By Omar Barraza
RECOGNIZE YOUR WARNING SIGNS
Leaders expect their staff to meet objectives, whether launching a startup, growing a small or medium business, or scaling an enterprise organization. I trust everyone on your marketing team strives to surpass expectations, but when this doesn't happen these resourceful individuals seek out "proven" fixes with unexpected consequences. Here are five classic warning signs your marketing staff is in trouble and your organization may soon follow:
1. Proposals from staff to implement sophisticated marketing automation systems.
Introducing new systems will ensure your marketing team focuses on mastering tools rather than achieving desirable outcomes. The Internet is flooded with information published by vendors and targeting your marketing team. Proposals indicate your staff has been convinced deploying new automation systems will resolve their marketing challenges. Systems create work.
2. Failure to document strategy, plans, goals, and objectives in advance of activities.
Marketing becomes an endless and wasteful journey without a road map. Leveraging past experiences is not strategy and past performance is not planning. Without goals and objectives, completion of tasks defines success. Instead, predict outcomes and record strategy, plans, goals, and objectives for each activity before execution begins. Expectations drive results.
3. Following the best practices of other companies, major vendors, or industry experts.
Copying the marketing best practices of others is unlikely to deliver similar results. Your organization is unlike others so their what works for them will not work the same for you. The best practices of vendors involves buying their products and services. Industry experts create value by promoting unproven ideas. Solutions are discovered.
4. Postponing the introduction of analytics and metrics for campaigns.
Marketing has become an artful science. There are numerous no-cost and low-cost tools available for tracking activities, measuring results, and reporting outcomes so there's no excuse for postponing their use. You can't run a business without financial accounting and reporting and you shouldn't run marketing without analytics and metrics. Winners keep score.
5. Expectations quality and quantity are the leading indicators for success.
Here's a counter-intuitive trap that snags too many marketers. Businesses expect their staff to become more productive and produce better work. Therefore, marketers strive to complete more activities of ever-higher quality. The problem with this approach is repeating activities that don't work at higher frequency and better quality is a mistake. Outcomes matter most.
RECOGNIZE YOUR WARNING SIGNS
Leaders expect their staff to meet objectives, whether launching a startup, growing a small or medium business, or scaling an enterprise organization. I trust everyone on your marketing team strives to surpass expectations, but when this doesn't happen these resourceful individuals seek out "proven" fixes with unexpected consequences. Here are five classic warning signs your marketing staff is in trouble and your organization may soon follow:
1. Proposals from staff to implement sophisticated marketing automation systems.
Introducing new systems will ensure your marketing team focuses on mastering tools rather than achieving desirable outcomes. The Internet is flooded with information published by vendors and targeting your marketing team. Proposals indicate your staff has been convinced deploying new automation systems will resolve their marketing challenges. Systems create work.
2. Failure to document strategy, plans, goals, and objectives in advance of activities.
Marketing becomes an endless and wasteful journey without a road map. Leveraging past experiences is not strategy and past performance is not planning. Without goals and objectives, completion of tasks defines success. Instead, predict outcomes and record strategy, plans, goals, and objectives for each activity before execution begins. Expectations drive results.
3. Following the best practices of other companies, major vendors, or industry experts.
Copying the marketing best practices of others is unlikely to deliver similar results. Your organization is unlike others so their what works for them will not work the same for you. The best practices of vendors involves buying their products and services. Industry experts create value by promoting unproven ideas. Solutions are discovered.
4. Postponing the introduction of analytics and metrics for campaigns.
Marketing has become an artful science. There are numerous no-cost and low-cost tools available for tracking activities, measuring results, and reporting outcomes so there's no excuse for postponing their use. You can't run a business without financial accounting and reporting and you shouldn't run marketing without analytics and metrics. Winners keep score.
5. Expectations quality and quantity are the leading indicators for success.
Here's a counter-intuitive trap that snags too many marketers. Businesses expect their staff to become more productive and produce better work. Therefore, marketers strive to complete more activities of ever-higher quality. The problem with this approach is repeating activities that don't work at higher frequency and better quality is a mistake. Outcomes matter most.
About the Author: Omar Barraza collaborates with founders, owners, and executives to scale their organization's marketing capabilities. His work has facilitated more that $1 billion in revenue, 300% year-over-year company growth, and $150 million in capital raising. Connect with Omar on LinkedIn or visit his website at www.OmarBarraza.com.
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