Thou Shalt Not Cut Marketing Spending During Slow Times From 1980 to 1985, McGraw-Hill Research analyzed 600 companies and their marketing spending. After 1985, McGraw-Hill concluded that those firms which had maintained or increased their advertising during recession in ’81-’82 boasted an average sales growth of 275% over next five years. But those companies who cut their advertising saw paltry sales growth over next five years of just 19%. When is right time to market your business? All time.

Thou Shalt Honor Exiting Employees I once had a travel industry client run a report that showed where their new referrals came from. The second highest category was ex-employees. It turns out vacation shoppers were asking these ex-employees where they could book a Vegas package just like neighbor’s they’d heard about, and ex-employees were referring them back to their old employer. When you treat your departing employees with a dose of good will, they may just turn into your unpaid sales force and refer business your way.

Thou Shalt Thank Often Sadly, we live in an age of boorishness. But a savvy marketer can do his part to bring civility into an otherwise uncivilized world. Among countless ways to thank customers are thank you notes, gift certificates and appreciation lunches to name just a few. These thank you’s don’t have to be showy. Just make sure thank you is classy and considerate, and kindness will eventually be repaid.

Sure, we all break these commandments from time to time and end up seeking forgiveness. But if you consistently break these Ten Commandments of Marketing, you risk an exodus-a customer exodus.

#5 Key messages Remember back in English class how we were taught to write down a paper’s thesis before we wrote paper? This thesis statement was argument you wanted to assert-the central point of paper. Think of your company’s key messages as thesis statements for your marketing. The next time you have to write copy for your brochure or website, identify three most important things that distinguish your company from rest. Then, write your copy so that these three ideas come through loud and clear.

#4 Results-oriented metrics Can you imagine a doctor examining a patient without a thermometer? Yet this is precisely how many growing businesses approach their marketing analytics. Without metrics to track effectiveness of your marketing efforts, decisions are just…guesses. Develop two or three key metrics (i.e. # of new leads per month, cost per inquiry, or sales calls per month) that measure true health of your business’ marketing.

#3 Ongoing customer communication Your customers have invested a lot in your company already; time, money and emotional energy to name just a few. Keep in frequent touch with them and they’ll shower your business with repeat purchases, referrals and positive word-of-mouth. Use catch-up phone calls, email blasts or personalized letters to keep customers abreast of new products, promotions or just plain news.

#2 A marketing plan The cornerstone to any successful marketing effort is a marketing plan. A good one lays groundwork for action by covering “whys” behind each task. It also helps break down a seemingly daunting effort into a series of more manageable chunks. And when phones stop ringing, it gives you something to go back to. You’ll never again ask “What should we do now?”

#1 A process for implementing your plan Developing a marketing plan is only half battle. Without a concerted effort to implement plan, your marketing effort will fail. To avoid this common marketing mistake, use weekly project updates and quarterly checkpoint meetings to ensure your plan is successfully implemented. Don’t forget that proper implementation also hinges on having right person in place. Who is this person? In three words-a project manager. Without a deadline driven, nuts-and-bolts type at helm of your roll out, you’ll drift like a rudderless ship.