Nine Secrets of Being a Marketing Genius Successful marketing takes more than a monster budget. Learn these must-know strategies to improve your campaigns.

It happens every single day: Two businesses with similarmarketing budgets conduct extensive direct-mail campaigns. Whileone of the companies realizes only less than a 1 percent increasein sales, the other somehow manages a 20 percent increase and thenturns each one of those newly acquired accounts into a loyal,repeat customer.

Why do some companies succeed brilliantly in their marketingefforts while others fail? Let's face it, many entrepreneurshave access to the same tools and resources, but the ones whosucceed know how to pull them all together to make their marketingwork. Here's a look at the nine elements at the heart of truemarketing success:

1. Leadership: To be successful, the marketing programsyour staff or agency creates must support your vision of yourcompany's future. It's up to you, at the top of yourorganization, to set the tone and clearly define your goals. Howcan your marketing team meet your expectations if it's unclearwhat they are?

2. Listening: Customers will tell you what they want,need and are willing to pay for. They'll even tell you whichmarketing approach they prefer. You just have to ask them-andlisten carefully to the answers. Whether you use focus groups,surveys, web feedback or polls, the best marketing programs arethose that are shaped and molded by customers' preferences.

3. Teamwork: Effective marketing doesn't begin andend with you and your marketing people. Everyone in the company,from the receptionist to technicians or plant workers, can producereferrals, positive PR and even sales. The key is to"enroll" your entire staff by soliciting their ideas,sharing your plans for each new marketing effort and keeping theteam up-to-date on your progress.

4. Coordination: The best marketing programs can'tsucceed if there are barriers to sales. Anything from out-of-stockproducts and pricing glitches to delivery problems and uninformedpersonnel can stop a deal. The prerequisite for effectivecoordination and removal of sales barriers is open communicationbetween all departments and individuals, so things like shortagescan be anticipated and discussed, and your personnel can supportrather than hinder one another.

5. Focus: Unlike major corporations, where divisionscompete for their piece of the marketing pie, your growing businesshas the luxury of focusing intently on marketing its products andservices to narrowly defined audiences. Failure to focus by takingon too many different target markets can diffuse yourefforts-reducing the time and budget available to effectivelypenetrate each one-and sabotage your results.

6. Accountability: Just as the Great Pyramids wereconstructed one stone on top of the next, one successful marketingprogram builds on another. It all hinges on tracking and measuringyour marketing results. Start by setting quantifiable goals forevery program or tactic, such as to produce three new accounts in60 days. Test and examine each marketing approach and thenreproduce what works.

7. Flexibility: Successful companies respond quickly tochanges in the marketplace, customer preferences and newtechnologies. When a marketing tactic stops working, don't waitmonths to make revisions. Investigate the problem and eliminate itfast!

8. Continuity: Consistent presentation of a brand nameand image are essential to long-term marketing success. Whilestrategies and tactics may change and evolve, names, logos and evenslogans should be considered the bedrock on which the foundation ofyour company's marketing program is built.

9. Insight: Some entrepreneurs always seem to have theinside track. They evaluate the competition and forecast futuretrends, new products and technologies instead of just responding totoday's ups and downs. Being a great marketer means stayingahead of the pack. You don't really need a crystal ball-itshould just look like you use one.