15 Lean Canvas – The Marketing Plan Template
The Lean Canvas EXCEL Workbook consists of the Lean Canvas worksheet template, Customer Personas worksheet, Channel Implementation worksheet, and the Value Proposition worksheet.
Step 1: Fill Out the Lean Canvas Worksheet.
The Lean Canvas is a marketing plan outline. Originally created as a way to pitch venture capitalists in 30 seconds or less, it gets you 80 percent of the marketing plan you need in about 20 percent of the time you would normally need to create a highly detailed plan.
The Lean Canvas template that you can use is found in the file Lean Canvas EXCEL Workbook posted at the end of this chapter. The Lean Canvas worksheet will be found in a tab called Blank Lean Canvas.
As shown below, the Lean Canvas is divided into 10 sections that should be easy to fill out if you have done the prior marketing frameworks:
- Outlining the problem that needs to be solved.
- Describing the customer segment(s).
- Providing the solution to the customer’s problem.
- Using metrics to evaluate the success of your program.
- Defining the Unique Value Proposition of your solution.
- Identifying the competition.
- Discussing your product or service’s Unfair Advantage.
- Delivering your message via which media channels/Selling your product in which channels of trade.
- Summarize the cost structure needed to deliver your product or service.
- Detail revenue streams as in how your company will generate revenue. Should these 2 be -ing like the rest of the list or should the rest of the list not be -ing words?
To learn how to use a Lean Canvas, begin with the PPT How to Create a Lean Canvas Part 1 that takes you through sections 1 to 4 of the Lean Canvas workbook where you will need to identify the problem you are trying to solve, the audience segments, the solution you are offering in order to solve the problem you have identified, and the metrics you will use to measure success.
The second PPT, Part 2, takes you through sections 5 to 10, including the need to identify your unique value proposition, your unfair advantage, competition, channels you will communicate through and sell through, costs associated with your product and service, and sources of revenue.
Step 2: Fill out the Lean Canvas Personas and Value Proposition Worksheets.
Once you finish filling out the Lean Canvas, you will then create personas, outline an implementation plan, and go in depth into your value proposition from the point of view of your company and then the prospects and customers. The instructions will be found in the PPT entitled Creating Customer Personas, Outlining Channel Implementation, and Defining Value Proposition. Then from the point of view of your prospects and customers?
You will find these worksheets in the same file, Lean Canvas EXCEL Workbook. They are in tabs entitled Customer Personas Canvas, Channel Implementation Canvas, Value Proposition Canvas I, and Value Proposition Canvas II.
To Begin How to Proceed?
Listen to the two PPTS: How to Create a Lean Canvas Part 1 and Part 2 . Next, work on the Blank Lean Canvas worksheet within the Lean Canvas EXCEL Workbook, and then work on the Personas, Channel Implementation, and Value Proposition worksheets. The EXCEL Workbook file is posted at the end of this chapter.
