When the word "marketing" comes up, most people immediately think of fancy ad campaigns and big budgets. They may make you feel good, but in today's economy, most companies can only afford to spend money on marketing programs that actually drive sales leads in the door.

A tightly focused "guerrilla" marketing program, when done right, can help a company accelerate its sales at a fraction of the cost of traditional programs and campaigns.

As the economy starts to rebound, now is a great time to re-energize your marketing programs and focus on Marketing that Sells. Start by asking and answering the following questions:

Are my marketing programs maximizing awareness and lead generation at minimum cost?

Do my website, collateral and PR messages clearly communicate my company's Unique Selling Proposition (USP), and why customers should pick us over the competition?

Is there effective hand-off of sales leads from Marketing to Sales, and am I sure that my Sales team is following up on every lead?

Do I really know what my Return On Investment is from my marketing spending?

Once you've answered the above questions, do what top companies are doing today, to maximize marketing ROI through guerilla marketing programs:

Continuously update/refresh your website and collateral to make sure you are clearly communicating your company's USP.

Build low cost e-marketing campaigns using newsletters, search engine optimization and internet ad placement (such as Google AdWords).

Focus your PR efforts on feature article and case study placement in trade press that targets your customers.

Deploy an inside sales/lead development function to qualify leads generated by Marketing programs and ensure effective hand-off to Sales.

Customize your CRM system to track the source of all incoming leads, measure Marketing ROI, and ensure that every lead is actively managed by your Sales team. These are just a few ideas to help get you started on the path toward "Marketing That Sells."

About the author:

#resource_html#