On Target : The Book on Marketing Plans

It's About the Plan

So you're looking to develop a marketing plan. You might be a business owner or business manager. You might be a marketing expert, beginner, or pragmatic do-it-yourself person. Either way, our goal is to help you get that plan built in a logical, orderly way and accomplish your goals.

If you're already a marketing expert, we think we can still help you develop a plan. You probably already know all we have to offer about marketing strategy and tactics, but we can help you through the planning process, give you the step-by-step guide, and suggest a methodology for channeling what you know into a logically sequenced, orderly plan that you'll be able to implement. You know as well as anybody that marketing plans are not as generally accepted and defined as business plans, so the framework itself can help you get the job done.

If you're not a marketing expert, then look at this book as a practical guide to the basics, and a part of the process of developing a plan. We've tried to give you all you really need to know, from a practical point of view, to develop a marketing plan. This book includes details on how to develop your strategy, how to focus on key elements, analyze and research your market, develop strategy and tactics, project your sales and build your budget, so you can create a plan that you can implement.

Regardless of your background or experience, you want your marketing plan to be a useful document that describes your current situation, states your strategy, and outlines a pragmatic approach to accomplish your desired results.

This book is written by Tim Berry and Doug Wilson. Both have MBA degrees, both have run their own companies, and both teach entrepreneuring while running a business.

Tim Berry is president of Palo Alto Software, and the principal author of its software products Business Plan Pro™, Marketing Plan Pro™,Cash Plan Pro™ and Web Strategy Pro™. He is also the author of several other software products, six published books, and magazine articles. He has given seminars on business planning for large and small companies, in more than a dozen countries.

In 1983 he founded Infoplan, which later became Palo Alto Software. During the 1980s and early 1990s he consulted in business planning and marketing planning to companies including Apple Computer, Hewlett Packard, and IBM. Apple Latin America grew from $4 million annual sales to more than $30 million during the four years he did its business planning as a consultant, and Apple Japan grew from less than $200 million per year to $1.5 billion in sales during the four years he worked with that organization as a consultant. In 1983 he was a co-founder of Borland International, one of four members of the board of directors. He resigned that position in 1986 when Borland successfully launched an initial public offering (IPO).

Tim is an Adjunct Professor at the Lundquist School of Business at the University of Oregon. He teaches a 400-level business course titled "Introduction to Entrepreneurship."

Co-author Doug Wilson is vice president of sales and marketing at Palo Alto Software, Inc. He has extensive marketing experience, including marketing management with AT&T and US West Communications as well as work with several high- tech entrepreneuring companies. He is the founder of the consulting firm Strategic Advantage, which worked with a range of large and small businesses. With Strategic Advantage he developed a focus on the business of professional services, including CPAs, attorneys, physicians, consultants, and professional sports organizations. The marketing challenges of selling "intangible products" require unique approaches to optimize client revenues. Doug developed a one-day seminar entitled "Client Development Strategies" that assisted hundreds of people in better understanding and developing customized programs to enhance their client revenues.

Doug has also created business plans and marketing plans for a variety of firms, including nonprofit organizations.

He has an MBA degree from the University of Oregon. Doug is also an Adjunct Professor at the Lundquist School of Business at the University of Oregon. He teaches a 400-level business course titled "Introduction to Entrepreneurship." He has also taught Entrepreneurship, Marketing Strategy, and Marketing Channels.