Integrating Marketing into Your Planning

A: My goal this year is to be better at marketing, because it has always been an afterthought at our store. How can I integrate marketing into my planning process?

Q: It’s great to hear that you are putting a tighter focus on marketing. Marketing is about creating demand, and it’s hard to tell how much inventory to buy if you don’t know how much demand you have for your products. So, our advice is to figure out your marketing and sales strategies before you plan your buys. Ask your team how much they think they can realistically sell and what strategies they will use to meet their goals. Then, tie these sales goals to your buying plans.

This requires a new way of thinking about your business and you may need help transitioning from a buying organization into a sales organization. If you do, we encourage you to check out our TrainedToSell program.
Good luck!