Has your company clearly defined its top 100, 150 or 250 (or more!) stakeholders, customers, clients or others for your business to be successful? Is there a high-touch marketing strategy or plan in place to develop and/or cultivate strong relationships with these key partners?

In the article Wanted: Intimate Marketing Relationship, Keith Ferrazzi describes the power of this process and even goes so far as to propose the development of a new position in companies called vp of High-Touch Marketing to manage relationships: “The new vp's first task is to compile a list of the company's 250 most important stakeholders—those integral to the bottom line; those who will drive the company's growth over the next five years.”

Whether you’re part of a small, medium or large company, defining the list of people that you believe could impact your business positively should prove to be a valuable exercise if that hasn’t been done ever or updated recently. Most important, putting plans and strategies in place to build and maintain positive relationships with those people can better position your business for success.

Got your list of stakeholders or key customers lined up yet? Once you do, check out this earlier Maine Marketing blog for ideas on building your company brand with those on your list in anticipation of the upcoming holidays! Also, please share any of your high-touch marketing strategies or ideas with us.

Don Antonucci, President of the Maine Marketing Association

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