What the hell is marketing?

This is relevant question today because everyone seems to point to marketing as THEE key to success. And yet, definitions and expectations diverge wildly about what marketing is and what it is not. Mostly it seems to be misunderstood, misused or both. At Re:Sourceful, we say > Marketing builds and/or solidifies relationships with customers, so they buy from you and keep buying – even when they have other options.

We view it as the beginning of the sales process. Great marketing can sell in some cases, but the days of interruptive marketing or 'advertising' having the ability to grasp someone's attention and get them to act/buy are mostly long gone. Sure it may still work for some markets and some demographics, but even those options are slipping away rapidly. For every way we have to talk with our customer, they have a method to block or shield themselves.

Most of our partners are in the telecommunications industry, and changing/threatening regulations and rising costs are major issues for companies and the customers they serve.

So, where does that leave marketing? Possibly in a very good place if we are willing to change our approach, and change it dramatically.

Healthy relationships at any level are two-sided. They are about listening, caring and acting to the benefit of other person. Business relationships are exactly the same. For years most companies didn't treat them this way because they couldn't or didn't want to make the effort. Today, tools exist to better accommodate one-to-one communication and relationship building interaction, if you are willing.

In my view, these are some steps toward change that may help:

1) You need a truly great collection of talented people. Experts that have the ability to build and enhance relationships through sharing their knowledge for the benefit of customers. If you don't have them, you need the guts to go get them. You may have to move some people to other seats or off the bus all together.

2) Your entire staff needs the desire to communicate your collective expertise and then demonstrate that your people are the authority on the subjects in which you talk/write/share. If you have the desire, you will find the methods you need.

3) And most importantly, you need to transform your company into a sales organization. I'm not talking about some sleazy Glen Gary Glen Ross type, but rather, an organization that has enough discipline and caring to monitor, track and nurture individual relationships - of both longtime customers and prospects. So you can listen and respond quickly, if needed, in the format desired by the customer.

These ideas are not new, nor are they tremendously difficult. However, in order to do them you have to stop doing some things, and you might need to significantly retrain or change some of your workforce.

Marketing is not a department. It is a mindset which needs to reside in all areas of a company, if you want to be successful.

Do something that matters

It is my assumption that everyone wants to do something that matters. I'm far from positive about this, but it just makes sense to me. The opposite is people just want to feel like failures much of the time - and I just can't see anyone wanting that. So then the questions are these:

1) What is it that matters?

2) Can I do something that matters here or do I need to go somewhere else to do it?

The answers (as I see them) are:

1) What do you have a passion about? I'll bet others do to AND would benefit from your passion, understanding and expertise. Share it and watch what happens.

2) Yes. There is not a perfect place or ideal time. Certainly timing can be important, but if you wait to find the right mix of whatever you are waiting for - you will never even start.

Good luck. Let me know how it goes for you!

Is your work art? Should it be?

We waste a lot of time worrying about stuff, rather than just doing something productive. Or new. Or creative. Or heaven forbid, really innovative. The reasons are endless and boring. With all the stats and analytics these days, we have the mistaken notion that we can completely understand what customers (people) will do in any situation. We can't. Sure we may understand trends and options, but by the time we think we understand, the path is well-worn and tired. It has become science.

Science is fine, but it kills creativity and real innovation. I love science and all that it does for us in our daily lives. I really, really do. But that does not mean that we all have to be scientists. Many of us are artists of some sort of another. So we need to make good art.

In business language, art = innovation, however you care to define it. Why aren't you (and I) creating more good art? Find what is stopping you and remove or ignore it for a day, a week or a year. Until you can make good 'art' in your context.

Check out the video below or see it here from Neil Gaiman and this from Seth Godin about his new book The Icarus Deception.

Marketing is trivial

I had something else planned for today, but it seems trivial now. I'm not devaluing learning and growing in your profession as a marketer, salesperson or executive. But, I want to be somewhat more personal.

Events recently in Aurora, CO or in Evansdale, IA and Penn State need to make us pause and consider how we treat one another. Further, if we know someone is struggling - a little or a lot, we need to act. First to help them and second to protect others. Helping doesn't need to be filled with drama; often small acts may redirect someone's path in a better direction for them and ultimately others.

We live in one big community, and while we have our different customs and priorities, people want largely the same things: Opportunities for success and safety for themselves and their families.

We are all in a position to help someone and sometimes the moment to help comes up quickly. Other times you can see it coming and prepare. Regardless, please take the opportunity to help those you touch using compassion and persistence.

They will benefit. You will benefit and others you don't even know may benefit.

Thanks for all you do. Blessings to all.