And it ensures you have a way to track all of your marketing activities to create greatest possible success for your business.

You need a marketing plan FIRST

The messaging part of your marketing plan is where your communications plan comes in. Once you have created a strong, strategic marketing foundation (which you will do as part of creating a marketing plan) you can determine a message strategy and tactics - this is your communications plan. And it most definitely can be a part of same document.

When I write marketing plans for clients, communications plan is part of marketing plan. The only time it is not, is when client has written their own business and marketing plans. But in those cases, I make sure I either get to review their plans or that I completely understand their business goals and strategy so I can develop a marketing communications plan to support them.

The success of your communications plan depends on it

If all you have is a communications plan, you are missing an important part of what it takes to make a business successful. A marketing plan is essential.

(C) 2005 Debbie LaChusa

When you consider that referred customers are "warm leads" and are a lot more likely to purchase from you than a "cold" prospect because they come with an endorsement from someone they trust, then you see even more how valuable this referral marketing can be.

My suggestion is to approach this as a potential business partnership. Make sure they completely understand benefits you can provide to their customers and let them know you would like to design a mutually beneficial partnership. Before you offer to pay them a commission, find out what is important to them.

What are they looking for that you can possibly help them to get? In this case potential partner IS your target audience so know them and approach them with a relevant proposition. Be willing to pay a referral fee or commission if that is all they are interested in, but also be open to other ideas.

I have negotiated some amazing partnerships just by spending some time talking and brainstorming with potential partners. In other cases I have straight affiliate/commission partnerships. It all depends on partner and how we determine we can BEST HELP EACH OTHER to be successful.

(C) 2005 Debbie LaChusa