When the Going Gets Tough …
Fire Your CEO First!
Dear Business-Builder,
When someone asks, “What do you do for a living?” there is only one correct answer.
It’s not, “I have a business.” A business is something you own; not something you do.
It’s not “I’m a doctor.” That’s just a profession – not what really pays the bills.
And it’s sure not, “I give investment advice.” Or, “I do landscaping.” Or, “I dry-clean clothes.” Or, “I write sales copy.” Those are just the products and services you sell.
The only correct answer to this most common cocktail-party question is to declare loudly and proudly …
“I’m a marketer!”
“My specialty is attracting new customers … persuading existing customers to make ever-larger purchases … convincing them to buy more often … and making sure they keep buying from me forever.”
I’m not quibbling here; the point I’m making is a crucial one. Because your answer to the “What do you do?” question says a lot about how you think about your business or career.
And as long as you define yourself by what you own or by the sheepskin on your wall or by the product or service you sell – as long as you define yourself as anything but a marketer — you are setting yourself up to make huge mistakes in how you run your business that will limit your success.
Because every business and every non-profit organization is first and foremost a marketing enterprise. Because nothing happens until the cash register rings.
So it amazes me that so many marketers structure their companies upside-down: With MBAs, bean-counters and lawyers at the top and marketers forced to beg for resources.
In good times that’s a bad idea. In bad times, it’s idiotic.
We’re now staring down the barrel of the worst holiday season in decades. With unemployment surging, wary consumers are pinching their pennies, avoiding all but essential expenses. And all around the globe, businesses are cutting costs like there’s no tomorrow.
But cost-cutting is only half of the equation. In times like these, companies that find ways to introduce new efficiencies into their business process are most likely to survive. And that means we can no longer afford to elevate bureaucrats and relegate the marketing department to second-place.
In times like these, we don’t need CEOs. We need CMOs — Chief MARKETING Officers — running our companies: People who make sure that attracting new customers, selling more to each customer and keeping customers buying longer are the top priorities of every employee — from the business owner right on down to the janitor.
Nor do we need budgets that restrict the amount of testing marketers are able to do — we need spending mandates that empower marketers to run every good idea up the flagpole to see how many prospects and customers salute.
My advice: If you own a business or work for one, read this. Then, read this. Then, marshal the troops this week to brainstorm what you should be doing right now to put marketing first.
I’ll predict that one meeting will do more to help your company or your clients’ companies thrive than anything else you could possibly do this week.
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often,
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
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11 Comments »
Join the Discussion!
Let us know what you think. Or ask us anything. Or offer your own sage advice.
The only rule: RESPECT THIS HOUSE! Postings that contain abusive language and/or personal attacks will be cheerfully VAPORIZED. One cross word and – POOF! – your well-thought-out post will be gone in a puff of smoke.
– Clayton
Comment by lawton chiles — November 17, 2008 @ 2:45 pm
Clayton-I agree wholeheartedly. We need action figures, ones that storm the fort and rescue the people stuck inside. Anyone can lead a company-but not everyone knows how to over extreme value.
Comment by Glen Kohlenberg — November 17, 2008 @ 4:20 pm
Thanks Clayton and what amazes me is how long it takes for the man who writes the check to get it. There are so many retail stores in trouble in my little town and they just don’t get it.
They all would rather complain then do something about it. By the time they figure it out it’s to late. Closed up. This drives me nuts!
Wake up America!
Comment by John Deck — November 17, 2008 @ 5:04 pm
I have been in hitech for 25 years and only once did I work for a company that had anything other than a techie or finance person running the company. So when the going got tough what would they do? Cut sales and marketing, especially marketing first. And then complain how sales was only getting worst.
For a company CEO to be viewed as a marketer was almost an insult.
BTW, the VCs that were behind some of these companies were no better. They would fund product development because they viewed that as building an asset, but sales and marketing were an expense.
John
Comment by Jeremy Reeves — November 17, 2008 @ 10:53 pm
Right on Clayton!
Before I was able to become a full-time MARKETER…my employee was cutting costs like CRAZY.
To the point where they began quality degradation…and people took notice.
I knew enough to get out of there before it went down the tubes, but most of my co-workers didn’t see it like I did.
I’m giving them another 6 months before they shut doors, but I would guess it would be sooner than that.
I just wish they’d let me go in there for 30 minutes and let me in charge of the place.
Oh well though, life goes on…
Great post (as always).
Jeremy Reeves
http://www.controlbeatingcopy.com
Comment by Nelson — November 18, 2008 @ 5:43 am
Timely reminder there Clayton.
Marketing is a crucial component of any business. Time and time again, companies went out of business because they have gone out of touch with customers’ demand.
Effective marketing is so important to ensure we are always giving customers what they want.
Comment by Steve Newdell — November 18, 2008 @ 8:06 pm
But let’s also give people hope, damn it! Let’s not do like some people — I won’t mention names — who talk about the housing market as a "bottomless pit" … or the automotive industry as a "black hole" … or Wall Street like "ground zero of a neutron bomb." Let’s not talk about a run on bank deposits or insurance policy loans. And for God’s sake, let’s not name names of banks on the verge of insolvency! Yeah Clayton and Martin, STOP TELLING THE TRUTH!
Lov,
Steve
Comment by Adam Jetson — November 19, 2008 @ 4:44 am
Hands down one of the best bits of zero-bull ‘back to basics’ business guidance I’ve ever read (no mean feat considering all the other gold dust you have here)…
Plus, include those other 2 fantastic posts linked within and no-one, but NO-ONE, has any excuse to not make a Sudden Impact in their business that Clint Eastwood would be proud of.
Yes - i’ve read the sentiments in various guises before - but you, Clayton, always manage to shove the stick of dynamite up my ass that helps make sure it gets acted upon!
Just a big thank you for providing such incredibly useful and emotive success-info on such a ridiculously regular basis. It is massively appreciated.
Best wishes,
Adam Jetson
Comment by Susan Connors — November 19, 2008 @ 10:00 pm
Hi Clayton
Many thanks - am taking info onboard and seeing how I can use it!
Sue in Aus
http://www.marketingforlife.com.au
Comment by Chu D. Obii — November 21, 2008 @ 3:07 pm
What a reminder Clayton, I’m sticking with your blog for a long time to come. I am in the property business in London, UK and I actually consider myself a marketer and that’s what I call myself - though I am just learning feeding on every marketing educational materials I can lay my hands on (Jay Abraham, AWAI [infinity program subscriber], and then I was referred to your blog - so here I am).
In my industry (property) today marketing is extremely crucial, and it will remain paramount in my mind. Thanks Clayton, and have a splendid weekend!!
Comment by Tom "Bald Dog" Varjan — November 22, 2008 @ 10:50 pm
This obsession with image marketing reminds me of a recent article in the Washington Post about the three car CEO’s flying to Washington to beg for some money and justify it.
"Chrysler really is the quintessential American car company!" Chrysler’s Nardelli boasted.
"We have products that are winning car and truck of the year regularly," General Motors’ Wagoner proclaimed.
"We are equal to or better than Honda and Toyota," Ford’s Mulally added. "And we have, at Ford, more five-star quality and safety ratings than any other automobile."
So, awards are up to their eyebrows but can’t sell the stuff.
And thanks a lot for the great articles in the Total Package, Clayton.
Cheers
Tom
Comment by Dean Dhuli — November 24, 2008 @ 5:24 am
When you think again, the "no marketing please" mindset is probably a good thing.
If every business owner and every company knows the importance of marketing and how to do it right, then marketing consultants would run out of work and there would be no market space to fill in or take over.
Dean Dhuli
http://HighPowerCopy.com/