Tap into Expertise of Marketing Gurus
Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2024 8:16 am
No, I’m not talking about how you manage your business portfolio. I’ve got your career in mind. You know, that not-so-insignificant part of your life that is too often left to happenstance.
If you are like most Executives, you will have a haphazard and non-strategic approach to managing your career – that’s when you put any thought into it at all.
Clearly, that doesn’t make sense.
Clearly, the fact that you are still reading means that you are at least stockholder database semi-interested in overcoming this deficit.
Clearly, it might be useful to learn from the world’s leading B2C and B2B marketing experts.
Les Binet and Peter Field have a well-deserved global reputation for understanding what does and does not drive advertising success and profitability. They’ve brought academic rigour to questions of marketing strategy.
As soon as they publish it, Binet and Field’s analysis is taken up by the world’s most savvy marketers. So, let’s take seven of Binet & Field’s tenets, particularly in the world of B2B marketing, and apply them to your career.
Brand building and sales activation work over different time scales
Binet and Field differentiate between two totally separate activities: Sales Activation and Brand Building. In career terms, Sales Activation is the equivalent to applying for a new job. Brand Building holds the same meaning in the career space as it does in the marketing space.
Binet and Field report that in relation to Sales Activation, short-term effects dominate with a sales uplift that comes within 6 months generally. (This makes sense if you compare it with a job search. Once you have made up your mind to target a new role, it generally happens quickly.)
Brand Building, however, leads to long term sales growth and they are talking about a two to three-year effort. If you translate this benefit into career terms, it means that your marketplace comes to you and constantly pesters you to come and work for them.
How to profit from this tenet in your career.
Sales Activation still needs to be well executed.
Ensure that your immediate selling skills and documentation are strong: cover letters, résumé, LinkedIn profile, job search networking, interview skills.
Brand Building is the work you do to ensure that your market place knows you and likes what it sees.
Switch from a ‘fits and starts’ approach and have a long, hard think about increasing your emphasis on the brand. Establish a strategic plan with measurable KPIs.
Seek support so that you stick to your strategic plan.
I read a recent success story where the Executive met weekly with a paid mentor. That seemed a bit excessive to me; however, arrange to meet a support person at least once every 6 months. They will help you stay on track and focused on the sensible use of your time.
Your share of voice predicts your future growth – or decline
There’s a simple rule that applies to B2C and B2B marketing. A brand’s Share of Voice tends to predict its future Share of Market. When a brand’s Share of Voice within a category is larger than its market share, it is very likely to grow. When its Share of Voice is lower than the market share, it will most likely shrink.
As Les Binet explained, the more people you are reaching, and the more people who are talking about you, the greater your opportunity to maintain or grow your market share. If you’re achieving less reach and impact than your position in your category suggests you need, there’s likely to be trouble ahead.
If you are like most Executives, you will have a haphazard and non-strategic approach to managing your career – that’s when you put any thought into it at all.
Clearly, that doesn’t make sense.
Clearly, the fact that you are still reading means that you are at least stockholder database semi-interested in overcoming this deficit.
Clearly, it might be useful to learn from the world’s leading B2C and B2B marketing experts.
Les Binet and Peter Field have a well-deserved global reputation for understanding what does and does not drive advertising success and profitability. They’ve brought academic rigour to questions of marketing strategy.
As soon as they publish it, Binet and Field’s analysis is taken up by the world’s most savvy marketers. So, let’s take seven of Binet & Field’s tenets, particularly in the world of B2B marketing, and apply them to your career.
Brand building and sales activation work over different time scales
Binet and Field differentiate between two totally separate activities: Sales Activation and Brand Building. In career terms, Sales Activation is the equivalent to applying for a new job. Brand Building holds the same meaning in the career space as it does in the marketing space.
Binet and Field report that in relation to Sales Activation, short-term effects dominate with a sales uplift that comes within 6 months generally. (This makes sense if you compare it with a job search. Once you have made up your mind to target a new role, it generally happens quickly.)
Brand Building, however, leads to long term sales growth and they are talking about a two to three-year effort. If you translate this benefit into career terms, it means that your marketplace comes to you and constantly pesters you to come and work for them.
How to profit from this tenet in your career.
Sales Activation still needs to be well executed.
Ensure that your immediate selling skills and documentation are strong: cover letters, résumé, LinkedIn profile, job search networking, interview skills.
Brand Building is the work you do to ensure that your market place knows you and likes what it sees.
Switch from a ‘fits and starts’ approach and have a long, hard think about increasing your emphasis on the brand. Establish a strategic plan with measurable KPIs.
Seek support so that you stick to your strategic plan.
I read a recent success story where the Executive met weekly with a paid mentor. That seemed a bit excessive to me; however, arrange to meet a support person at least once every 6 months. They will help you stay on track and focused on the sensible use of your time.
Your share of voice predicts your future growth – or decline
There’s a simple rule that applies to B2C and B2B marketing. A brand’s Share of Voice tends to predict its future Share of Market. When a brand’s Share of Voice within a category is larger than its market share, it is very likely to grow. When its Share of Voice is lower than the market share, it will most likely shrink.
As Les Binet explained, the more people you are reaching, and the more people who are talking about you, the greater your opportunity to maintain or grow your market share. If you’re achieving less reach and impact than your position in your category suggests you need, there’s likely to be trouble ahead.