Marketing is one of the few corporate disciplines that does as much in the future as it does in the present. Successful marketers know that planting seeds and tending to the crops will reap rewards down the line. But, at the same time, marketers than can also bridge the gap of the now-until-then and provide immediate benefit is when companies really win. Too many long term activities with no short view causes failures. Too much of a focus on the now, and companies tend to wobble into the future.
So, what’s the right balance? How do you know if you’re striking it? How do you make sure now to get sucked into the sales-driven-marketing-of the-now-and-only-now? We’ve all seen it. Sales’ driven organizations like to pull marketing into what becomes sales-support. With marketing attached to the hip of the sales team, they can provide great assistance with proposals, research, powerpoint presentations, and more equally riveting immediate activities. If this becomes all consuming, then marketing becomes highly tactical. But, what’s more, is that marketing loses its strategic oversight on all sorts of critically important activities: messaging, branding, positioning.
Marketing that is 100% future-driven equally loses perspective of what’s actually resonating with prospects. They dont get the opportunity to test the messages on a here and now set of ears. They miss out on critical input that can hone in on positioning. What’s more, and maybe more important, is that the sales organization and marketing tend to lose sight of each other in this scenario. Marketing is often seen as out of touch and irrelevant to business generation. Marketers in this scenario are often confused because they are bringing in the leads – but sometimes 9 months too late.
Like all successful business functions, solid marketers put together marketing plans that specifically address the two dynamics. Their plans call out the intended rewards and challenges. They scope out resources and expectations – both inter and intra marketing. They also identify SLA’s. Nothing makes a VP of Sales happier than knowing how and when and at what speed they can rely on marketing. Nothing makes a marketing team member happier knowing that they can do their “day job” and not be expected to drop everything on a dime to support sales on a whimsical notion.
Marketing is a balancing act. It takes strong leadership that can rally the troops; say “no” when needed; and have real courage of conviction. The long view of what marketing does requires some internal fortitude to know that the bets placed will come realized. The short view of marketing requires crystal clear expectations and the strength to pull away at the right time. Marketers fail when any one of these is not accomplished. Marketers fail when the balance is not effectively achieved.
I have failed. And, that’s the last thing. Successful marketers have as often failed as they’ve succeeded. I embrace my failures. Have you?
Nikkers Noodling on Marketing 