When you’re a marketer around 95% of the people you rely on to be successful report to someone else. They are the sales people, accountants, the customer service folk or technicians and they are also a raft of external suppliers in agencies, printers, various media outlets or distributers of marketing materials.
To be a good marketer you have to be a good at sucking up. Your favourite saying should be, “what’s in it for them”. If you want to implement a company wide campaign that does not die on the sales floor you had better spend the time explaining what your wanting to achieve and getting the sales people’s buy in before launching. I have seen a marketing campaign with a launch date the same as the national sales conference when the sales people were all away and I’ve seen a marketing campaign generating new installations at a time when the technicians have their heaviest annual work load. To make a customer promise in advertising and have the customers find long waiting lists means a loss of brand integrity not to mention as possible social media backlash.
A good marketer also understands external suppliers are an integril part of the team. Not only do suppliers add value in the campaign execution process if your having conversations with them rather than just simply directing them but they are also a great source of new ideas an innovation as they often discuss what other businesses may be doing. I judge my suppliers on making targets, reducing costs and hitting deadlines but more importantly I judge them on the depth of relationship. If something stuffs up do they have their shoulder to the wheel also and are they always looking for ways to improve their delivery and deliver innovative ideas.
