The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand out From The Crowd

If I could, I would recommend The 1-Page Marketing Plan to every entrepreneur and small business owner I know—and trust me, I know a lot. As someone who spends a lot of time developing and running marketing strategies, I’ve often found myself getting bogged down with too many ideas and too little focus. This book completely changed that for me. Allan Dib made me realize that you don’t need to do everything to succeed in marketing—you just need to do a few things right, and that’s exactly what the nine squares in this book help you do. After implementing his strategies, I’ve been able to streamline my campaigns and achieve better results. It’s the perfect read for anyone who feels like marketing is a never-ending, overwhelming task. Highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to take their marketing to the next level, without the stress!

Persuaded:I will admit that I picked this book up with grave misgivings. I was asked by the author’s assistant to review the book but declined to do so. Coincidentally, a week later, one of my clients was looking for a way to get his leadership team on the same page when it came to marketing and sales. So, I picked up the Kindle version of the book and promised I’d let him know what I thought.By the time I finished the introduction, I was shaking my head in agreement with Mr. Dib. Halfway through the book, I was confident enough to recommend that my client get the book for himself. Let me explain some of the reasons why I believe this book is worth your time to read.Layout:The chapters are in a logical order that builds from one marketing principle to another while working toward completing the plan. There are frequent referrals between concepts that tie everything together.I appreciate the way Dib starts each chapter with a summary and a list of what he will be telling you in that chapter. Then, at the end of each chapter, he has an action item and instructions for filling in one block of the nine-block marketing plan.Marketing:It is refreshing to read that Dib believes there is no longer (and maybe never was) a reason for not doing the work of determining the return on investment (ROI) for your marketing budget. Technological advances in digital media make parts of the ROI equation very easy to manage. Print media is also much more targeted and traceable than in the past. So, no excuses! Continuous improvement in marketing effectiveness is possible and required for a well-run business.Dib also dispels the myth that print and direct marketing are "dead," or dying. He drives home the concept that all the media can be useful and should be used in a mix that is most effective for your target market. Also, yes, some of the determination of the proper combination will be trial-and-error which is why measuring is so critical.On the target market subject, Dib suggests that a narrow focus is best. We cannot be all things to all people in all markets. Combine a narrow focus with the creation of a customer avatar, and you will be able to create a powerful model for marketing and sales personnel to use as a guide for their work.There are many other great tips and ideas for a highly effective marketing program; too many to itemize here. As I mentioned above, it is well worth your time to read what Dib has to say.Sales:Marketing and sales are very closely intertwined. Generally, the sales process is where I disagree with most sales and marketing trainers or authors on these topics. Try as they might, they cannot seem to get to the point where they stop making the process about making the sale. Many start out saying the right things: “It’s about the buyer; You must add value; You must build trust, etc." Then, inevitably, they wind up inculcating tactics that make things all about the salesperson making the sale. Find out what your customer needs – so you can make the deal. Build a relationship with your customer, because that is what will make them comfortable placing the order. Always be closing.Dib has come the closest I've seen so far to reaching my own sales philosophy – if you want someone to buy, stop selling. People want to buy; they do not want to be sold – no matter how pleasant you are as a salesperson. Today, if I want or need something, I have researched it already, and I either have it or have decided it’s not in my budget. Therefore, if you’re trying to manipulate me (no matter what fancy tactic you use) into purchasing something I don’t need or can’t afford, then you’re serving yourself and not me as the customer.The most egregious sales tactics today are those based on neuroscience. They are designed to use new knowledge about how the human brain works to manipulate people into doing what you want them to do rather than help them understand what it is they want to do. To me, doing that is evil. As a vendor, my job is to be found. That, being found, is why this book is so important and worth reading.Definitions:Dib uses an interesting story to define some of the common terms we use around marketing and sales. “Here's the simplest, most jargon-free definition of marketing you're ever likely to come across: If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying, ‘Circus Coming to the Showground Saturday,’ that’s advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that’s promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor’s flower bed and the local newspaper writes a story about it, that’s publicity. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that’s public relations. If the town’s citizens go to the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they’ll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and, ultimately, they spend a lot at the circus, that’s sales. And if you planned the whole thing, that’s marketing.”As you might imagine, my difficulty is only with the portion that states, you “explain how much fun they’ll have spending money at the booths.” Just show them the booths. They’ll figure out if they want to spend time and money having fun.Bottom Line:As I said, Dib comes closest to meeting my "don't sell" sales philosophy. Moreover, he is right on target with the marketing, branding, and promoting philosophy. This book is the most lucid and most thorough book on this topic that I've read to date. Also, Dib has more useful resources on his website for those who want to dig deeper. I highly recommend the 1-Page Marketing Plan.

This book is brilliant.I cannot decide what I loved most about it – whether it was the superb conversational tone, amazingly solid business advice or that Allan actually preaches what he practices (which happens depressingly rare nowadays).Are there any flaws in “The 1-Page Marketing Plan?” Only perceived ones and only a few. Let’s start with them.Cons1. Give them what they want…The author tricks you into buying the book with his 1-page slogan. And he provides that indeed. But it’s just the tip of the tip of the iceberg. You get the tip and the whole iceberg attached to it.…then give them what they need.And it’s a huge iceberg to swallow. The amount of content condensed into this book is mind-blowing.2. More for Rookies.This book is ideal for people who are getting their feet wet in the entrepreneurial world. I found only a couple missing elements in the whole structure of Allan’s business program. But it also means that if you have some experience in business you have probably heard of or lived through most of the advice provided in the book.On the plus side, Allan has a talent for conveying his points in a way that penetrates thick skulls. So, even if it’s something you are familiar with it still may make you take action.3. Missing puzzles.What small business owners need is a full operation manual for their businesses and the author provides just that. With two exceptions I could put my finger on: there is nothing, or very little, about a vision for your business and idea validation at its early stages. Yeah, I know, it’s nitpicking. 1-page Marketing Plan is dedicated to existing business owners and assumes they have a vision and validated their idea. However, if you cover the whole picture, you shouldn’t make exceptions.PROS1. From Practice.I cannot praise the author enough for his book marketing. I make a living as a book advertiser. Gosh! So many authors, even business book authors, have no clue about it. I need to teach them basics before we can even start.Allan Dib is a superb marketer. His book is #1 in a competitive category and it ranks high consistently, meaning he knows how to actually sell his own book.The same experience shines through the pages of his book. Allan has been there and done that. “The 1-Page Marketing Plan” is not a theoretical thesis. It comes straight from experience. I appreciate this very much.2. AdviceAs I mentioned in the ‘Cons’ section, Allan shares much more than a single marketing tactic. His business advice is rock solid and truly comprehensive. It is also up to date like a few business books are. For example, the utmost emphasis on tracking your marketing campaigns is, of course, common sense, but in the modern world it is also a must.“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.” – John Wanamaker“It should be a crime to say that today.” – Allan DibAllan is not shy about admitting that he borrows heavily from Gerber and his “E-Myth.” If you want to build a real business, not just a new job without a boss (and without a stable salary), you need systems and processes. Your marketing needs a system and processes as well and “The 1-Page Marketing Plan” tells you exactly how to implement them.The business advice shared in the book is especially valuable for business rookies who haven’t yet read everything from the business shelf in the library.3. Wisdom.Allan Dib’s advice does not focus only on systems and processes. His business acumen is enormous and he is generous in sharing it. For me, it was especially visible when he talks about relationships with customers. I need to nurture those relationships not consider them a given. Allan also knows which particular stories to share to make his point memorable. The story of a car salesman opened my eyes to what it means to keep relationships with customers alive.“Everybody is in sales” was another business wisdom nugget I got from “The 1-Page Marketing Plan.”And author’s assessment about big organizations was right on the spot:“Poor service, indifferent staff, and out-of-touch management are hallmarks of large companies.”I’ve been working in a corporate environment my whole career and there are no words that describe this world more aptly.I also liked very much whenever Allan gave arguments about why small businesses actually have advantage over big corporations, if they do their marketing right.Another of his gems:“Word of mouth is the business equivalent of a free lunch.”That’s so true. It’s amazing when it happens, but depending on free meals is not a strategy to support your family or create a business.Firing problematic customers, not basing your business on a single snow leopard, how to give outrageous guarantees and many other wisdom gems were hidden among this book’s pages.4. Storytelling.While many of the things Allan teaches about in his book were not new to me, his storytelling is so superb that many things I knew only intellectually finally penetrated to the gut level.For example, I knew very well that it’s so much more effective to keep an existing customer than to attract a new one. They taught me this in my economy classes at university 20 years ago! But only after reading the “The 1-Page Marketing Plan” it dawned on me how downright stupid it is to neglect your past and existing customers and chase new clients instead.I’m a numbers guy and I was impressed at how Allan used numbers to illustrate his points.Thus, even if you “kind of” already know everything about marketing, systems, processes and keeping your customers satisfied, reading “The 1-Page Marketing Plan” will not be waste of your time. The author’s persuasion skills may refresh your knowledge and implement what you know intellectually into practice.5. 1-PageAnd yes, there is a 1-page marketing plan included in the book.In my opinion, it’s well worth the book’s price. Even the principle that you should have only one place, one sheet, to picture your whole marketing plan with a single glance is worth the price. We are so distracted in the modern world. This single piece may serve you as a single point of focus that will keep your monkey brain glued to the importance of marketing plan for your business.So, even if you already know everything Allan teaches about marketing, customer satisfaction, market research, systems and processes and all that stuff, but you didn’t have your whole marketing plan put on a single sheet, you need to read “The 1-Page Marketing Plan”By the way, the plan is thoroughly well-laid out in a chronological and logical order. It’s a masterpiece. I’m going to use it in my business.

Not earth shattering concepts - pretty common in the entrepreneurial world but it was great that this book was geared directly toward smaller businesses (read: not Walmart lol).And as mentioned at the end of the booked, the focus on simplifying down to one page with nine objectives is awesome! Easy read, good perspective, fun refresh.

Very informative and easy to digest! Author provides great advice, organized in a thoughtful way. You won’t regret buying this!