and
why we do it?
Does it say what we will and will
not do?
Does charity adoption form a
part?
Do we measure, report and PR?

21. 19. When did we last review
our agency arrangements?
Loyalty has its benefits –
understanding and industry
knowledge
Periodic reviews generally a good
thing.
Keeps relationships working at
optimum level and avoids
complacency.
Opportunity to see what is out
there.

22. 20. Can we sit down and
review the Marketing Budget?
How are we performing against
budget?
What are records like?
Opportunities for savings?
Is balance/mix right?
Does it stand up to cross-
examination?

23. 21. When did we last get an
external view on what we are
doing?
You would expect an advert from a
Marketing Man.
Email –
darren.stevens@prestburymarket
ing.co.uk
Telephone – 0788 904 2345
Connect on Linkedin
Twitter - @Prestburymktg

24. Any Questions?