Marketing Needs Assessment

q Automotive Other____________________

q Appliance

6. SIC-NAIC Code:___________________

7. Product Description:______________________________________________________

8. What year did business begin operations?_____________________________________

9. How long have you had ownership of the company?_____________________________

10. Current Annual Sales $______________________

11. Number of Employees:

____Full-time ____Part-time ____Independent Contractors

____Total Employees

____Staff devoted to marketing functions

12. Describe any trends which are affecting your business

(economic, demographic, industry).

13. Do you have a written business/marketing plan ____Yes ____No

Marketing Issues

Products/Services

14. What are the minimum requirements to compete in your industry?

________________________________________________________________________

15. What primary customer needs does your product satisfy?

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16. How is your product or service unique in the marketplace?

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17. What are your competitive strengths and weaknesses?

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18. What is the appropriate size of the total market (including all competitor's sales dollars or units sold annually)?

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19. Are any of the products you produce covered by patents?

_______Yes

_______No

_______Not Applicable

20. What drives your product development strategy? (customer needs, production opportunities, technological innovations, competitive offerings, etc.)

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21. What new products and how many new products have been introduced in the last three years:

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Sales

22. Who is responsible for sales functions for your company? (Check all that you use)

____Owner(s)

____In-house staff

____Independent sales representatives

____Manufacturers representative/agent

____Distributor

____Telemarketing staff

____Other:

23. Please provide sales for the past three years, if available:

Current $___________ 2 years ago $__________

1 Year ago $__________ 3 Years ago $__________

24. What approximate percentage of your sales (by dollars or units) are in the following geographic markets?

__________________________% Local (customers within 60 miles of location)

__________________________% State

__________________________% Surrounding states

__________________________% National

__________________________% International

25. How has this changed since a year ago?

_________________________.% Local (customers within 60 miles of location)

_________________________ % State

_________________________.% Surrounding states

_________________________% National

_________________________% International

26. What approximate percentage of sales revenue does each product line (if you have more than one product line) contribute to total sales? What were the percentages a year ago:

Current Year Product Line name Year ago Product Line Name

_______% _____________% ______ % ______________%

_______% _____________ % _______% ______________%

Customers

27. What different industries/customer segments do you currently serve?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
28. What are your sales by key industry/customer segment? What were the percentages a year ago:

Current Year Key Industry/ Year Ago Key Industry/

Customer Segment Customer Segment

___________% _____________ ________% ____________

29. Describe what appears to drive your customers' purchase decision (price, quality, service, etc.)?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

30. Who is involved in the purchase decision?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

3I. What is the lead time for making a sale?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

32. Do you collect customer satisfaction information? If yes, what are the general results?

Please attach survey results.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

33. How do you get your sales leads?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Competition

34. Who are the key competitors in the market for your type of product? Please list the complete name and location, approximate market share and whether they are gaining or losing share:

Name Location Share Gaining/Losing

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

35. What new products have competitors introduced in the last five years?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Promotional Methods

36. What promotional methods do you use?

---Outside/independent sales force ---Inside Sales Force

---Telemarketing ---Brochure

---Catalogs ---Customer Service Staff

---Direct Mail ---Flyers

---Magazine ads (trade or consumer) ---TV

---Newspaper advertising ---Videos

---Radio ---Yellow Pages

---Advertising ---Product Directories

---Industry trade shows ---Other:

---Association memberships

Market Research

37. Do you conduct or collect any market research?

___Yes __No

38. If yes. how do you gather this information?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Quality

39. Have you started implementing a documented quality control program?

___Yes ___No

40. If yes, please identify the type (statistical process control, Malcolm Baldrige Award application, and conformance to federal military standards, TQM, ISO 9000. etc.)

___________________________________________________________________________________

41. Do any of your customers require a quality assurance certification?

____Yes ____No

Pricing

42. What method or mark-up do you use in pricing your products/services?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

43. How do your prices compare to your competition?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

44. What is your overall profit margin?_________________________

By individual product line? ______________________________

Strengths and Weaknesses

45. Please indicate whether each of the following areas is a strength. a neutral area, or a weakness in your company.

Add your comments.

Strength Neutral Weakness

Sales volume _______ ______ _______

Sales growth _______ ______ _______

Profitability _______ ______ _______

Cost controls _______ ______ _______

Pricing policies & methods _______ ______ _______

Quality control _______ ______ _______

New market forecasting _______ ______ _______

Evaluating new product designs _______ ______ _______

Marketing strategies _______ ______ _______

Competitive advantage _______ ______ _______

Market research _______ ______ _______

Sales methods and skills _______ ______ _______

Finding new customers _______ ______ _______

Keeping old customers _______ ______ _______

Formal customer feedback _______ ______ _______

Location _______ ______ _______

Using wholesalers/retailers _______ ______ _______

Other _______ ______ _______

Comments______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Marketing Goal

46. Please identify your primary marketing need or goal for this project.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Sales Goal

47. Sales Goals for each product/service.

Next Year In 3 Years

1._______________________________________ $________ $________

2._______________________________________ $________ $________

3._______________________________________ $________ $________

4._______________________________________ $________ $________

5._______________________________________ $________ $________

6._______________________________________ $________ $________

7._______________________________________ $________ $________

8._______________________________________ $________ $________

9._______________________________________ $________ $________

10.______________________________________ $________ $________

_____________________________________________ ________________

Client Signature Date