When developing a plan to recover your distressed business, a key part of that plan will be the Marketing Plan. This plan must be a standalone component and distinct from the overall turnaround plan. You should be able to break your Marketing Plan apart from the turnaround plan and pass it around the conference table.

To illustrate what should be included in the Customer section of this Marketing Plan, I will use a fictitious company called XYZ Medical Equipment (XME). XME sells high-end medical lasers used in surgery.

In essence, this component of the plan needs to describe the customer base in the current company and what, if any, the changes will be to the anticipated customer base after the business turnaround occurs. Make sure to emphasize any key aspects of the new customer base that will help to make the turnaround efforts more successful.

Customers
The current customer base will not change as a result of the restructuring. Although we will no longer be selling manufactured products, every previous customer will still be a prospect for educational materials. If prior experience with government programs is any indication, the product requirements will be wide and varied.

We anticipate the addition of new customers comprised of government agencies and their workers. These customers will be very active during the next four to five years as the new national healthcare plan is implemented, and there will be a significant amount of activity after national healthcare is fully operational. We will tailor our products to meets the needs of these current and additional customers.