Good marketers are blue collar. They understand that marketing in the trenches demands hard work and are willing to learn whatever needed to get things done. Bad marketers think they are white collar. They are armchair critics who make suggestions without delivering alternatives.
Good marketers listen to and understand customers. By doing so, good marketers connect with customers, learn their pains and gains and thus succeed to generate ideas that attract more customers. Bad marketers neglect or make assumptions about customers. By doing so, bad marketers fail to understand why their work produces few leads and blame sales for “not working the leads hard enough”.
Good marketers know their market and competitors. They know the competitors’ pricing, product lines and strategic partners by heart. Salespeople trust them as well-informed advisors who can show them how to win the war most effectively. Bad marketers stay ignorant about the market and competitors and make unsubstantiated claims about them. As a result, salespeople lose faith in them.
Good marketers write well. They know that their writing reflects the quality of their ideas. They are not afraid of revising their output, hence their idea, until it’s great. Bad marketers are bad writers. They try to conceal their bad idea behind a wall of vapid text. They neither revise nor proofread carefully.
Good marketers understand that marketing exists to support sales. They sit in sales calls, build rapport with sales and try to learn what problems and bottlenecks salespeople face everyday. Bad marketers are armchair philosophers. They think that salespeople are too tactical and can’t understand their grand marketing strategy. Bad marketers’ unjustified snobbism makes them the laughing stock among salespeople during happy hours.
Good marketers are organized. They understand that delivering a marketing campaign requires delicate coordination and bold execution which in turn requires careful planning. Good marketers keep every party involved without bombarding them with favors. Bad marketers are disorganized. They procrastinate until it’s too late to prepare their campaigns and supporting collateral. They don’t inform people in a timely manner yet distract them with one-off requests at last minute.
Good marketers win with data. Bad marketers lose with excuses.
Let’s be good.