The rule of thirds
I'm a believer in the 'rule of thirds' which says a third of people will get on board from the start, a third need to be convinced and a third will hold out altogether. We see it all the time when we address business groups. Firstly, you see the guys who are engaged: already on the bus waiting to go, eyes bright with positive energy. Then there’s the fence-sitters, waiting to hear ‘what’s in it for them’. And finally the hold-outs who confront you as if you’re about to sell their first-born into slavery. So which group do you focus on?
 
Embrace the fans
The temptation is to focus on the first group; the fans, who hang on your every word. They will read your notification emails and come to your change meetings. They have a very important role to play, especially in the early stages when you’re building forward momentum.
 
Empathise with the ‘hold-outs’
If you enjoy a challenge, what about the ‘hold-outs’? Sway them and you might even build majority support. I recently spoke with a senior leader whose business needs to change in order to build ongoing success. He was intending to target this group as a means of ‘refreshing the organisation’. Whilst this may be warranted, it can build resentment. In fact, you can easily sway the fence-sitters that alternative views and healthy debate are not welcomed here.    
 
So who are these hold-outs? Firstly, let’s not label them as villains. They’re often passionate and committed; after all it’s not always easy to hold a minority position. They generally have deep-seated, entrenched views on most things. In fact, it’s this ‘black & white’ view that paints them into a corner, making it difficult to concede another point of view without losing face. They can be painful; they have no filter so they tell it ‘like it is’. And they’re often the conscience of the business, so every organisation needs a few of them. 
 
Focus on the ‘fence-sitters’
You need to address all three groups but my advice is to focus more on the middle group; the fence sitters. Why? Think about the recent presidential election: It wasn’t the diehard fans who sent Trump to the White House; it was the middle-of-the-road, fence-sitters who wanted to send a message. Change is a game of momentum and according to Business Performance Pty Ltd, “Overcoming the natural inertia in organizations requires the constant application of the forces for change.” They believe Newton’s law can be directly applied and they’ve created the ‘three laws of change management’ to help initiate and manage change. If you can find what it will take to convince the fence-sitters to get on board, you can maintain momentum. It will take less effort to overcome their ‘change-inertia’ than the hold-outs.
 
Groom your evangelists
Every project needs evangelists; people that are willing to put their name to the project. It’s invariably better to recruit evangelists from the fence-sitters. They’re believable, more influential and they can explain why they chose to convert to the faith. If you do a good job here, you’re well on the way to a majority and a successful project.  
 
Find the balance
Individuals need the opportunity to provide input and know their views have been acknowledged. You need to find the balance between creating a democracy where everything is negotiable, and a dictatorship where they have no say at all. Inevitably there will be those that can’t make the journey. Don’t just leave them to mooch around and spread negativity. Help them to the point where their decision is clear but don’t make it personal.
 
Communicate, communicate and then communicate
Above keep communicating with the business, both formally and informally so they see the commitment and momentum building. Address issues early and clear up misinformation as soon as it comes up. Change is not the problem; it's how it's managed that causes most of the problems. Identifying and managing these three groups, will go a long way to making your change successful.

Too many businesses struggle to achieve the clarity and simplicity their customers want. You can gain an edge over your competition by asking yourself: how would you explain your product or service to a 5-year-old?
 
If that sounds like an insurmountable task, think of it this way: at least you’re not going to have to try to explain why the sky is blue. Plus we’re going to go through the practical steps that will get you there . . .
 
Get clear about what you offer
Step 1 in honing your message is to get clarity on what sets you apart from your competitors. Your customers are bombarded every day by other companies’ social media posts, ads everywhere they turn, content marketing, direct marketing filling up their inbox and more. You may have the best products or services in the world, but if you don’t find a way to clearly define your business, your marketing material will become just another distraction they ignore. We all know what happens when businesses don’t have clarity: they put out generic-sounding messages that people stop reading after the first line, and they target the wrong potential customers.
 
So how do you create marketing messages that set you apart? You get clarity on who you are, who your customers are, and what you offer them. Ask yourself:

1. What do my clients want? Make a list of the reasons a potential customer would want to buy your products or services. If you can’t think of a reason, it’s time to reassess why you’re offering that product or service.
2. Can I deliver? If you’re introducing a new product or service to your offerings, make sure you have the capability to satisfy your customers, or you risk alienating them.
3. Can I back up my claims? For potential customers to commit to you, they need to feel confident about placing their trust in your business. So show them evidence of your track record – testimonials are a great way to do this.
4. Is it simple enough? Is your website crawling with long lists of products or services? Look for ways to streamline your products or services, and simplify the way you present them to potential customers.
5. What am I really offering? Clear messaging relies on your getting to the heart of what you deliver for your customers. That means going deeper than just the products or services you sell. For instance, a house-cleaning company is about more than clean floors – it’s about saving time and reducing stress. A company that sells mobile phones is about connecting people and businesses. An investment firm might be about ensuring a comfortable retirement and peace of mind.

​The time you spend now clarifying who you are and what your customers want can pay off big in the future as you begin to create more effective marketing messages that truly connect with your ideal customers.
As for why water is wet? Um . . . go ask your mother.

For sales and marketing professionals this can be a challenging lesson that requires some reprogramming on their part. After all, they’re comfortable talking about the technical stuff! Why wouldn’t any customer be impressed? In reality customers see it as a tick in a box, not a deal-maker. Any sale decided on specifications is ultimately won by the lowest price. In the absence of a compelling value proposition the customer will always choose price to decide; it’s normal consumer behaviour.
This may seem simple, but for some companies the transition from product-centric to outcome-centric is painful. It often requires a rethink of the systems, processes and practises that have evolved to achieve internal objectives rather than meet customer outcomes. If you’re in a mature market which has become commoditised, the inertia against change can be substantial. And then there’s the human element. The fact is some employees will make the transition and some won’t so you need to be prepared for that outcome.
So how do you start the transition? I think the best place to start is by dusting off your GTM (go-to-market) plan and giving it a makeover. Start by reviewing the ‘Why, Who, What and How’ questions relating to your offer.
Why do you do what you do?
This is where you document your mission and vision. I know this feels a bit ‘touchy-feely’ but it’s a crucial part of your offer. “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”. If you need convincing check out Simon Sinek’s video, which is still one of the most viewed TED talks in history.
Who are your customers?
When I ask this question some companies include ‘everyone with a pulse’ but that’s not going to work. Be specific; profile your ideal customers not only according to their demographic, but also their particular challenges, business issues and pain points. Otherwise you’re just using the time honoured yet ineffective ‘spray & pray’ approach.
What’s your offer?
Don’t just think about the product. Consider the whole customer journey – think about all the ways you interact with your customers and how your product or services help them overcome their challenges. You’d be surprised how many times this exercise has uncovered hidden gems that customers value about their supplier interactions. The sum of all these things represents the value your customers derive from doing business with you.
How does the market work and how are you different?
You need to look at the market from your customer’s perspective. The key to this exercise is finding your point of difference by focusing on how customers interact with the market. What do they like and dislike? The more information you gather, the more opportunities that will present themselves. For example, is there an opportunity to add value by addressing an unmet customer need? Even if your industry is heavily commoditised, customers need a reason to choose you apart from price and specifications.
Get a fresh perspective
What I’ve found is that clients almost always know this information. Not only are they experts on their own product, they’re also highly tuned into their markets and customers. They simply needed someone (with a fresh perspective) to facilitate the process of documenting the information and developing an actionable strategy. With that framework in place you can then build a consistent set of marketing tools – develop your value proposition; create a messaging matrix for all customer-facing communications, identify your unique selling points, build your digital and social strategy or create training material for your sales teams.
In fact, with your new GTM plan you’ll have the formula necessary to refine all your marketing activity so it’s always focused on your customers and their outcomes. You’ll have a better idea of where to focus your resources and more importantly where not to. There’s a great quote by Michael Porter, “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” As marketers this is often our biggest challenge, so invest the time to build (or review) your GTM strategy, I guarantee it will pay dividends for your business.

Driven by the digital world, consumers are breaking the mould. They don’t act their age, they don’t always behave according to traditional gender types and they are beginning to aspire to a new set of status symbols. It’s called post-demographic consumerism, which is a bit of a mouthful, and despite an ever-increasing array of digital marketing options at their disposal, marketers will need to go back to the fundamentals to embrace this new challenge. After all, that’s our job. Likewise, CEOs and business owners will need to redefine the why’ of their business and the ‘real value they deliver’ to their customers, to ensure their message resonates with this new wave of consumers.

Question everything
According to Trend Watching, it’s “time to throw out the traditional (and tired) demographic models of consumer behaviour!” You can read the article here, and it’s a great collection of examples that prove how relying on preconceived views about your customers’ age, gender, location and status can be a mistake. As marketers we’re all guilty here. For example so much has been written about mapping customer personas you’d think it was the Holy Grail of marketing? However is it simply another form of stereotyping which reinforces our preconceptions about consumers? Take me for example. I don’t feel like a baby-boomer but I’m too old to be Gen Y, so many brands miss me entirely. Thankfully for me and other non-core consumers, it’s never been easier to experience a wider variety of brands and products that better resonate with us.

Authenticity transcends age and gender
For many consumers it seems the ‘less is more’ approach is cutting through more effectively in a post-demographic consumer world. Many businesses have stripped back their messaging in the search of authenticity and the essence of their brand promise. One such example is clothing company UNIQLO, which I came across years ago in Tokyo’s popular Shibuya district where shopping can be a little confronting for a male my age. Their vision is to “transcend all categories and social groups” and their global expansion has been rapid and somewhat unconventional, even using simple pop-up shops in railway stations to boost exposure. The in-store look and feel is simple and above all, authentic. Despite the fact they now sponsor Novak Djokovic and Adam Scott, they don’t try to be something they’re not and in doing so, have built a successful brand story. Selfridges in London is another fashion retailer looking to communicate to an audience who don’t conform to predefined models. The fashion label recently launched “Agender”, which the company’s website describes  as “a unique genderless shopping experience across fashion, accessories and beauty”. Consumers are being drawn to “Agender” because they can create a personalised judgement-free, online experience, consistent with their lifestyle and beliefs.

Status symbols – wealth is out, wellness is in.
Post-demographic consumerism is not only changing our definition of age and gender, it’s also redefining our understanding of status. It’s not all about how much money you have, your job and how much, or how often you consume anymore. New status symbols such as health and wellness, authenticity, sustainability and life experience, are valued more highly with this new wave of consumers, than having the latest, biggest and best. Now I’m not saying it’s all over for luxury brand marques. Growing affluence and a burgeoning middle-class in China and India alone will drive consumption of luxury goods for years however there’s a real push to reverse the effects of mass consumption. According to Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS), the U.S. market for goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living is worth an estimated $USD290 billion. Research shows one in every four adult Americans form part of this group – nearly 41 million people. These are also the consumers that are least likely to respond predictably to the demographic-based models which many marketers have relied on.

Taking stock of the post-demographic consumer world
So  how do we market to our customers in this time of market change and disruption? It will take some re-calibration so be prepared to review your current go-to-market plan and question your preconceptions and bias about customers. If you’re spending lots of time and money on building customer personas, consider their relevance in this changing environment.
Go back to the fundamentals and review your company’s mission, vision and values, including ‘why we’re in business’ and ‘the real value we deliver to our customers’. Revisit your value proposition and make sure it’s reflected in your messaging. Getting an independent, un-biased perspective on your current state is critical to the outcome of this process. At Corpwrite Strategy, we help businesses maintain relevance with their customers by revitalising their go to market approach. Above all be authentic and remember that today’s consumers are both younger and older; they’re more knowledgeable and certainly more connected than ever before. They don’t take prisoners, they just move on, so make sure you’re not left behind!
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Jeremy Plint is a co-director of Sydney-based business strategy firm, Corpwrite Strategy.

By Corpwrite Strategy’s Jeremy Plint

​Imagine you’ve just convinced an investor to sink millions into your growing business. Then imagine, if after the finalising the deal, he gives you only one piece of advice. What do you think it would be? Increase sales revenue, improve gross margin or maybe keep costs under control?

In the case of Brian Chesky, Co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, it was none of those. His investor simply implored him not to f**k up the culture! And Peter Thiel is not your ordinary investor. An entrepreneur, venture capitalist and social critic, Thiel co-founded PayPal and was also the first external investor in Facebook with a 10.2% stake. Airbnb’s culture and core values were obviously key factors in his decision, maybe even the most important factors.

So why is culture so important?
You’ve probably heard the quote, usually attributed to the famous management consultant and author Peter Drucker, “culture eats strategy for breakfast”. Despite the fact its origin has never been confirmed, this framed quote still hangs in the ‘war room’ of the Ford Motor Company. A great culture will get you through tough times more so than the best strategy in the world. Look at Starbucks, a company whose collapse turned out to be a lead indicator of the crash in consumer confidence of the early 2000’s. With a strong culture that focused on customer experience and employee relations, the company has survived and is back in strong profit growth. At Corpwrite Strategy our business revolves around building great strategy but without a resilient culture you’re already on the back foot. People can execute a strategy but they’ll be loyal to a great culture. For many organisations their culture is so pervasive it has effectively become their brand and their market differentiation. It’s simply the way they operate their business – it guides their decision-making process, their strategy, and defines their relationship with employees and customers.

You might think this is a new trend reserved for funky start-ups but it’s not. Think about Japanese icons such as Canon and Sony who built their brands by pursuing continuous improvement and excellence in every facet of their operation. As if in response to the growing dominance of Japanese manufacturing, US companies such as General Electric, General Motors and Ford achieved phenomenal success by creating corporate cultures that inspired workers and customers alike to support their brands for the betterment of country. Legendary CEO Jack Welch transformed GE by creating a small business culture of informality inside his multinational conglomerate. He valued everyone’s feedback and encouraged people to break systems and processes in order to drive massive change and find better ways of doing things.

Sadly however, many companies allow short term transactional thinking to relegate this aspect of their business to the background. Without visible reinforcement of core values a culture will not thrive. So many businesses today face enormous challenges to review, adapt and re-invent themselves in the face of market disruption. You’ve heard it before, Alibaba is the world’s largest retailer, yet it has no stock and Airbnb books more rooms than any other hotel chain in the world, yet it has no hotels. The recent collapse of Dick Smith may provide insights into why some companies don’t have the resilience to manage change in a disruptive environment. Obviously there’s been significant changes to the brand since Dick Smith sold it many years ago, however the core values that once drove the staff to ensure their somewhat ‘geeky’ passion for electronics translated into great customer service, were probably their greatest strength and a key differentiator in a crowded market. Yet that culture was seemingly lost in a race to the bottom with competing ‘self-service’ and online retailers. Change is the only constant in business today and as the pressure builds, companies without a strong underlying culture become less resilient and are less likely to meet these challenges. They struggle to generate the internal support necessary to drive the change programs needed for continued growth; a clear sign that not everyone is on the same bus .

What are the signs of a great culture?
Firstly , culture is shaped by what your organisation pays attention to and rewards. Once defined and communicated, your core values need to be demonstrated publicly and genuinely modelled by senior leaders. “The culture of any organisation is shaped by the worst behaviour the leader is willing to tolerate”- Gruenter and Whitaker (source unknown). Perception isn’t good enough – people see through the façade pretty quickly when people say one thing and do another. Ultimately the signs of a great culture are people who get on with each other – people who want to be there, in support of management and their leaders, working towards the achievement of common goals.

Secondly, is there a feedback process in place that measures the relative health of the culture? How is that information communicated and acted on? Is there a robust whistle-blower policy? Giving all staff the ability to participate in shaping and developing the culture ensures they feel engaged and valued.

Lastly, look at the on-boarding program. There’s no point bringing someone into a business without clearly defining the culture. Does the program ensure all new employees know exactly what’s expected of them and what they can expect in return? Does everyone understand which behaviours are acceptable and which are not, irrespective of hierarchy? Meetings can tell you a lot about culture. Too many meetings can be a sign that individuals don’t feel empowered to take initiative, or possibly the ownership of responsibilities is poorly defined. Are meetings collaborative, is there an open exchange of views without unfair criticism or hierarchical bias? Negative behaviours that are allowed to stand will very quickly undermine goodwill. How often do you see senior leaders moving through the business talking to individuals? This is so often lacking in large companies, yet it’s so powerful in terms of motivation and recognition of effort.
​
How do you start growing a great culture?
The main thing to remember is that it’s not something that can be constructed in a single session. It’s an organic process that involves people becoming personally invested in the business vision. Constructing this vision should start with a series of questions that define ‘why’ the company exists, and ultimately ‘why’ everyone is here. Then you should identify the core values that define how the business will operate. Your vision, mission and core values will then begin to define everyone’s roles and what is expected of them. It’s important these become part of every individual’s performance review process. How a person goes about their job is every bit as important what they actually achieve. This may all sound a bit nebulous to start with, but once these foundational elements are in place you’ve effectively set both the direction for the business, the standards of operation and the principles for all key decision-making.

Don’t be afraid to start; once you begin the process you’ll find it’s easier than you think. Often bringing in a third party to help facilitate this process can really make a difference. It gives you a fresh perspective as well as someone who is not emotionally involved in your business.

​At the start of a new year, when most people are taking some time out of the business, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on the relative health of your culture. Maybe this piece has given you the motivation to do so? If it has I’d love to know the outcome and welcome any feedback. Have a great 2016.

By Corpwrite Strategy’s Luke Maddison.
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Like most people, I hate Xmas shopping. I always leave it too late, being busy with work or life in general, so I get caught up in the last minute maddening rush. Crowds of people making it hard to move. Horrible traffic full of drivers who forget their basic driving skills at this time of the year. Ambling groups of shoppers wander aimlessly and stop to chat in the middle of the walkway. But more than that, what annoys me most is…I never seem to have a plan.

When I shop the rest of the year, I’m like a Navy SEAL team: I spend the least amount of time in the shopping centre as possible, I know exactly what I’m after and just like a surgical strike, I’m in and out in a flash before the parking ticket software has a chance to realise I’m there and charge me. But at Xmas I seem to lose that ability, trapped in the cycle of “I don’t know what to buy people”. What I’m basically saying is…I never have a strategy! I wander around the shops directionless, hoping that something will jump out at and say “buy me, I’m perfect”! The result: I’m stuck in the hell that is known as last minute Xmas shopping.

This is exactly the situation faced by many businesses we work with: they have an idea of what they want to do but struggle to translate it into a simple, well thought out strategic plan that maps a clear path to achieving their goals. We hear every excuse imaginable: “We’re too busy”, “I don’t know where to start”, “I’ll do it later”, “strategy is a load of rubbish, we just need to get on with it” etc. There are a million excuses to choose from.

So what’s the main reason people don’t have a strategy: I’ve found many people are scared of committing something to paper. They’re not sure exactly what a strategy is nor how to go about creating one. In reality, many businesses simply overthink they whole thing. Having a strategy isn’t something you need to over-complicate, it really should be a basic layout with what you want achieve, for example, in the next calendar year.
Here are three basic rules to stick to when thinking about you strategy for 2016:

1. Do some research: Make sure your plan is fact-based. Take some time to understand what’s already happened and what’s likely to happen next year. You might call this ‘State of the Nation’.

• What was our previous year's performance (numbers, goals, targets) and did we hit or miss our budget?
• What worked well and what didn’t?
• What’s happening in the market and what’s our view on the likely market situation in the next year?

​It’s important to be honest and understand where you’re coming from; it’ll help you shape the next year’s plan. Make sure you know the key numbers across your business, particularly revenue, gross profit (GP), and operating profit (OP).

1. Keep it simple: set yourself a strategy that’s clear, easily understood, and most importantly achievable. You can always include some stretch goals, but being achievable is key to it all: don’t put so much in you plan that when you go to execute it you feel daunted and overstretched before you begin. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set lofty goals, in fact quite the opposite: it’s more that the ones that you set, while pushing you to the limit, are still achievable by you and/or your team.
2. Don’t be too rigid: Things will change throughout the year, so be prepared to tweak and change your strategy as the year progresses. In my experience, keep the big ticket items running for the length of the plan e.g. “we want to grow our presence in the XYZ market”, but make sure the tactical components that you wish to deliver on are firmed up for the first 3-6 months only. That way you can trial and test marketing and sales activities and make course corrections if necessary.

​Most of all, have a crack at it! And if it all feels too hard, don’t be afraid to reach out to an expert to help. As for Xmas shopping, I think I’ll shift my entire strategy to online next year…or even better, I might outsource the whole thing!

By Corpwrite Strategy’s Jeremy Plint.

​After being in corporate roles for many years a good friend and I started a small marketing consultancy. The transition has required a lot of adjustments on my part but maybe the hardest is deciding the best use of my time. There's always a something else to be done and everything is important. It’s reinforced for me the need to have a strategy in place: one that sets the direction and priorities for the business and gives us clarity when decisions need to be made.

Sure, this is still a problem in corporates as well but with smaller businesses it’s even more important to have a clear plan and direction. Why? In a small business, you're actually in the business getting stuff done - meeting clients, working projects, building pipeline, paying bills, sending invoices doing BAS etc. In a large corporate a lot of that stuff tends to get done by others who support the business. There's so many things in a small business that distract you from moving forward so it's even more important you have a plan that defines the direction and key activities your valuable time should be focused on.
And yet, like a dentist appointment or a skin cancer check-up, we tend to de-prioritise spending time on building or reviewing our business strategy. There's many reasons for this but here's a few I’ve heard:

• “It's a dark art not to be trifled with”.
• “It will involve a group hug and people chanting like monks”.
• “I don't have time for that crap, I just need just to get things done”.

The dark art of strategy 

Despite some who tend to over complicate the subject, building your strategy doesn’t need to be difficult. A great way to start this process is to focus on your medium/long term goal for the business and then create a picture in your mind of what success looks like after you've achieved it. How big is the business now? Who are your customers? Has your business diversified? Stuff like that. Next, you need to take an unbiased look at your product or service and particularly the benefit you deliver to your customers, versus your competitors. Why would someone choose you over other alternatives? That's where you can start creating real value. It's often beneficial to bring someone in with a fresh perspective to help with this part. Now you've got a goal, a product and a proposition, you can start to build out a program of activities and tactics that will get you there. Don't forget to build in a good measurement process that's easy to monitor. Of course there's a lot more to it than this short summary but remember, a basic plan is better than no plan.

Hugging and chanting not required

You can't afford any passengers in small/medium business. So whilst you don't need to go on a retreat together you do need to clearly articulate the business strategy so everyone can get emotionally invested in its success. Strategic alignment between all the moving parts of your business is critical and everyone needs a shared vision of why the business does what it does.

​I don't have time for that crap…oh wait!
​
I completely understand the sentiment (In fact I've used it myself). You may not see the value of a clear strategy until you need it the most. Operating without a basic plan catches out so many businesses. They often waste energy on too many tactical changes without a goal in mind, and when fundamental market conditions change they’re ill-equipped to meet the challenge. A good plan involves critically analysing your market and building a few "what if" scenarios to identify future challenges and opportunities you might encounter. Investing in the process is part of future-proofing your business.
So dedicate the time to build your business strategy plan. It’s a living document and once you’ve laid it out it’s easy to revisit and adjust when required. It really doesn’t need to be overly complicated, even a simple plan is better than none at all. Don’t be afraid to have a go and consider seeking help from a strategy expert. It just maybe the catalyst that sets you up for a successful year.

By Corpwrite Strategy’s Luke Maddison.
I was talking with a friend last week that works in marketing at a large organisation. The conversation came up about the latest project they were working on, which in his opinion, his sales teams didn’t “get”.

He was frustrated and venting about how the sales team was a disaster, stuck in their ways not capable of changing. In his view they couldn’t have done anymore to make sure the sales team understood the program they were running and there was nothing that could be done.

This seemed like yet another battle in the long running, time honoured sales vs. marketing feud. But to me, my friend was just as bad as his sales team. Is it not marketing’s job to sell in their program properly and get buy in from the sales team, just as much as it’s the sales teams role to understand the program and pull together behind it?
It’s a problem that I’ve seen from both sides during my career and, to be honest, one I’ve been guilty of myself. But I don’t understand why it’s still such a problem today. Ideally in any well performing business your sales and marketing teams need to be lock step together.

I know I’m risking being attacked by my marketing brethren, but I think the bigger part of the problem lies with marketers. Sometimes we forget there are two customers: the end customer that uses our product/service, and the sales channels that sell them. Running product training, launching a new campaign, explaining why a digital program really will get leads, all of this relies on the marketing team selling in their product/service/program through the channel. At the end of the day as a marketer…you’re really a salesperson! And if selling-in your marketing program is not a part of your strategy, then you’ve failed before you’ve even begun.

In working with our clients I always ask some fundamental questions: How will you sell this in to your sales team? Do you have a strategy to get their buy-in? Have you articulated what’s in this for the sales person? Are you giving them the information they need to execute effectively? Are you clear on the sales targets you to meet? Is your sales training plan clear and concise?
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I’ve always believed that a good marketer is also a good sales person and vice versa. Now being in my own business and having to do every role imaginable, I find the sales person side of me becoming more and more important. We really aren’t that different, sales people and marketers. At the end of the day, we all have to sell!

By Corpwrite Strategy’s Luke Maddison.

​Social and digital marketing is undoubtedly the flavour of the month in the blogosphere and with various business publications. Whilst as marketers we like to stay ahead of the curve, the preoccupation with digital marketing made me think about our profession and how we reach our customers.

There’s no doubt that in a number of industries, digital and social platforms have changed the way customers interact with our brands. However everything I hear and see now is that if we don’t have a major digital presence we’ll fall behind. In B2C businesses that’s perhaps truer than in B2B markets but it made me think: shouldn’t your digital and social activities be components of an underlying strategy designed to deliver agreed business outcomes not the “be all and end all” of 21st century marketing?
Focusing on B2B, I believe our focus should be primarily three fold: develop a strong marketing-led strategy for the business, deliver a marketing program that builds customer preference and generates leads and lastly, ensure customer-facing teams are equipped to action all opportunities.
Many marketers I speak to tell me that they’re doing it tough with the pressure on to slash budgets. Yet they’re still expected to “Do more with less”. At the same time, these same marketers are obsessed with digital strategies, even if their sales teams are not on board as they can’t see how a tweet or a “like’ will generate sales leads. In many cases it’s hard to disagree with the sales teams view: are we as marketers too focused on the “shiny bright new toy” rather than helping our company win business?
I’m not dismissing social and digital as important communications platforms, far from it. I just think digital marketing should be seen as an important part of a larger go-to-market strategy. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are effective ways to talk to our customers, however a well-defined strategy will not only identify the right customer but also the right message and the right timing. I see too many marketing teams firing off on big digital/social projects that really forget the key principles of what we do. In fact without a guiding strategy they’re often no more useful than an unaddressed mailer that we hope will hit someone in the buying cycle. Our job is to set the tone strategically for the products/services our business offers and then drive that strategy across all our marketing programs. Because ultimately if we’re not generating sales, what are we doing the activity for?