I was taking someone through my new business plan last week. It’s centred on a number of products and services especially for the MDs and CEOs of ambitious companies. I was asked why I wasn’t aiming at the marketing person in these organisations.
The reason I’ve focused on the business leaders is because this is where a genuine difference can be made. The types of business I work with are those that are a few years in, they’re onto something, and now they want to step it up. And, I’ve found that it’s only when the person driving the business has a decent grasp of marketing that this can really happen.
I described how, in the first 6 to 12 weeks of my most successful engagements, I almost always find myself acting not as a marketing consultant, but as a marketing confidante.
The MDs in questions have often worked with lots of marketing consultants in the past. The thing about many marketing consultants, and expert marketing suppliers, is that you need to know enough about what they do to brief and work with them effectively.
What’s different in what I do, and what makes the difference, is when the MD has the wisdom to recognise that they do not know, and the confidence to work with me to fill the knowledge gap. Once the MD knows enough about marketing to make great decisions, the change is tangible. It’s a calmness. Being clear about what needs to be done puts you in control.
It feels good.
Having described this process, the person I was chatting to said they got it… I was like the PA in Devil Wears Prada. The MD being the Meryl Streep character, looking cool, calm and in-control whilst having the key information whispered in her ear. There’s a ring of truth in that. I certainly do whisper translations of nonsense marketing jargon to clients who need it.
Fortunately, my clients are much more fun to work with. And, the marketing knowledge I have can be transferred. They’ll only need a confidante for a short time whilst they take the brave step of admitting (privately) that they do not know, and airing (and resolving) the frustrations they have about not being able to link marketing to sales results.
© Bryony Thomas | The Watertight Marketer.
Bryony Thomas
Author & Founder, Watertight Marketing
Bryony Thomas is the creator of the multi-award winning Watertight Marketing methodology, captured in her best-selling book of the same name. She is one of the UK's foremost marketing thinkers, featured by the likes of Forbes, The Guardian, Business Insider and many more, and in-demand speaker for business conferences, in-house sales days and high-level Board strategy days.
