WHO do you need to talk to?

Establishing who you need to talk to is the most fundamental task of marketing. Who will select your product? Who will approve it? Who needs it - and are they reachable with the budget you have available. WHO is the critical first step.

what do you need them to think?

Once you know who they are and what they currently think - you need to establish what they need to think to justify you. What do you have that convinces them? How do you make it easy for them to choose you over the others?

what do they currently think?

You can't change someone's mind about your goods or services if you don't know what they currently think. Once you establish the audience - you need to prove what drives their belief in the products you offer.