A solid marketing plan should follow a company’s business model closely and will only be successful if the business plan is well constructed. There are many different variables that need to be in sync for your business plan to be successful.

These variables include anything from the quality of the research being conducted to the interpretation of the research. It could be something as foolish as an incorrect formula on a spread sheet that determines your cost per sale or ROI. It could even be something on a greater scale like an ethical violation when conducting anonymous surveys. There is much room for disconnect between these sources.

A business plan is only as good as its weakest link, where if there is a breakdown in any part of the steps/procedure, then the plan is in jeopardy and becomes invalid. It is imperative for a marketing team to work with other people/departments within the company, so that everyone is on the same page and knows the mission and goals of the company. It is even more imperative for a marketing team to conduct valid and reliable research and collect valid data. This is not something that can be done overnight. It is going to take time and effort; however initially putting the time and effort into a marketing plan will make it successful in the future.

Think about the saying, “Don’t throw good money at a bad idea.” The primary purpose of research is to reduce the level of risk of a business decision. A marketing plan is to support a company’s business plan. If the marketing plan is developed with inaccurate information, as a Marketing Manager I would be throwing away my company’s money and validity.