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

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. Cons 1. 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. PROS 1. 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. Advice As 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 Dib Allan 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-Page And 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.

I found this book clear, down-to-earth, and actionable. Allan writes in a clear, no-nonsense manner, explaining all terminology and providing plentiful examples. He has a flair for making apt analogies to explain marketing principles, from hunter-vs-farmer to infrastructure for roads. More importantly, he never talks down to the reader, instead showing great insight into human nature, and justifying human behavior. The biggest benefits that set this book apart are the following: 1.) Allan doesn't escape the difficult questions. He answers them. Much as he writes in the book, he tries to address concerns that his past clients and many people already have, participating in the risk assessment process with you. For example, when advising the use of a shock & awe package, a physical parcel to provide customers with unexpected value and nurture memorable relationships, he immediately discusses the cost concern, and later provides examples of how existing marketer Joe Girard used it to set a world record in car sales and customer retention. Even when I encountered specific questions the book didn't answer, Allan was a quick email away in providing insight. 2.) In simple language, Allan defines difficult terms like Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and even terms that seem simple but involve more nuance, like marketing vs. promotion vs. advertising, and front-end vs back-end. He uses anecdotes effectively to illustrate his points, clearly aware that case studies provide more impact and lasting applicable knowledge than general statistics. There are a few more uncited statistics than you might like, but he always drives it home with an example. 3.) Actionable advice. Each chapter of the book drills down into one square on the 1-page marketing plan, a fill-in-yourself template for creating your marketing plan. At the end of each chapter, he prompts you to think about your answer, and how you might take action on it. Certain things, like choosing a mass email newsletter mailing system, such as MailChimp, are so pinpoint-specific and relevant today to the point that you may wonder whether he would need to update the book in a year or two. This is good, because you can begin acting on the advice as you read, and Allan encourages you to do so: "Knowing and not doing is the same as not knowing." Overall, I'd recommend the book, even if it doesn't cover every possible business model. In fact, it covers the human mindset and human buying behavior, more than specific business models, which is both refreshing and sensible, in that people buy from people. He discourages big-corporation-style advertising reliant on a large marketing budget, and advocates a more direct approach to identifying prospects, staying in touch, building value, and making transactions natural. You can find this advice on many websites like Julian Shapiro, but they don't do as good a job as Allan as tying it all back to human psychology, emotions, and means for growth, with examples that seem real and down-to-earth. He doesn't overdo the A/B testing and measurement mindset, or social network marketing, instead discussing them and their merits and then leaving them in the margins to focus more on crafting a message, and building a customer retention/management system. The book reads quickly, motivates action, and inspires belief that results are both measurable and manageable.

I’m not even really a small business owner, just a single person consulting hustle, but this book by Dib covered so many bases of marketing, selling, referrals that I saw applications to business but also just life in general. Quick read, but powerful.

I was guilty of doing "accidental markleting" for years. This book wokeme up. It gave me the 30,000 foot view of our marketing program and the realization that we need to change some things. Very helpful, highly recomended.

If you're a bit lost in your business direction and need some inspiration, this is a great book. Lots of excellent marketing advice.

Do not let the low cost of this book fool you into taking it lightly. If you really, really want to grow your business without wasting time and scarce money on marketing, buy this book and complete the exercises inside. You will not be disappointed. Over the last 9 years I have paid coaches to help me develop my business - over $56K (not to mention the cost of travel, hotels, etc... to attend training sessions). And while I learned quite a lot about the mechanics and systems of my particular business, no coach or combination of coaches were able to help me develop a solid marketing plan that would hold up month after month, year after year (since they didn't really have one either). So I was always on the lookout for books and courses regarding marketing my business (and I have read quite a number of books on the subject). That said, I am stunned that I have learned more about marketing in the 21st century and also the specific action steps to perform to develop a solid, functional and sustainable plan from a $2.99 e-book than any other coach or book to date. I think I need to ask all those coaches I hired in the past for my money back. It was almost like the light bulbs were turning on in my brain as I read the pages and performed the exercises. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. At the end of the book I had a complete, robust, inexpensive and sustainable marketing plan for my business. In fact, my marketing plan is so complete that I've already started implementing it. I'm a speed reader and I probably could have read the book in an hour or two. However, because I decided to compete the exercises in the book (they made a lot of sense to me and my previous coaches had not had me do the majority of these exercises) it took me over a week to compete the book. But wow, what a week of learning it was. The book is as complete as it gets. It logically progresses from the best definition of marketing I have seen, to walking through the steps and activities to define your market place, to developing the type of marking thrust across multiple marketing legs to attract clients, get clients to trust you and want to do business with you, to retaining and growing the individual customers to continue purchasing over time. No matter what business you're in, whether it's service related or manufactured goods, if you want to learn to market in the 21st century, and if you're willing to follow the advice and perform the exercises that the author Allan Dib provides in this book, then buy this book and you will learn to develop a marketing plan that will allow you to compete successfully and make you money. PS: Please don't tell my competitors about this book. I enjoy the advantage this gives me.

Un libro que uno juzga por que todo mundo habla de él. Yo pensaba que este libro era solamente un bulo, pero les tengo que decir que me decepcione yo mismo. Es el mejor libro que he leído sobre plan de Mercadeo en los últimos años, va al grano, tiene contenido y es aplicable. Este libro tiene que estar en la libreta de cualquier mercado logo, diseñador, o publicista.

Excellent writing. Excellent rhythm. I have read it a couple of times already and I always come out reinforced in my marketing strategy. In fact, what I liked the most to discover is that marketing is not about selling, it is about knowing your target audience and trying to orient yourself to them. It is not a question of advertising, but of product strategy, customer experience, etc. I really liked that the writing style is far from the typical academic book, and is very personal. The experiences that the author shares throughout the book are concrete and always very successful to illustrate what he wants to explain. In short: a highly recommended work, very easy to read and condensed of good ideas and tips at the same time.

ممتاز

I wish I had stumbled across this book a long time ago as it would have saved me a ton of time reading a lot of other books and listening to many many podcast first. And compared to the 900+ page sleep-inducing monstrosity that was our marketing coursebook at university 20 years ago, this book actually breathes life, fun and relevance into the subject. Below are a few reasons why: Know the difference between marketing, adverting, promotion and publicity and how they relate. How strategy affects which tactics to use When to use digital or traditional mediums to communicate with your market Common mistakes that threaten most small business Best ways to kill a business and how to avoid making the same mistakes How to choose which type of advertising is best for your market How to best Identify your target market What to tell your target market Choose which medium is best to communicate with your market How to attract idea prospects How to nurture prospects into customers How to increase value for your customer in ways that don't necessarily increase cost How to ideally turn your customers into your own loyal sales army At the end of the process, you'll have your own treasure map ready to start implementing Anyway enough reviewing for me, off to action!

A book that condenses everything relevant abiut doing business at all levels by focusing on the real fundamentals. A must read

Good book in content and quality materials. Thick and resistant pages.