Means to an end 

I was going my regular morning routine of trying to solve the Boston Globe crossword puzzle today.  4-Down asked for a six-letter word for “means to an end.” Take a stab.  Got it?  No?  Clue:  word begins with T and ends with C. 

Yes, T-A-C-T-I-C.  

When we partner with independent agents on marketing communications and MAP (Marketing Action Plan) programs, Tactics are a critical element, of course.  Here are all the elements in order of their position in the planning process. 

. Objective

. Strategy

. Tactics

.  Budget

.  Measurement 

Tactics are specific activities that the agency will use to achieve an end result (Objective).  Here’s a simple model for how each step is stated in a plan. 

Objective: To obtain minimum 100 referrals during the month of April. 

Strategy: Encourage our A customers to submit referrals. 

Tactics:  

.  Direct mail 500 A-type customers on March 1; package to include: a personal letter, our new agency brochure, business card, and postage-paid business reply card with fold-over so that submitted names are not revealed. 

. Do follow up telephone calls on selected basis to non-repliers the last week of March. 

Budget:  Allocate $1.50 per mailing ($750.00);  cost-per-referral (based on 100 minimum goal: $7.50. 

Measurement:   

.  Number of referrals

.  Cost per referral 

NEXT STEP:  Referral Contact Program for X-Dates, Quotes, Sales