What's a Gambit?
What's a marketing strategy?
Why do I need a marketing strategy?
What's the difference between marketing and sales?
What if I think I'm doing the right things, but my marketing stuff doesn't work?
I'm a better CPA than a marketing person. Can you help?
Do you also carry out the activities in the plan?
Can you work with my marketing person(s)?
We're too small to have a marketing department; what should we do?
Does marketing really make a difference?
Can you do web sites?

What's a Gambit?
A gambit is the opening move in a chess game; it often determines the outcome of the game as well. If you've watched Bobby Fischer and other chess masters, you may remember that a strong opening move puts the player in a very good board position and keeps the competitor on the defensive. We like that image. Hence Gambit Group!

What's a marketing strategy?
Based on some research about your business and its markets, it's a set of tactics or plan designed to create awareness of and interest in your business and your products or services. A good marketing strategy will also include the means to measure the effectiveness of each tactic against your business goals.

Why do I need a marketing strategy?
We suspect you probably put both money and time into doing things that are supposed to help your bottom line. A marketing strategy channels that money into a planned, scheduled, controlled outlay of capital and energy. Don't you want to find out whether those dollars are helping your business?

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What's the difference between marketing and sales?
If things are working right, marketing creates the awareness of and desire for your products or services with the right groups of people. Once that happens your salespeople can begin selling to them; that is, committing your clients and customers to buy those products and services - now and, hopefully, over time

What if I think I'm doing the right things, but my marketing stuff doesn't work?
How long has your marketing “stuff” been strutting its stuff? It does take time. And for some activities, there is a longer lead time than you imagine. Let us take a look at what you're doing . We can help you revise and reposition your "stuff" and/or set up some tests to measure the results.

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I'm a better CPA than a marketing person. Can you help?
We are seasoned veterans at creating marketing plans, tactics, and evaluations for all sorts of organizations and services.

However, if you're just starting your business, or you're making some serious changes, this is a perfect time to work through a marketing assessment. We have a two-part process we call Gambit Marketing Audit.™ In part one, with you we examine things like your business goals, marketing infrastructure, position in the industry or community, the tactics of your competitors, and the money you can allocate to the tasks.

In part two, we take the data and put together a customized marketing plan along with notes and recommendations for what things to try first, second, etc. and how to measure the results. Our clients tell us they use the final report like a roadmap.

Do you also carry out the activities in the plan?
We make determining resources a part of your marketing plan. You can waste a lot of time and money if you don't know the relative strengths of the people you hire. While we are certainly able to carry out most of the tactics we recommend, often our clients have their own people, either onsite or by agreement. We're cool with that, too.

Our main concern is that you have a qualified, experienced resource helping you.

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Can you work with my marketing person(s)?
Sure. We work with marketing folks to design single activities and/or marketing programs they can execute. It's always your choice.

We're too small to have a marketing department; what should we do?
Hire us long term. For a long time Gambit Group has worked as the “in loco” marketing organization for our very small client companies. Whether we're physically in your offices or not, once we commit to you, you are very much on our minds. For instance, we watch for news of your competitors, your industry, look for opportunities to get your name in print, draft letters to go out to people who should be your clients, find reasons for you to communicate with your clients.

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Does marketing really make a difference?
In a word, yes. You know what makes you different from and better than your competitors. And your saying so will influence a small number of clients who have, perhaps, had a bad experience with the other company. Word of mouth will help build your business as the circle gets wider. However, you still have to put information out into the ether that shows how you're different, who your clients are, gives prospects a reason to choose you.

We say to our clients, good marketing requires planning and deliberate execution. It ultimately saves you money and time because you go after the right clients the right ways. You know if you're getting results. And you do it because marketing matters.

Can you do web sites?
Gambit Group works with a web developer to bring your business to the web. We do the planning and content generation. Most companies feel they need to have a presence. We consider the web “another”marketing tactic. It can be a modest investment in time and dollars, or an enormous outlay of capital. We believe that creating a simple, information-rich web site and maintaining its currency and interest is the most effective strategy.

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