The Stark Reality document provides a questionnaire to analyze a business's marketing efforts and identify areas for improvement. It will [1] discover immediate issues affecting sales, [2] recommend cost-effective promotion strategies to minimize costs and boost leads, and [3] help differentiate the business from competitors to create a lasting positive impression. The questionnaire covers marketing metrics, positioning, customers, websites and databases, and promotional tools to develop a strategic creative plan.

1. STARK
REALITY
Please fill in the questionnaire, save the file as a PDF and email back to us
at least 2 working days prior our scheduled review date
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2. The perception your customers have about
your business is directly related to your
profitability.
A comprehensive analysis of your marketing
communication efforts, the Stark Reality Check
will provide you with a clear direction of how
your business can increase the return on your
marketing investment:
1. You will discover the areas of your
marketing that need immediate attention
to improve sales.
2. You will learn the most cost effective ways “For many organisations the cost of Communication - reaching their
to promote your business and minimize intended audience - is their greatest cost, yet most Professional
your cost per lead, online and offline. Services and B2B companies do not budget for this ongoing investment
or utilise the basic principles and processes required to maximise their
R.O.I” Gene Stark.
3. Get an understanding of how to truly
differentiate yourself from your
competitors and make a lasting and
positive impression with your prospects
and customers.
Date:
Presented to:
Prepared by:
epared by:
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3. OVERVIEW
Where do the majority of your leads come from?
What is your average cost per lead?
What is your conversion rate?
Do you know the Lifetime Value of your
customer?
What other methods of lead generation have you
tried?
What are your 3 greatest marketing and sales
challenges?
What do you believe is the problem?
What prevents you from overcoming the
problem?
What would be the effect on Revenue if you
doubled your conversion rate?
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4. COMPANY NAME
What is the Company name?
Does the name make a promise or tell a story?
Is the name descriptive or does it suggest a
feature or benefit?
Does the name differentiate you from
competitors and make you unforgettable?
If you have numerous products or services, do
their names support your company brand name?
Does it provide a deep well of marketing and
advertising images, making it PR worthy and
easy for you to promote?
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5. POSITIONING
How do you define your core business?
Mousetraps v Absence of Mice
What is your Unique Selling Proposition? (USP)
What is your Positioning Statement? (Slogan /
Tagline - creative interpretation of your USP)
Does your Positioning differentiate the business
(Communicate the USP)?
Does your Positioning provide a Creative
(Campaignable and Sustainable) platform
Are the benefits expressed explicitly (better than
implied) to the customer?
Does the positioning work well with / provide
support to the brand name?
Is your Positioning focused and simple?
What word do you “own” in the mind of your
consumer?
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6. CUSTOMERS
Who are your current customers?
How did they find you (or you them)?
Who are your customers’ influencers? Who do
they listen to and respect?
What do your customers want? What makes
them happy and what are they afraid of?
MAIN COMPETITORS (List website address) POSITIONING (SLOGAN / TAGLINE)
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7. WEBSITE & DATABASE YOUR MARKETING FOUNDATIONS
How many unique visitors do you get to your site
per month?
How long do they stay there?
How many of them Buy (per month) or perform an
action (respond) in the way that you want them to?
Call, Register, etc
What is the Average Value of your Sale?
How many names do you collect on a monthly
basis via your website?
How many contacts do you currently have in your
database with a permission to email?
Do you have an ongoing email campaign planned
3- 6 months advance?
How many contacts (complete name & addresses
details) do you currently have in your database?
How often do you communicate with your
customers and prospects?
Do you have a blog?
Do you have Video on your website?
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8. WEBSITE & DATABASE YOUR MARKETING FOUNDATIONS
What is the monthly volume of Keyword Phrase What is the Average Cost Per Click for your top
(KWP) searches for your product or service by keywords (keyword phrases) to appear on the front
(KWP) page of Search Engines?
KWP1 KWP1
KWP2 KWP2
KWP3 KWP3
KWP4 KWP4
KWP5 KWP5
KWP6 KWP6
KWP7 KWP7
How many of your direct competitors are on the first
2 pages of Organic Search Results?
Who are they—list them.
How many links point to your site?
How many links does your biggest competitors have
pointing to their site?
Currently Your Website is.... PULL - Credibility and Directly attributable
Sales or Leads
Website is able to cost effectively attract enough
visits to satisfy current ROI...
PUSH - Credibility and Indirect source of Leads
and Sales
In the short term (at least the next 6 months) you
need to drive traffic to your website using other
forms of online and offline communication rather
than SEO and PPC.
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9. CREATIVE STRATEGY (WEB-CENTRIC*) COMMENTS
*Applies to all other forms of media communication
Design Yes No
Do all design elements work well together?
Is the colour scheme used to differentiate the website?
Does the colour scheme work well with the logo?
Is the flash used appropriately?
Is the font type / size / colour in line with the brand and easy to
read?
Is the line spacing adequate?
Do banners / main visuals capture attention and interest (quickly)?
Are the images original, creative and appropriate?
Are the visuals used to reinforce the benefits or the brand?
Brand
Is there a story or a theme?
Does the story support the brand positioning and / or brand name?
Is the story told throughout the website?
Copywriting
Are there headlines throughout the site?
Do the headlines grab attention?
Are there sub headings breaking up chunks of text?
Customer focused (you - dominant)
or Company focused (we - dominant)
Are the messages immediately comprehensible?
Is there too much industry specific jargon?
Navigation
Are the menu’s simple to understand and easy to use?
Is it easy to find information easily?
Call To Action
Does the website tell its visitors what it wants them to do next?
Is it easy to respond to EACH of the “Call to Action” offers?
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10. WHICH PROMOTIONAL TOOLS ARE COMMENTS
YOU UTILISING?
Do you have a professional presentations* easily tailored for Yes No
each target segment?
Concise Elevator Pitch, Powerpoint, Video, etc
Do you have professional* brochures?
(hard copy and electronic)
Are they available from your website?
Do you have professional* Questionnaires, Templates?
What forms of Networking do you currently undertake?
Physical
Online, e.g.: LinkedIn, Facebook, Industry Blogs
Do you write Reports, White Papers, Articles? How often?
Have you written a book about your area of expertise, provid-
ing value to prospects and showing them how they can better
solve their challenges and satisfy their needs?
What other forms of Direct Marketing do you currently utilise?
Direct Mail?
Telemarketing?
Do you have any Speaking Engagements?
Do you currently invest in any Online Media Advertising?
Do you currently invest in any Traditional (Mass Media)
* Professional—Capitalizing on your brand name, personality, positioning statement
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