THE MARKETING PLAN

CONTENTS OF A MARKETING PLAN

Title Page
Include the name of the company, period of time that the contents of the marketing plan covers, and
completion date.
Use a clean and professional format with examples of the company logo and product designs and packaging
types.

Table of Contents
List all the contents of the marketing plan in the order they appear, citing relevant page numbers.
List tables, graphs and diagrams on a separate page so that the reader can locate these presentation tools
quickly. List the appendices that will be included at the end of your document.

Cover Letter
This letter should form a personalized overview of the document. Highlight areas of the plan that are
particularly crucial to the reader, providing an indication of how this plan will help your business attain
overall success in the future.

Historical Background
About Heli :

HELI Forklifts is the largest manufacturer of material handling equipment in Asia, and is ranked 8 th in the
world. HELI produces over 100,000 forklifts annually. HELI Forklift Group began in 1958 and is currently
positioned as one of the most vertically integrated manufacturers in the global material handling market.

Anhui HeLi Co.,Ltd. was founded in 1958 with the fore name Hefei Mine Machinery Plant- the core
enterprise of Anhui Forklift Truck Group. In September 1993, Anhui Forklift Truck Group established the
company exclusively in mode of finacing. In September 1996,the company issued 30 million stocks to the
public, in the same year it was listed in Shanghai Stock Exchange on October 9th with a stock short name of
"Anhui Heli" and a stock code of 600761. Till December 31, 2005, the total capital stock of Anhui HeLi
Co.,Ltd. were 30.7 million , with the circulation stock of 17.8 million, the total assets of 1.47 billion
RMB,and the net assets of 1.05 billion RMB.Anhui HeLi Co.,Ltd. mainly engages in the production and
sales of forklift trucks,wheel loaders,engineering machinery,mining machinery, foundry parts,heat treatment
manufacture. Metal materials, chemical raw materials (not including dangerous goods), electronic products,
electrical machinery, rubber products sale; machinery technology consultation, information services and so
on business; real estate, equipment property rent.The leading products forklift truck and various types of
warehouse equipment with "HELI" brand are widely used in industrial and mining enterprises,ports and
harbors, airports, construction sites, shopping malls, warehouses, and for short distance transportation.Since
established in 1993, Anhui HeLi Co.,Ltd. has set up the management idea of "transform traditional industry
by the high and new technology", devoting to the research and development in forklift trucks and necessary
components. Also it has been presenting many new products to public such as the forklift truck of X series,
series, H2000 series and G Series step by step, particularly the H2000 series forklift truck promoted in 2000
has the competitive advantages against with the similar products in the world and now is the leading product
of our company with high performance, safe reliable, low noise and etc.; in 2005 the company has promoted
a new generation of environmental protection G series forklift truck, further strengthenes the companys
competitive advantage in future. Anhui HeLi Co.,Ltd. also has developed the green environmental protection
storage battery forklift, the petroleum liquid gas forklift and other new products. At present, its forklift truck
and components products are the most full-specification,the largest scale,and their comprehensive
performance is in the leading position at national same profession level, partial products even reach the
international advanced level. Otherwise the company has the most complete industry system with the biggest
vanishing mold casting production base, the biggest cylinder production base, and the biggest steering axle
production base in domestic forklift truck industry, also has the domestic leading forklift truck
R&D,manufacturing, testing and inspecting ability, and each main economic index ranked No.1 in domestic
same profession continuously for 18 years.Located in Hefei, the central province of Anhui, Anhui HeLi
Co.,Ltd. belongs to the equipment manufacturing industry,and its development conforms with the political
spirit of Rise of Central China Plan, lays great strength on the equipment manufacturing industry,the
company is also listed in the Govenmental "861" activity plan and Main Pillar Industries which is the fixed-
point production enterprise of Military Equipment for General Logistics Department of the People's
Liberation Army.Anhui HeLi Co.,Ltd. has passed ISO9001(2000) Quality System Certifications, CE
Certification of imported and exported commodities, ISO14001 environmental management system, and was
rewarded as "high-tech enterprises" in National High-Tech Zone by Scientific Office in Anhui
province."HELI" brand has been successively rewarded as "No.1 Brand of Chinese Forklift Market","The
Most Influential Brand of Chinese Forklift Market" and was rewarded as "The Key Export Brand with
Fostered and Promoted by the Ministry of Commerce of the P.R.C"and "Famous Trademark of China". It
was named as "User Satisfactory Product Nationwide" by User Committee of China Association for Quality
Inspection Center and has been rewarded the names as "Satisfactory Service from Nationwide Users" and
"Satisfactory Enterprise from Nationwide Users".

About 4S Equipments :
Started by team of passionate people having an unquenching thirst for making a diference in the MHE
industry

Heli & 4S will enter in to a strategic collaboration to establish the Heli brand in the tamilnadu market ..the
business will encompass selling forklifts & warehousing equipments in the TN market ..the goal is to
establish strong roots in the TN market then expand to other states in India.

The Goal of the marketing plan is to develop a road map for strategic success

Brand positioning : Comprehensive performance at Economical price

The 9th largest manufacturer of forklifts in the world want to be highest accepted brand in India

Marketing Goals and Objectives

Mission :

To provide safe, reliable & economical solutions for material movement to customers who want performance
& value for money.

Sales & Marketing Objectives :

To create brand awareness among one lakh forklift buyers/endusers by April 2017 through different media
like print/Web/Radio
 To meet 400 customers by end of Q2
To provide product demonstrations to opinion leaders

To acquire 6 New customers in 2017 with sales of 10-12 Forklifts

Compare your prospects for future sales with either past performance, or a general industry performance
report. By analyzing the industry average as well as your own performance you will demonstrate to the
reader that you can look "beyond your borders" to the competition to give yourself an idea of how well you
are performing, or what general difficulties the whole industry may be facing.
Identify industry wide problems and create strategies to challenge them. This will also demonstrate that you
have the necessary foresight to allow you to recognize problems in the future.
Set "benchmarks" for your sales objectives by using quarterly reports as a way of evaluating the success of
your overall marketing approach. Indicate how much "market share" you intend to collect over the next 5
years, to show that you expect to advance your position against your competitors using your "individual"
approach.

Profit Objectives
Include your predictions for after tax profit for each of the next five years. Relate this profit assumption
based on the contents of your operating budget's costs figures found in your Business Plan.
Indicate how you will reinvest your profit margin in specific areas of the Marketing Plans future activities, as
well as countering operating and start up costs you already have. Don't neglect the future of the Marketing
Plan because you have to defer the costs you already have. A sound Marketing Plan should do more than
"pay for itself" and its activities.

Pricing Objectives
 Focus on the weaknesses of your competitors by offering better quality at a competitive price. Remember
what your own attitudes are towards products you consume on a day to day basis. Remember how you react
to high prices for poor or marginal quality or service.
Justifying your prices for your product or service while thinking like a customer will give you an advantage.
Survey a sampling of your potential customer group and ask them directly how they feel about competitors
products, services, industry prices and any areas for improvement.

Product Objectives
Much like what you would be doing for your prices, focus on the wants, needs and perceptions of your
consumers and the general public. Identify any problems for your industry/product.
Show how you will attract more customers while keeping the ones you have. Determine the determining
factors of customer preference towards a product, like price, or social considerations such as environmental
impact, product quality or convenience.
Indicate the goals you have for quality of service, level of service (speed and accuracy), customer
satisfaction, and your own flexibility to support consumer demands and requests.

Market Analysis
The global forklift truck market is expected to reach $51 billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 6.6% from
2014 to 2022. Forklift trucks, also referred to as lift trucks, are vehicles utilized to transfer goods over a
short distance. Forklifts are largely used in manufacturing industries and warehousing operations. The need
for a machine or equipment that can maneuver heavy goods with ease to various locations is a prime reason
that drives this market. Other factors such as increase in productivity, reduced injuries & accidents along
with operator comfort are major factors the supplement the market growth. This report provides a detailed
analysis about the global forklift truck market, current and projected trends, along with the market potential.
 In 2015, European and American forklift markets continue to maintain steady growth. Chinese forklift
market has re-entered the adjustment phase since 2012 as the economic slowdown pulls down the demand of
 traditional industries for forklifts; therefore, the annual sales volume in the country will return to the level in
2013, but it will maintain its position as the world's largest market.

With the development of Chinese forklift market, the forklift product mix also changes. All along, internal
combustion forklifts occupy roughly 80% market share in China. However, in recent years, electric forklifts
have been growing radically thanks to the demand for energy saving and environmental protection. In 2014,
electric forklifts accounted for 30.6% of China's forklift sales volume, 3.5 percentage points higher than the
previous year, marking the fastest growth in recent years. During 2015, internal combustion forklifts
continue to decline, while electric forklifts, especially electric warehouse forklifts, grow significantly at the
estimated above 10%. Key Global Forklift Manufacturers involved in this research are Toyota Industrial
Corp, Kion Group, Jungheinrich Group, Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc., Crown Equipment Corp.,
Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift, UniCarriers Corporation, Komatsu Ltd. and CLARK Material Handling
International.

At the same time, major manufacturers have been intensifying R & D of electric warehouse forklifts and
new energy forklifts, like HeLi develops LNG and LPG internal combustion forklifts; BYD researches
lithium battery forklifts; EP Equipment, Noblelift and Ruyi develop electric warehouse vehicles.

Regarding enterprises, domestic brands seize approximately 80% market share, of which Anhui HeLi and
Hangcha hold about 45%. In foreign brands, Kion Group enjoys the highest share, with 6.3% in 2014. In
addition, Toyota, Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift and UniCarriers also act as major players.
 In recent years, China's manufacturing industry has stepped into the transition phase. On the one hand,
forklift companies speed up the upgrading of their product structure and gradually transfer to the medium-
end economical forklift market; on the other hand, they enhance competitiveness through mergers and
acquisitions and other means. For instance, UniCarriers obtained 70% stake in Anhui Hecha; TICO acquired
Tailift's forklift business. In the next five to ten years, mergers and acquisitions in the forklift industry or
across industries will continue to occur.

IC forklift
India
Jan-Nov
Jan-Nov 2015
2016
Total 1217 778 56.43%
Toyota 511 332 53.92%
Vamax 170 35 385.71%
JAC 158 105 50.48%
Baoli 116 122 -4.92%
Vamax 2 43 0 /
Dingli 25 21 19.05%
Hangcha 25 15 66.67%
HELI 20 2 900.00%
Trading company 14 0 /
Linde 13 1 1200.00%
Doosan 11 3 266.67%
Others 111 142 -21.83%

85-90% of the forklift market is light forklifts in the range of 1.5T to 3.5T, says, Sunil K Gupta, CEO &
Managing Director, KION India. According to him there is huge growth potential in the Indian MHE market
which is expected to continuousl
The entire range of counter balance forklifts can be segregated into three major categories: Light duty (1-3 tonne
capacity), medium duty (4-8 tonne capacity) and heavy duty (10 tonne and above capacity). , the size of the forklift
industry is 8,000-9,000 per annum. Around 60 per cent of is the counterbalance products and the balance 40 per
cent is warehousing. Rajinder Raina, General Manager - Marketing, Escorts, says, The Indian forklift market
today stands at about 7,000 units per annum (sit down type). Compared with global standards, this is a very low
number. The 3 tonne plus category comprises very low volumes.

Growth drivers

duction followed by strengthening of logistics infrastructure. He states, GST implementation will be a major
boost to the industry as after its implementation, warehousing scenario in India will shift from 'Tax efficient' to
'Operational efficient' resulting into technology and demand in- crease for material handling equipment.
Government's focus on manufacturing is pushing growth. For Chetan Gole, Vice President, Action Construction
Equipment the hir- ing segment is the major demand puller. Almost all Industrial segments like auto- mobile,
chemical, fertilizer, pharma, glass, steel, ferro-alloys, rubber etc., are exten- sively using forklifts for their material
han- dling needs. However in current scenario where most of the industries are off-loa- ding their material
handling needs to hir- ing contractor to avoid heavy investment and maintenance hassles hence in the current
scenario the hiring segment is a major driver of demand in the industry. With ever increasing international busi-
ness i.e. import & export, Indian port infrastructure is poised for steady growth

For Chetan Gole, Vice President, Action Construction Equipment the hir- ing segment is the major demand puller.
Almost all Industrial segments like auto- mobile, chemical, fertilizer, pharma, glass, steel, ferro-alloys, rubber
etc., are exten- sively using forklifts for their material han- dling needs. However in current scenario where most
of the industries are off-loa- ding their material handling needs to hir- ing contractor to avoid heavy investment and
maintenance hassles hence in the current scenario the hiring segment is a major driver of demand in the industry.
With ever increasing international busi- ness i.e. import & export, Indian port infrastructure is poised for steady
growth
and this will be a major driver for heavy duty forklifts and associated equipment like container handlers in India.
Steel in- dustries will also contribute to the growth prospects for heavy duty forklift in India. Sagar says, Since
the labor cost has still not gone that up in India as compared to the developed economies, the forklifts are generally
employed for medium and heavy duty applications. The country is pri- marily using diesel forklift trucks for all
type of operations. Hence diesel forklifts occupy a larger share of the Indian mar- ket in comparison to the electric
ones. With new environmental norms coming

n, the market is gradually shifting to- wards electric forklifts now.

Logistics to Fuel the Demand
According to Hitesh Gupta, Vice Pres- ident, Praguna there is a long way to go. He says, Compared to the
developed markets, we are still far behind as far as standardization of logistics infrastructure is concerned. This
problem is a tough nut to crack given the fact that a big chunk of the logistics industry is fragmented and
unorganized. As a result, it becomes diffi- cult to enforce containerization and pal- letization in the Indian context.
He adds, But on the brighter side, things are chan- ging and with standardization of logistics infrastructure,
forklifts usage will defi- nitely increase. Implementation of GST will help accelerate this. Praguna, ac- credited by
RTITB, UK offers training for forklift operators. With the increase in cargo traffic and overall space crunch,
efficiency has be- come a major factor in determining busi- ness growth and profitability. According to Sunil Gupta
huge spending on ports infrastructure and a surge in e-com- merce are among factors that are leading to an increase
in containerization and palletisation. This is a positive trend for the MHE industry. Says Manojit Acharya,
Managing Director, Jugheninrich Lift Trucks India, Without containerisation and palletisa- tion, logistics industry
will not be efficient and will not grow. India is moving towards palletisation which indicates the growth of our
industries in India. From the last three years the logistics industry has wi- dely spread all across India and now they
are ready to carry out better movement of material with the help of Material han- dling equipment.
Warehouse Industry Trends
Highlighting the trends in warehouse industry Acharya had this to say. Auto-
269T
mated warehouse is increasing in India but not as per expectation. Back up ser- vice required for automated
warehouse in India is limited. But the trend will increase in coming future. Awareness' of IT based warehouse
management solution is in- creasing and we will see more warehouses operated with warehouse management
system. Demand for software based solu- tions is increasing day by day. Warehouse operation management is not
easy in India and we are still at learning phase. With the Make in India campaign sweeping in and GST
implementation round the corner, the manufacturing sector is expecting a boom in the coming years. With this will
grow the warehouse indus- try as well. To optimize warehousing oper- ations, employment of best in class mate-
rial handling equipment is a must along with right racking systems. Efficient mate- rial handling equipment helps
save time and makes operations productive. Thus with the growth of warehousing industry we see good prospects
for the forklift mar- ket as well, says Sagar. Hitesh explains, 'GST will eliminate the need of having warehouse in
each state to avoid CST, thereby encouraging corpora- tion to set up fewer, larger and more so- phisticated
warehouses. All this will bring a sea change in the way warehousing is done in India. To cater to the changes that
we will experience in the near future, we need to be equipped with bigger and better workforce that will be able to
han- dle the complexities of equipment and IT systems that will come into force.
Rental - on a Splendid Growth Path
According to studies undertaken by
Praguna, rental will constitute of 30-40% of the MHE market in the next five years. Hitesh Gupta says, Rental
forklift market is growing at a spectacular rate. Earlier the rental market was mostly dominated by small players;
who used their fleets to meet peak loads in various capacities. But the scenario is changing quickly, majority of the
OEMs have now entered in this mar- ket and are now providing rental services along with a bunch of value added
ser- vices; including operators, maintenance and fleet management. Sunil Gupta of KION is on the same page.
According to him rental MHE mar- ket is expected to grow faster in coming years. Hiring of equipment is
beneficial to customers who are dealing with short term projects with changing requirements. Companies will opt
for fleet management services for a comprehensive solution to their business needs avoiding in-house maintenance
hassles. Leasing is benefi- cial for customers in terms of cash flow and faster tax benefit. Also, customers are less
prone to market volatility with leasing as compared to buying. But, still lot of stan- dardization is required in the
rental seg-

Product & Technology Trends

Indian forklifts market has seen a sea-change in product and technology trends in the last couple of years. Most of
the international players have started set- ting up their base in India which has re- sulted into availability of new
product de- sign and latest technologies. Today prod- ucts are offered with focus on operator comfort, safety and
ultimate productivity in mind. Products are designed to be more reliable, efficient and service friendly. Says Gole,
Indian customers have realized the importance of cycle efficiency, safety and wastage reduction, resulting into
more of palletisation and mechanized handling. This will certainly boost the demand sce-
In light of the accelerated growth triggered by Make in India initiatives and consequent requirement of upgrading
logistics in the country, India has the maximum potential for both diesel and electric forklifts. In fact this is the
largest growth driver for this business.
According to Raina, while the fastest growing range will continue to be 3 tonne, demand for higher capacity
forklifts will keep increasing. He feels that, thrust on manufacturing sector through Make in India, warehousing
and logistics and increased mechanisation in mines, brick kilns, and customised (non-palletised) material handling
will drive the growth in the near future.
Indian customers have realised the importance of cycle efficiency, safety and wastage reduction, resulting into
more of palletisation and mechanised handling. This will certainly boost the demand scenario of forklifts in India.
Infrastructure in India is improving, which will directly help in our logistics improvement. Forklifts and warehouse
trucks will contribute to this improved logistics system.
Technology trends
Transportation of goods on pallets entails use of forklifts at various stages of re handling including warehouses,
yards and stores. As the size of the warehouses grows, the throughput also needs to increase - forklift is the
solution. Currently there are three power options offered in Indian forklift market: diesel, dual fuel (petrol and
LPG) and electric. Hydrogen cells, which have already gained prominence in matured markets, have not come to
India as yet.
Indian forklifts market has seen a sea change in product and technology trends in the last couple of years. Most of
the international players have started setting up their base in India which has resulted into availability of new
product design and latest technologies. Due to increasing competition in the material handling market, there has
been a continuous influx of better technology in the market. Says Gole, Today products are offered with focus on
operator comfort, safety and ultimate productivity in mind. Products are designed to be more reliable, efficient and
service friendly. He further adds, The technology in electric forklifts have also seen a lot of change over a period
of time. Currently, AC drive forklifts is the trend which reduces the maintenance and increases the up-time.
Electrically driven forklifts will dominate the logistics industry wherein major operations are indoors. They will
take predominance over the CNG and LPG driven forklifts for the simple reason of environmental compliance. The
earlier problem had been the batteries which required frequent recharging. But now the new technology batteries
and AC drives have resolved the problem, comments Anil Lingayat, Senior Vice President and Business Head,
Godrej Material Handling Equipment.
Most of the players feel that with pollution control norms are getting stringent, diesel forklifts will be slowly
replaced by electric forklifts. Going forward, the market will gradually move towards electric version and
eventually the diesel forklifts will remain in the outdoor applications only, says Acharya. Mandahr says that in the
MHE space, people are going for light generation trucks. These trucks are high-safety products with higher
reliability and greater fuel efficiency.
However, Raina doesnt see any major growth in high technology product segment as he says, On the technology
front, India will continue to be a mid and low segment market owing to price sensitivity. A very small segment
shall continue to exist for high end/contemporary technology forklift trucks. Statutory compliance on emission
norms, safety and noise is still not mandatory but the user industry is acting responsibly on this front. Department
of Heavy Industries and iCEMA are working towards this.
In warehouse trucks, manual movement of material is now replaced by battery-operated pallet truck. According to
Acharya, now the trend is moving from reach truck to VNA and ASRS which are semi-automatic and automatic
systems. The trend will be towards more compact trucks which can go the highest and deliver a good residual
capacity at that height, he says.
Mandahr says, e-commerce has been a big boom for us as a lot of warehousing operations got a fillip because of
that. Many 3PL companies, which have entered India, are doing their job very efficiently. Many automotive
companies are outsourcing their movement to specialist players. So this is a major step towards more
mechanisation into the country.
rio of forklifts in India. Sunil Gupta states, Demand for E and WHE has risen up significantly while IC
market remains stagnant. There has been a shift towards battery operated fork- lift trucks due to their
environment friend- liness. But, they cannot replace IC ma- chines which have their own advantage in
rugged outdoor applications. Also, there has been a push towards manufacturing of more efficient and safe
equipment. According to Sagar the forklift indus- try is moving towards cleaner trends. Peo- ple now prefer
electric over diesel be- cause of its lower total cost of ownership. Forklift has no longer remained a massive
machine made for a single purpose; they are now going through various customi- zations. They are available
with many spe- cial attachments for specific applications.
On Board Technology
The Masterbuilder tried to find out the scope for on-board technology in India. According to Hitesh Gupta
There is al- ways a scope for on-board technologies, be it in India or elsewhere. He avers, The investment
associated with emerging technologies is always going to be higher and unless we in India start thinking
long- term, we will find adoption of these tech- nologies to be slower than what's needed. Additionally,
skilled and trained work- force to run these technologies is also a dampening factor. Acharya is also on the
same page. According to him material handling equipment operator should be well educated and trained for
the efficient way of using the equipment which will indi- rectly help for incorporating on-board diagnostics
and remote control repairing in India. Challenges in Training
Historically, vocational skills with res- pect to logistics sector have largely been ignored leading to a serious
gap between the demand and supply of skilled lift truck operators in the country. The problem looks all the
more daunting with the in-
creased adaptation of MHEs in the Indian logistics environment. Usually, it is the same crop of operators that
gets rotated between different facilities. Hitesh Gupta states, A Training should not be consid- ered as a cost
but an investment. Once this is accepted, people will start realizing the benefits that a trained operator can
bring to the table, not only from the per- spective of safe and efficient operations but also from equipment
maintenance and uptime's point of view. Hitesh also sheds light on the impact of fast changing product and
technology trends in the forklift market on the logis- tics sector. According him logistics sector has
historically been underinvested and hasn't truly experienced the technology growth that other industries have
seen. However, Hitesh points out, This trend is changing fast. Most of it is driven by the realization that
sometimes success and failure are just separated by an efficient supply chain. Therefore, this industry is
experiencing a surge in technology that is unforeseen and the impact is there to be seen in the MHEs as well.
MHEs now are getting intelligent and more advanced than ever; capable of doing much more than just
moving the objects. IOT and the various technologies associated with it will make lift trucks more than what
they are. These trends warrant new operators to be properly skilled and also make a case for the upgradation
of skills of the existing operators.
Import Impact
 According to Gupta of KION import of forklifts brings competition for the local manufacturers on
technology as well as price side. Chinese brands are able to pro- vide cheaper products. European and Jap-
anese manufacturers bring in good tech- nology while also benefiting on price through high sea sales. Still,
local manu- facturers have been able to stay strong in the market by providing value for money products and
backing them up with effi- cient service network.
Future Perfect
With a tremendous growth already vis- ible the industry in Q1 2016 over Q1 2015 the industry is confident
of a huge growth in the coming years. According to Sunil Gupta E and WHE segments are growing at a
tremendous pace with more than 25% growth.
Examine whether or not your industry is growing, maturing or declining.
If it is declining, identify the problems that exist and be able to change the ones you can. Show how you can
adapt to changes that you can't control.
If your industry is maturing, show how as a new company, you may be able to better adapt to external forces;
better than the more mature competition.
In a newly emerging and growing market (the best scenario), differentiate yourself from new competitors.
Show how you expect to become a major market share holder, using a new approach to the marketplace and
utilizing the latest technology. Identify the older methods of generating your product/service being
challenged by your business' approach.
Acknowledge the problems and challenges of the marketplace you are entering. Use your analysis to
construct a strategy that will put you ahead of your competition.
Look to ways of prolonging the "life" of your business if you recognize that what your getting into is
threatened by newly emerging technologies and business approaches. To advance your business in the new
economy means finding your "niche", or, creating one of your own.
In your market analysis focus is on key areas like industry wide sales performance. Acknowledge why sales
(as a whole) may be declining. Look to national and provincial averages, citing reasons for poor
 performance. Reasons can be both external to a particular businesses operations, or internal to the way the
business operates. People called "industry analysts" have developed a way of determining the causes of
business failures, focusing on the direction newly emerging business can take to realize success. Reference
these professionals.
Your focus should also turn to the local scene, since local markets may or may not follow the greater
industry trend for various reasons. Compare the local situation to the national and provincial averages; the
trends in sales, and the estimated total market that can be reached by local companies.
Recognize the position your local competitors have taken in the local market; the clientele they serve, the
product they produce, the price they expect to charge for their products and services.
Finally, relate your own businesses position to the position of others, reflecting on the maturity and
experience of your business competitors.

Environmental Analysis - Global Business Environment

Conduct an environmental analysis to look at and comment on the world in which you will be operating.
Unemployment rates for the past 2 to 5 years and the impact it has had on sales and the overall customer base is an
effective way of demonstrating the effect of "external" pressures onto your business. Threats due to environmental
conditions (like unemployment, layoffs, recession, high interest rates) reduce consumer activity, and should be
explored in your marketing plan.

Political and Legal

Identify the regulations, permits, insurance, liability, municipal zoning and taxation requirements that you
must follow in order to operate your business.
The business climate of your town, village and surrounding area is an important influence on your day-to-
day operations. Reflect on topics such as taxation, zoning and other factors.
 Demographics
Describe the population base that exists to support your product. Identify the market size for your product,
and the people that make up your product/service's consumer group. Provide information about:
Where they live, What products do they buy, How much they spend on similar products each year,
Where they shop for these products, etc. Indicate whether or not your product is geared towards a specific
age group, with spending patterns and consumer demands. Indicate whether this group is shrinking,
expanding or yet to be tapped into.

Environmental Analysis - Local Business Environment

Conduct an environmental analysis that looks at and comments on your local area and your network of business
contacts, competitors and customers.

Suppliers
Identify your sources for direct purchasing by describing their locations, the frequency of your orders and
the type and amount of supplies you will be ordering.

Social/Cultural
Explain any particular client support or other specialized consumer groups that can be identified apart from
the general public. Describe the spending and product requirements of these groups and the characteristics of
your company that support the product and services they are demanding. Indicate whether your product is
part of the day to day activities of a specific group or the general public. Identify the influence this will have
on your projected sales. Identify your networking contacts in the community, and the overall atmosphere
surrounding your business. Identify the influence this will have on your projected sales. Predict the
receptiveness of your product concepts, and how the community perceives your business.
 Describe the expected response to your advertising, and how this will boost sales. Indicate what overall
market trends you will be following in order to stay current and "in touch" with the public. What special
techniques will you be employing in order to match consumer demands.

Competition
Identify your direct competition by naming their business, describing their facilities and operations,
identifying their share of the consumer market, realizing support for their product and by reviewing the
weaknesses of their approach.

Customer Analysis
KEY MARKET SEGMENTS

BY PRODUCT TYPE

Warehouse

Counterbalance

BY ENGINE POWER

IC Engine Power

Electric Power

BY END USER

Retail & Wholesale

Logistics

Automotive

Food Industry

Others

BY CLASS
 Class I

Class II

Class III

Class IV

Class V

BY GEOGRAPHY

North America

o U.S.

o Canada

o Mexico

Europe

o UK

o France

o Germany
 o Russia

o Italy

o Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific

o China

o India

o Australia

o Taiwan

o Japan

o South Korea

o Rest of Asia-Pacific

LAMEA

o Latin America

o Middle East
 o Africa

Auto sector

Sixth largest producer in the world with an average annual production of 24 million vehicles in 2016.
India has the fifth largest passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle market
Presence of four large auto manufacturing hubs across the country: Delhi-Gurgaon-Faridabad in the north,
Mumbai-Pune-Nashik-Aurangabad in the west, Chennai- Bengaluru-Hosur in the south and Jamshedpur-Kolkata in
the east.
Contributes to 7.1 % of India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by volume.
Six million-plus hybrid and electric vehicles to be sold annually, by 2020.
Identify your target market, describing how your company will meet the needs of the consumer better than
the competition does. List the expectations consumers have for your type of product. Since demands may be
different, products and services will vary between competitors. Quality, price and after sales service are just
some of the areas where this difference occurs.
Identify the segment of the market that will benefit from your product and area of expertise as well as your
approach to selling your product or service.
Predict the sales potential that may be realized by tapping into and holding onto your target market, and
attracting others through different strategies and approaches. These different approaches can be all done at
the same time or be more incremental - obtaining a core audience for your product or service first, then
expanding into the rest of the market. Identify the sales potential for each of these target groups.
Ports & Shipping

118 projects involving investment of USD 7.73 billion have been approved in last four years.
India has 12 major ports and 64 minor ports handling Export Import cargo.
Indian ports handled 1605 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2015-2016
USD 2.69 billion invested in last three years in Ports & Shipping sector.

Food processing

India ranked 12th in the World in exports of food and food products in 2015
Major industries constituting the food processing sector are grain milling, sugar, edible oils, beverages, fruits &
vegetables processing and dairy products.
The contribution of the food processing sector to the Gross Value Addition (GVA) in 2014-15 amounts to USD
22 billion at 2011-12 prices. In 2014-15, GVA in food processing grew by 5.78%
The share of Food Processing Sector in GVA of manufacturing sector was 8.6% in 2014-15
Investment in fixed Capital in registered food processing sector had grown from USD 24.5 billion in 2012-13
to USD 25.85 billion in 2013-14, making a growth rate of 6%
The number of registered food processing units has increased from 37,175 in 2012-13 to 37,445 in 2013-14.
 CHENNAI-BENGALURU INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR (CBIC)

hree Nodes namely Tumkur in Karnataka, Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Ponneri in Tamil Nadu
were identified for development as industrial cities.

Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC) has been designated as nodal
agency to take over the project work of the CBIC region. The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Consultants
are being appointed by them for undertaking EIA studies.

Selection of Consultants for Detailed Master Planning and Preliminary Engineering for Poneri Node in
Tamil Nadu and Krishnapatnam Node in Andhra Pradesh is in progress.

The draft of Shareholders Agreement (SHA) and State Support Agreement (SSA) has been shared with State
Governments. Institutional structure for Ponneri node in Tamil Nadu and Krishnapatnam node in Andhra Pradesh is
being finalised.
Key Customer expectations 1

Lower costs

Dvelop annual cost savings measures, says Jason Milligan, vice president and general manager of the Mobile Equipment, Our
goal is to find ways to help them become more productive using our equipment, our parts and our services, specifically by
suggesting savings opportunities as we discover them within their operation. These suggestions include maintenance and
operational improvements, facility changes, material flow and operator education as well.

We meet with some customers monthly or quarterly to review their fleet and advise on process improvement or replacement.
We can cut the angle down on non-forecasted expenses.

Financing flexibility is another key desire, considering the economic insecurity many business people still feel.

Customers are looking for more flexible options in acquiring equipment other than straight purchases or the traditional leasing
options, says James Wilcox, president of Raymond Handling Solutions (www.raymondhandlingsolutions.com), a Raymond
Sales and

That often means leaving maintenance to the distributor as well.

Along with the continued reliance on fair market value leases to ensure repeat business due to lease terminations and new
replacements, we work very closely with our customers on total fleet maintenance and utilization,s. We can help reduce our
customers overall cost of ownership by reducing maintenance cost, many times by use of guaranteed full maintenance (GFM)
and by increasing equipment productivity and improving utilization. Sometimes it comes down to reducing their fleets to meet
actual demand as opposed to having trucks there because they think they need them.

Service is expanding beyond lift truck upkeep to designing the right work environment for that equipment.

But business changes also require maintaining a flexible and capable staff and distributors are adding human resource
development to their responsibilities.

Dealerships that demonstrate the ability to address challenges such as energy consumption and safety and environmental
concerns can mitigate customer price objections by solving broader issues,

These broadening services are a reflection of the fact that the purchasing decision is rising in many organizations, and
therefore, so are customer expectations. But that can also lead to unrealistic expectations as well, and distributors must be
careful about adjusting their offerings to those buying influences.

OSHA is a little more active in a down economy, he says. One company this month spent over $8,000.00 in parts to get back
in compliance. That did not include the fines they were assessed. Customers who stop complying with the OSHA safety
standards are exposing employees to dangers and also litigation cost.

Those hazards may increase as staffs get leaner and workloads get heavier.

.
In California, the driving request is still Green Technology, says JM Equipments Audie Burgan. [For managers of IC fleets,]
the initial shock of acquisition of electric power has to be followed up with a detailed comparison of the long term benefits and
cost savings. There is still a huge fear among IC users that have little or no experience with electric power.

Training and education will not only diminish those fears, but distributors are making the point that the resulting improvement
in productivity and safety will contribute to ROI. But its not enough to trust that such training has been effective, particularly
where safety is concerned.

More than 70 percent of the cost of operating a lift truck over its life is in the operator and customers are looking for ways to
reallocate their employees or at least track what each piece of equipment and each operator is doing during the course of a
shift.

So, in a strange way, economic hard times have forced companies to improve their operations.

Instead of sourcing the fastest forklift to get their products from point A to point B, they are looking for the most efficient
process. The economic downturn forced many companies to reevaluate their order fulfillment processes to reduce cost. As a
result many of them found that reducing cost did not have to mean their productivity would suffer, in fact it can increase.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis

Strengths
List the strengths of your business approach such as cost effectiveness, service quality and customer loyalty.
List other assets of your operations such as flexibility, innovativeness, response to external pressures,
creativity and company stability.
Relate your experience (professionalism, duration and diversity) and the contacts you have made in all areas
of your businesses operations - from suppliers to clients, government officials to business professionals.

Weaknesses
Describe the areas of weakness in your company's operations, such as government policies and procedures,
and management inexperience.
Capital financing, credit, loans and other financial debts should be identified, with strategies to control their
effect on your business.
Recognize the limited impact of a new product on the market - its lack of recognition may be attributed to
the companies inexperience in promoting.
Recognize that poor performance will mean lower than expected profits - which will result in a lot of the
money going to reduce debts rather than improving business facilities, operations and expanding markets.

Opportunities
Examine how proper timing, as well as other factors such as your company's innovativeness, may improve
your business's chances of success.
Use tools such as customer surveys to emphasize the need for product quality and after sales service.
Relate your company's focus to a segment of the present market that is being overlooked.
 Threats
List the external threats to your business' success, such a existing and newly emerging competitors,
performance of the overall economy, and your dependency on other businesses such as suppliers, retailers
and distributors for market access and support.

Marketing Focus
AVALA Solution

AVALA partnered with Toyota Forklifts to implement an enterprise-level customer lifecycle and lead nurturing
program from concept to execution. Utilizing the power of Aimbase Marketing Automation and AVALAs lifecycle
marketing strategists, a total of 18 customer nurture paths and over 450 email communications were created. Each
nurture path was strategically designed with their own unique set of variables, such as customer type and product
interest, and ranged from 30 days to 300 days depending on the lead source. To create a personalized experience
for prospects, all emails were customized with dynamic content tailored to their specific product interests. This
strategy allowed Toyota Forklifts to create relevant content that was focused on driving prospects further down the
sales-funnel.

To attract the right B2B customers, Toyota Forklifts engaged AVALAs digital strategy team to manage all national
database management and digital media efforts. The engagement began with a digital audit based on over 200
qualitative and quantitative factors, which identified Toyota Forklifts digital marketing strengths and weaknesses
relative to the competition. Armed with these key insights, the AVALA digital strategy team was able to implement
a database enhancement program and paid media strategy focused on driving traffic to toyotaforklifts.com.

Product or Service :

HELI Forklifts is the largest manufacturer of material handling equipment in Asia, and is ranked 8th in the
world. HELI produces over 100,000 forklifts annually.

HELI Pneumatic Forklifts H Series 3000 7000# Capacities

LPG, Gas, Dual Fuel, Diesel Engine Options: GM 3.0, Mitsubishi 2.4, Kubota V3600 CARB Tier IV
Compliant Tire Options: Air or Solid, Single or Dual Sideshift: Integral or Hang-on Deluxe Weight
Adjustable Suspension Seat Light & Mirror Package

HELI Pneumatic Forklifts G Series 5000 6000# Capacities

LPG, Gas, Dual Fuel, Diesel Engine Options: GM 3.0, Mitsubishi 2.4, Kubota V3600 CARB Tier IV
Compliant Tire Options: Air or Solid, Single or Dual Sideshift: Integral or Hang-on Deluxe Weight
Adjustable Suspension Seat Light & Mirror Package Ergonomic Design Quick Lift Speed Seat-Deck
Mounted Controls Vibration Dampening Improved Noise Reduction
HELI Pneumatic Forklifts H Series 8000 10,000# Capacities
 LPG, Gas, Dual Fuel, Diesel Engine Options: GM 4.3, Mitsubishi S6S, Perkins CARB Tier IV
Compliant Tire Options: Air or Solid, Single or Dual Sideshift: Integral or Hang-on Deluxe Weight
Adjustable Suspension Seat Light & Mirror Package
HELI Pneumatic Forklifts G Series 11,000 15,400# Capacities
LPG, Gas, Dual Fuel, Diesel Engine Options: GM 4.3, Cummins 4.5, Mitsubishi S6S, Perkins CARB
Tier IV Compliant Tire Options: Dual Drive, Air or Solid Sideshift: Integral or Hang-on Fork Positioner
Hydraulic Brake Accumulator (Std.) Deluxe Weight Adjustable Suspension Seat Light & Mirror Package
Ergonomic Design Quick Lift Speed Vibration Dampening

HELI Sit-Down Electric Forklifts 3000 7000# Capacities

3 Wheel (3000-4000# Capacity) 4 Wheel (4000-7000# Capacity) 48 Volt (3000-5000# Capacity) 80
Volt (6000-7000# Capacity) Curtis or Zapi Controller AC Drive Motor/ DC Pump Motor Tire Option:
Warehouse or Pneumatic Sideshift: Integral or Hang-on Deluxe Weight Adjustable Suspension Seat Light
& Mirror Package
HELI Walk-Behind Electric Forklifts 3000 4500# Capacities
24 Volt Curtis and Mosfet Controller DC Drive Motor (3000# Pallet Jack) AC Drive Motor (4500#
Pallet Jack & Stacker) Industrial Wet Cell or Maintenance Free Batteries Built-In Charger Available Power
Steering Offset Drive Unit Four Point Stance Easy Access
Competition :
SWOT Analysis of Competition
Linde Material Handling GmbH

Linde Material Handling GmbH, a company in the KION Group, is one of the leading global manufacturers of
forklift trucks and warehouse technology devices, and is the market leader in Europe. It is also transparent and well
established in South Africa in the Africa region.

The company also offers expert advice to external customers for various applications, following many decades of
experience in developing and producing electrical drive systems.

As an internationally active company, they maintain production and assembly plants in all key regions worldwide,
as well as a global sales and service network with representatives in more than 100 countries. In the 2011 financial
year, Linde Material Handling employed around 13,800 members of staff and achieved sales of EUR 2.86 billion.
The characteristics that make Linde unique in world markets today are the twopedal Hydrostatic Drive System.

They have a wide variety of products and serve customers from delicate foodstuffs and medical supplies to extreme
operating conditions such as brick fields; mines; smelting plants, with special heat resistant components fitted to
these units; to the largest of our range of full container handlers.

The electronic control of the hydrostatic and working hydraulic system optimizes driving based on the huge
success of Lindes renowned hydrostatic drives. (Less moving parts than a traditional transmission).

This system is now used in the range of forklifts up to 16ton capacity, given optimum sensitivity and power in their
operation thereby assuring controlled performances, less pallet damage; a definite saving on operational and
maintenance costs, from just a touch of a lever away.

Ergonomics offers a Linde product which is designed around the driver. Depending on the application; with an
engine running within the optimum range of rpm at all times, one is assured of long life and low maintenance costs,
due to the elimination of conventional mechanical consumable parts. This is complimented by less downtime as it
reduces the time to do the same job (on a twin pedal hydrostatic Linde Forklift) by up to 20%.
New products include: 2, 5 3, 5 ton forklift now fitted with an oil cooled Deutz diesel engine, P30C and P50C
ride on compact tow tractors with 3ton and 5ton capacities, 386 Electric Forklift 1,2 to 2,0ton; energy efficient
truck using power and has the optional battery side change facility, Linde Load Control for more precise finger tip
load handling, C90 (supersedes the C80) can handle more than one container at a time and can stack 12 ft and 40
ft empty containers 7 high, CiTi One Lindes latest innovation which is an electric powered pallet jack. Features
include coping with different surfaces; low noise level; multifunction display; traction system; energy (compact
and interchangeable batteries);controls; braking and CAN-Bus communication and 387/388 their latest 2,0
4,8ton electric range of forklifts.

At the start of March, Linde Material Handling launched its new generation of Linde reach trucks, which
encompasses models R14 to R20 for a load range of 1.4 to 2 tons.

With their compact, maneuverable design, the new trucks enable an even more productive flow of goods into the
warehouse, as a whole host of new technical solutions make the trucks more comfortable, more powerful, safer and
easier to service. The considerably wider range of models for mast/chassis/battery combinations and the optional
features allow customer-specific solutions to be derived from series production.
ACE manufactures about 4,000 cranes, 5,000 tractors and 1,000 forklifts. Currently, ACE offers 1-3 tonne capacity
fully AC and DC drive electric forklifts, 1.5-35 tonne diesel forklifts and 2-3 tonne dual fuel forklifts. Our light
duty forklift trucks are considered to be the most fuel efficient forklift and offers 30-40 per cent more fuel
efficiency than the competition, claims Gole. ACE engines offered in this range of equipment are compact in size,
fuel efficient and service friendly. ACE engine on 2 tonne and 3 tonne diesel forklift has directly mounted
hydraulic pump which improves hydraulic system efficiency by reduced transmission loss.

Clark material handling international

As the inventor of the forklift truck, Clark has been operating since 2003 as Clark Material Handling International
under the ownership of South Korean conglomerate Young An Hat Company (headquarters in Bucheon).

The family enterprise, headed by Chairman Sung Hak Baik, has established sustainability as a guideline for
business in all of its Group segments (clothing / telecommunications / automotive / hotel industry / materials
handling) and has invested millions of dollars on research in each business segment.
Since inventing the first forklift truck, Clark have made a significant contribution towards the industrial
development of the last century and have an outstanding product, an excellent reputation in the market and first
class after sales support.

The turnover of the Young An group in 2011 amounted to USD 2.3 billion of which around USD 850 million was
attributable to Clark, chaired by CEO Seung Soo Baik.

Clark forklifts are renowned for high strength, high performance, simplicity, flexibility and low total cost of
ownership.

In a study and survey of 1,300 logistics experts by the US trade journal Modern Materials Handling, Clark came
number one in the category price-performance ratio. Clark with its motto(Built to last) produced its 1,000,000th
forklift back in 1997.

Clark electric forklifts with innovative AC technology (48 V/80 V) cover load capacities from 1.25 to 5 tones. In
the traditionally strong diesel and LPG forklift segment, Clark also serves a broad range of applications in the
capacity range of 1.5 to 8.0 tones. Clark also supports applications in warehousing technology through electrical
equipment such as three-wheeled tow tractors, pedestrian stackers as well as reach trucks.
Clark forklifts have maximum flexibility enabling a properly trained mechanic to completely customize operating
parameters to the operators preferences, such as acceleration/deceleration rate, maximum speed (individually for
forward and reverse).

These forklifts also have nested upright rails that provide positive rail interlock and a narrow profile to maximize
visibility through the upright. The overhead guard safety bars run parallel to the operators line of sight resulting in
a clear, unobstructed view above head height.

All Clark forklifts are 98% engineered for extreme environments; the high performance two-stage air filter system
removes 98% of incoming dust and debris before it enters the main engine filter, making Clark machines ideal for
dusty applications.

Anhui HeLi Co. Ltd

Anhui HeLi Co. Ltd founded in 1958 is mainly engaged in R&D and manufacturing of industrial vehicles,
construction machinery and key components. At present, Anhui HELI is the R&D, manufacture and export base of
industrial vehicles with largest scale, the most complete industry chain, and the best comprehensive and economic
performance in China, it is the only listed company in Chinese forklift industry.
So far, HELI annual output of forklift trucks are 100,000 sets, that of casting pieces are 200,000t, oil cylinders are
600,000 pieces and steering axles are 100,000 sets, and has corresponding capabilities of blanking, metal
processing, coating, assembling and testing.

The leading products of Anhui HELI is the HELI brand series forklift trucks, all online products of total 1700
models and 512 kinds have independent intellectual property rights, the products comprehensive performance is in
the leading position at national level, and reaches international advanced level.

HELI comes to world rank no. 8 by American professional magazine MMH and also be the no. 1 forklift brand
in china for 22years. HELI developed very widely business line in overseas market and HELI trademark is
registered in 55pcs countries already.

Now HELI is becoming one of the leading forklifts manufacturer and world famous brand. Next goal by HELI is
world top 5.

There products include Internal Combustion Forklifts which has various series such as G Series, H2000 Series and
the K Series.
The Electric Forklifts which has the four wheels and three wheel forklifts. They also o9and anode transport vehicle.

Identify your product or service by what it is, who will buy it, how much they will pay for it and how much
it will cost for you to produce it, why a consumer demand exists for your product, and where your product
sits in comparison to similar products/services now available.
Describe the marketplace rationale for the differences between your product and a competitors. Look at
quality, price, new ideas/approaches, and how your product appeals to a specific customer base - both
existing customers and new customers you hope to attract to the market.
Be specific about how your product/service improves upon those already existing, your use of quality
control, post purchase evaluation (and how you will obtain feedback) and the scope of service you will
provide: responsibilities, liabilities and expectations.

Location
Identify the location of your business, why it is located there (strategic, competitive, economic objectives),
your expected methods of distribution, and timing objectives.
Different products have different shelf lives and your estimation of how long your product will remain on the
shelf is an important one.

Promotion

1.Create a SEO optimized user friendly website that is professional easy to navigate
 2.Video Marketing :
If a picture is worth a thousand words then a video is worth a million.
Create a video of popular and best Heli forklift models
Landing pages that include a video see conversions increase by 82%

Video has shown to increase email click-through rates by 200-300%

Facebook users consume over 100 MILLION hours of video daily

4x as many consumers would rather watch a video about a product or company than read about the same
topic

Companies with video content see 41% more traffic compared to those who lack video

Snapchat boasts more than 100 million users

4 Ideas for Increasing Customers

In order to beat your competition, you have to see what they are specifically doing. Here are the top 4 things that
folks in our industry is doing and the details on how you can take it one step further to give yourself the
competitive advantage you want and need.

1. Killer Database. Your list of customers is literally a gold mine. On average it takes 5 times more money, energy
and resources to find a new customer than keeping one. For example sake, if you own a forklift business, a lifetime
value of one of your customer can be roughly hundreds of thousands of dollars (equipment sales, parts, service,
rentals and referrals). If you implement a CRM system that tells you how often there are issues, how often your
account management rep reaches out to them, how often you keep in front of them with newsletters, cards, offers
and such you are really making it difficult for the competition to get in.

2. Laser-focused approach. As they say, If you dont know where you are going, any road will get you there.
However if you know what you want and the kind of customers you want, then put together a plan. A solid
marketing plan where you have everyone involved in getting your ideal customer will dramatically increase your
chances in winning that business. Have your sales and marketing team work together so that the President, Director
of Operations, General Manager and Plant Manager of your ideal customer can see the benefits of working with
your organization. With a focus and planning, you will dramatically increase your chances of winning the
customers youve always dreamed of.

3. Consistent marketing. Guess how many times your messages need to be sent before a prospect considers
working with you? About 10 times or more. Take a moment and put yourself in your prospects shoes; they are
crazy busy people, they have too much work and too little time. They probably work late at night while the kids are
in bed and the last thing they need is another sales pitch. They need solutions that will make their lives easier.
Marketing strategies that work are consistent and come in all forms of media (from telemarketing, email, direct
mail, video and etc.), but regardless of the media, it is pertinent to consistently stay in front of the prospect with
some really great features, benefits and offers in your messages.

4. Lead Nurturing. When you have leads coming in, what do you usually do? Most of the time we have sales
people call to follow up and leave it at that. If you have a killer database, youll discover that your costly leads
are getting an average 2 left voice messages and maybe 2 follow up emails. After that, we say its a bad lead.
The truth is, 70% of these leads end up buying sooner or later. A lot of Materials Handling companies are now
putting the time and effort to nurture these leads so that they get the best ROI. It costs a lot of money to get
someone interested enough to call you or fill out your online web form the last thing you want to do is waste that
money and effort. Your competition is nurturing their leads and making every marketing dollar worth it.

Create Kick-Ass Content

If you have read anything about inbound or content marketing you have likely heard the overused phrase content
is king. While it may be overused, when it comes to inbound marketing, its pretty spot on. Content is the meat
that will attract your buyers. It is what Google uses to search for keywords and drive users to your site and what
buyers use to glean information and knowledge about their problem as they move through the buyers journey.
Content is all of the written words used to convey your brand, from the copy on your site to the landing page users
arrive at, to the blog posts, newsletters and emails you write. But its not just having content that matters, its
having quality content that is consistent. Content marketing is about providing useful information to your customer
base. Its not about selling but about informing.
Think of it this way. If you write intelligent and thought provoking blog content, say on a weekly basis, that in
some way solves a problem, answers a question or simply entertains your target audience, you will become a go-to
resource for those potential buyers. They will come back to your site time and time again because you are
providing a free service for them, all the while building trust and establishing brand clout in a non-intrusive way.
And when these devoted followers realize they need the product you sell, guess who they are most likely to buy it
from? You got it. They are going to go to you. The company they trust. Read Is Youtility the Future of
Marketing by Jay Baer, New York Times best selling author and social media and content strategist, to learn more
about this important concept.
So, your content is essential in nurturing your customers as they move through the buyers journey, but in order to
do this successfully you need to know what types of content to use and when.
Here are the recommended content types for each stage of the buyers journey.
Awareness Stage
 eBooks
eGuides
White Papers
Editorial Content
Reports
Blog Posts
Consideration Stage
Webinars/Webcasts
Podcasts
Video
Expert and Solution Oriented Guides and White Papers
Decision Stage
Product Comparisons
Case Studies
Free Trials/Downloads
Product Focused Content
But it doesnt stop there. Buyers arent the only ones that like helpful content. Google does too. Creating solid
content is hugely important for your SEO strategy.
To learn more about creating a kick ass content plan read, How to Build a Compelling Content Strategy for Your
Boring Industry or The Secret to a Stand Our B2B Marketing Strategy? Content Marketing.
Define Your Distribution Channels
So if content is the meat, your distribution channels are the arms that feed that meat. As important as content is,
without distribution your content goes to waste. It is useless. So it is essential to have a clear understanding of how
each channel works and to use a mix of paid, owned and earned media.
 Social Media
In the world of social media it pays to have an overall strategy that is tweaked depending on the social channel you
are working in. For example, the way you market on Twitter will differ from the way you market on LinkedIn or
Facebook. They are different sites with different purposes and your messaging needs to reflect that. One strategy,
however, that does work across them all is using photographs. Posts with pictures get higher clicks and engagement
across the board. And because social media is all about getting your content and your messaging seen, timing is
important. According to sumall.com the key is to catch people in their downtime, early in the morning, on their
breaks or at night. Here is what they recommend for timing:
Twitter 1-3pm weekdays
Facebook 1-4pm and 2-5pm weekdays
LinkedIn 7-8:30am and 5-6pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Tumblr 7-10pm weekdays and 4pm on Fridays
Instagram 5-6pm weekdays and 8pm on Mondays with a sweetspot at 6pm
Pinterest 2-4pm and 8-11pm weekdays with weekends being the best
Google+ 9-11am weekdays
Of course, depending on your industry and audience these times could vary. The key is to test and re-test in order to
see when your buyers are engaging. Look at the competition. See who is doing social successfully in your space
and note their patterns. And remember, your engagement on social media is key. When you interact with your
audience you are telling them you heard them, you are enhancing your brand and you are showing authenticity.
Much like your content plan, your social media plan needs a strategy of its own that is then integrated with your
overall marketing plan.
For more on social media marketing read, Everything Marketers Want to Know About Social Media Marketing But
Are Too Afraid To Ask or Three Elements of an Effective Social Media Strategy.
Email
Email marketing is yet another tactic in your inbound marketing arsenal. Email is used most effectively as a lead
nurturing tool, in that it is used to engage with potential customers as they interact with specific content on your
website. For example, should a prospect visit your website and download an eBook, they will then begin to receive
a set of triggered emails related to the eBook topic, encouraging them to further interact with the brand. Email is
also commonly used for announcements, newsletters and promotions. Just as with social media, email frequency
and timing matters. While incorporating email into your marketing plan is important, overdoing it can backfire.
People dont want to be overrun with emails and if you are overzealous you could risk losing potential buyers.
Remember, when creating your emails, keep the content short, include one main call-to- action, have links back to
your website, use images and make sure the subject line is catchy. And when it comes to email, you can never test
or measure too much.
For more on email marketing read, The Definitive Guide to B2B Email Marketing or Best Email Service Providers
for Salesforce:MailChimp vs Constant Contact vs Native Apps.
Get Found
SEO
As we have already established, the content you create is important to your strategy but it is only useful if it finds
its way into the right hands. SEO is what Google and other search engines use to index your pages and allow your
content to be found by your prospective customers. In a digital world, SEO is hugely important. You could think
about it as another distribution channel with a whole different set of rules.
In order to use SEO affectively, you must optimize your content and when we say content we mean all your content
from your blogs to your landing pages to your social tags. In order to do this you need to create a keyword list,
which will then allow you to create messaging around the words and phrase you are targeting. But SEO is much
more than just targeting keywords. Link building, content and social media all play key roles in a successful SEO
strategy.

Measure
 Describe the type of promotional methods you will use to spread the word about your product. Identify
techniques such as word of mouth, radio and newspaper ads.
For radio, focus on a stations music format and its relationship to your products image, broadcast area,
cultural focus, age focus, etc.
For newspapers and other print mediums, consider the level at which you wish to advertise (local, regional,
provincial, federal, cross-national, etc.), in what mediums (trade magazines, professional, recreational,
cultural, hobby, special interest, etc.), how often, and the timing of such advertisements (seasonal, special
issues, etc.).
List accessible tradeshows that offer your business and opportunity to display banners and promotional
literature.
Explain your use of expensive mediums such as television and billboards. Both are highly expensive, while
computer based "bulletin boards" and the Internet can provide a global audience.
Promotion through associations and government support programs offer an opportunity for success stories to
advertise.
In store promotions, sidewalk sales, plant tours, free samples, openhouses, "point of sale" displays,
acknowledgment in government programs, agendas, brochures and calendars are other avenues for
promotion. Also, gimmicks like draws for free product samples and service visits also provide you with a
mailing list for future considerations.
Alliance campaigns between yourself and associated businesses (retailers, suppliers, etc.) provide you and
some complementary businesses the chance to improve your market image and potential sales.

Price
The prices of your products or services should reflect your overall company strategy. Pricing should be
competitive as well as a reflection of the quality, costs and profit margin.
 List the quality features of your product or service, as well as the associated cost component for each item or
level of service.
List strategies you plan to use, such as providing a discount on some items you sell in order to increase the
sales in other areas.

Financial Information
Show the predicted level of sales you expect to realize with and without the strategies you have outlined in
the marketing plan. Show the natural level of sales as described in your business plan, and then show the
expected increase in sales as they relate to specific marketing techniques you will use.
Show the market share you will hope to attain, based on "high", "medium", and "low" estimates for the
success of your marketing strategy.
Forecast the "break even point" for each of the following 5 years, in the number of sales in dollars. This will
demonstrate your need to realize a certain amount of sales in order to cover your expected costs for each of
the next 5 years.
Outline the areas of weakness in the financing of your business; the deficiencies that may be found in areas
such as "operating capital", outstanding loans, and insufficient credit.
Provide appropriate suggestions for reducing the effect that these deficiencies will have on the successful
operation of your business.

Tables, Graphs, Diagrams and Pictures

By presenting information in a picture format, some areas that are hard to express in words become easy to show to
the reader. Here are some examples:
 Position Analysis
A figure that shows where your company's image lies in relation to your direct competition.

Advertising Examples and Other Promotional Materials

Provide the reader with some examples of the type of artwork and advertising you hope to use to attract
potential customers, and, to portray a particular image of your product/service.
Such materials can demonstrate the effectiveness of your message, successful product/service recognition
and packaging design.

Demographics, Consumer Statistics and Budgets

Include appropriate demographic information such as populations, age distributions, projected population
growth and household sizes.
Include statistics covering family expenditures, personal income characteristics, employment figures, and
spending and consumer patterns.
Provide budget sheets for advertising campaigns, sales promotions, and expenses such as uniforms, business
cards, logo designs, banners, flyers, billboards, etc.
Include printing costs and expected reordering schedules.
Demographics and other statistics can be found in Statistics Canada information, available at the local
library.

Pricing
Relate the pricing of your products or services to your costs, profit margin, "break even point" in sales,
competitor pricing schemes, consumer profiles and product/service expectations.
Separate the "fixed cost" components and your "variable costs". Fixed costs are those that should remain stable
over the next 5 years, while variable costs are those that adjust to external and internal pressures.