Decoding the 4 Simple Secrets to be a Successful Marketer

Let's start with sipping a cup of hot tea.

Now here's a question for you.

If the basic ingredients of preparing a tea remain the same, why does it taste differently when prepared by different individuals?

Hope you are getting the drift. Marketing is no more different. While all marketers may have access to the same resources, tools and opportunity window, only a handful of them succeed. The so-called “secret mantra” is hidden deep in the soft skills these individuals possess.

Over my journey of 12+ years in the industry, I have been fortunate to work along with numerous marketers and closely understand their thought process, working style, decision-making skills and so on. I am no judge or jury to call out whether one has been successful or not. However, there are few interesting observations that I have made in these years which I have crystallized down here.

1. Embracing Simplicity - In this digital age, one has access to a mind-boggling amount of data, tools, research reports and so on. On average, a marketer has access to 10-15+ toys (read tools) along with their partners and hundreds of metrics at his/her disposal along with these tools with tons of data. To some using each and every tool & metric for planning, deployment & measurement can look fascinating but as Edward Deming said: “ Just because you can measure everything doesn't mean you should”. I would extend this to tools, metrics & data too. Marketers who have the innate ability to make the complex simple are clear winners. Simplicity ensures clarity of thought, direction and time for the entire team to focus on things which matter.
2. Respect & Appreciation for all Partners - It's never an individual’s charisma, magic & ingenuity which ensures success. It's always a team’s effort, right from your superior who helped you refine your thought process, the guy in sales who ensured the product distribution was just right or your media & creative partners who burned the midnight oil to ensure you have the right creative, media mix and innovative idea/placements. Continuous respect & appreciation fosters trust & sense of belonging for the brand. I have seen the same team servicing a small brand with great passion and zeal bringing in great results, but taking a very mechanical approach when servicing large brands. And all this difference just because on the way how they were treated.  I am sure if you look around you will find enough examples in your office
3. Asking the Right Questions - This is all about unwavering focus on identifying the central problem and to me, It is the cornerstone of marketing success. What problem are you outlining? Is it the real problem or stems from some other critical problem which needs to be addressed? Over the years I have seen a plethora of half-cooked briefs ( leave aside the verbal briefs) and on the other hand some well crafted, though through briefs which put you on the toes and gets you thinking and hence searching for the right answers/solution. You see the very end goal of every marketing is sales. However, why the sales are not happening is another question to ponder upon. Is it because of awareness, perception, pricing etc? So ask the right questions because “To ask the right questions is half of the problem already solved”
4. Don't Fear Failure - As they say ‘No Guts no Glory’. Success and failures are the two facets of the same coin. No successful marketer has been successful without failing. These remarkable individuals keep challenging norms and also possess great resilience to come out strong in the event of a failure. Success to them comes by design and not default. One always has a safe tried & tested method of doing the same things again and again. Some marketers like to just hide behind this comfortable status quo while some rise up to the occasion and challenge convention to bring outstanding result to their organisation.

I will not pen a concluding remark today but rather put a question to you.

What do you think makes a great marketer?

Would love to know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Disclaimer - Views expressed are personal. They do not reflect the views or opinion of my organisation