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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6 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 Ryan — December 4, 2009 @ 11:32 am
Love it and very validating too. I’ve been calling myself a “marketer” for several years now and it’s always interesting to see the response. Most people still recoil a little or give that nervous laugh. Even living in the greatest nation in the world, driven by free enterprise, these people don’t understand the key fact that commerce makes us great. And what drives commerce? Sales and marketing.
I’m proud to say I’m a marketer because every now and then I’ll be saying it to someone that has the responsibility for the profitability of a business or product. These people think on a higher plane. They understand that nearly everything that everyone else does in a venture is pointless without revenue. So, they always want to know more. They understand the importance, and difficulty, of penetrating a market, finding the buyers, and getting their money.
Comment by Sid — December 4, 2009 @ 10:32 pm
Hi Clayton,
I’ve never out it just that way when asked what I do, but I will now.
I do often use the phrase “It’s All About Marketing” when referring to almost any aspect of business in discussions with friends and colleagues … and then I go on to describe how THE WORD relates more directly to the subject matter.
Sid
Comment by Des Vadgama — December 5, 2009 @ 11:17 am
Hear, hear, Clayton. Most business problems and challenges I’ve seen over the years could be rectified fairly quickly - just with a sharper focus on marketing.
Comment by Jeff McIntosh — December 5, 2009 @ 11:28 am
Hey everybody!
I just signed a deal with a production company in LA as a sponsor of a new reality TV series to air on NBC in 2010. It’s called “The Ultimate Women Challenge”.
It’s about 16 female MMA fighters, their training and lifestyle. There will be celebrity judges and hosts. America will vote for favorite fighters on the show. Sort of like “American Idol” for MMA.
Anyway, I have to come up with a commercial, 15 second spot, for my company BOOM Superfoods and our product “FOODFIGHT”.
This will air on NBC primetime. We’re a small family run company and this is the biggest thing to happen to us. We want to get the commercial right. We do NOT have a budget for this.
We’re winging it. Can anyone offer advice, guidance, encouragement or whatever as to how we should proceed? How do you write a commercial?!
Any and all invited to give your two cents.
Comment by Jeff McIntosh — December 5, 2009 @ 11:30 am
By the way,our website is boomsuperfoods.com. Google us, we’ll be at the top.
Comment by Brad Petersen — December 7, 2009 @ 1:01 pm
Hey Jeff, congratulations on your sponsorship deal. Sounds exciting.
I’m no expert on TV advertising, but if you’ve only got 15 seconds you need to use the time to drive prospects to a web site (or recorded phone message) that offers them a free report with valuable info on bodybuilding (or something related to your supplements). That way you can collect their names and e-mail addresses and market to them to your heart’s content.
In the commercial, mention the report, tell them three or four things they’ll get from the report and then give them a web address or phone number — and repeat it a couple of times and have it show on the screen.
Also, make sure the report contains really solid information. You can use it to sell some, but I’d limit the selling to 10% to 20% of the content at most.
I haven’t read it, but I understand that Joe Sugarman’s “Television Secrets for Marketing Success” is a great book on the subject. You can probably find it on Amazon.
One other thing: I see you use reverse type on your web site. This makes it much more difficult to read. I always advise against it. In all things, emulate Clayton.