“What we’ve got here is failure to communicate” is a quote from the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke. What the “Captain” (Strother Martin) was referring to when he said this line in the film to Luke (Paul Newman) was the difficulty in reaching some people ie “some men you just can’t reach”.

In the real world we face a similar problem. A key ingredient to getting the marketing communication right is to also get the timing of your campaigns right.

You’ve developed your marketing plan, purchased your marketing data and suppliers are all lined up. So what’s next? Now you need to make sure the plan is implemented on time, this involves getting the preparation and execution completed on time.

When is the right time to send out your promotion?  Is it when buyers are buying? When buyers are planning their budget or when other factors are in play such as – when can the equipment be installed? Getting the timing right is all about having an in-depth understanding of the markets you are targeting.

Your marketing calendar will differ from sector to sector – each having its own idiosyncrasies. The main thing is to know what these nuances are, adapt your plan accordingly and remain flexible.

Right now you should be scoping out April and May to reach the B2B sectors of education, government and health as they are planning their 2014 / 2015 financial year budgets. Naturally every market is different so do your research first to make sure it is right for your products and services.

A-ZGovBIZ is a marketing services agency specialising in the Australian public sector. Their online search engine Discovery is the leading real time database available to reach government, health and education decision makers, buyers and specifiers.

For further information and advice on getting the timing right for your next campaign click HERE.

NOTE: A-ZGovBIZ takes no responsibility for the timing or success of your direct marketing and sales campaigns and recommends organisations independently confirm campaign dates prior to commencement.

Michael Bleakley

Michael Bleakley is a journalist, communicator and marketing professional of 25 years. His career began in his early 20’s publishing tech magazines for education. Michael’s career then moved into online and book publishing for a global business publisher, then finally into database publishing and marketing at A-ZGovBIZ.