Effective marketing tactics must be constantly evaluated and re-evaluated to stay ahead of your competition, but you know this, management is highly risk adverse. How do you crack this impasse? There are new programs that you strongly suspect are worth testing to see if they work better, but getting approval by the C-Suite on new programs can be difficult.
I was at Eloqua’s user conference, The Eloqua Experience as a guest, when I heard Brian Kardon give a presentation on marketing and sales alignment. Wow! Best presentation I have seen in a long time. I rarely think there is just one top thought leader in a topic area, but after hearing Brian talk I would easily vote him that guy.
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A quick look at his achievements explains why I think that of him. Brian was recently named a Top 10 Global CMO for companies <$250 million in revenue by The CMO Institute and a Top 15 CMO on Twitter by Social Media Marketing Magazine. He is a Board Member of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) and an active member of The CMO Club. He knows his stuff.
Who better to ask how to sell the CMO on a new idea? Here is what he had to say.
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Here is what Brian Kardon had to say about that.
“Great ideas have to be presented in the language of the company. So most companies’ senior executives are not thinking about clicks and open rates and you know building the database. They think in terms of closed business.
“So if you can use the language of the CFO or the CEO to describe your project to say, “Oh this particular project will generate so many leads or so many opportunities and then based historically these are the conversion rates – here’s the business we will close.” So you have to really be thinking about closed loop the marketing.
“Understand how the marketing programs tie into the language of the senior executives. I think that’s a good way to describe projects. A mistake I’ve seen often is when they use the language of just the marketing organization or, “Wow it’s really a creative idea or it’s really cool.” Those generally don’t work really well.
“you can see it’s a cool idea and you can believe it in your heart and you want marketing to be really cool but you have to use the language of businesspeople across the company.”
Interviewed: Brian Kardon Noted CMO and Marketing Automation thought leader @bkardon
susansaldibar
March 30, 2012
Steve, I had to learn this lesson the hard was as so many marketers do. When I was a newly minted marketing manager, I thought I could get by on my enthusiasm and presentation skills, only to wonder why there were a lot of smiles around the table that didn’t result in approval for the project or campaign to move forward. Finally, I got it. I realized that nothing convinces like a plan. A clear objective (with a number attached), a set of tactics to be used to reach the goal, the media channels to be used, and the expected outcome, with some milestones set to check on the progress of the campaign. Having something tangible, written as a business person, make all the difference. Shows you did your homework, you take the use of corporate funds seriously, and are committed to the end-result — the bottom line.
Great read. THanks!
Steve Farnsworth A.K.A. @Steveology
March 30, 2012
Great comment, Susan. Thanks!
Brian Kardon (@bkardon)
April 2, 2012
Thanks for the great post, Steve. I have admit that I learned this lesson the hard way — through many missteps and years of failing to make the right kinds of arguments on behalf of marketing programs. I’d be overjoyed if this advice can save some wear-and-tear on marketers.
Best,
Brian
Steve Farnsworth A.K.A. @Steveology
April 2, 2012
As practical as the advice is, there is a lot more to the implications. I think that your advice goes beyond getting the CMO to buy off, it helps the marketer get out of the bad habit of seeing everything in marketing jargon and terms. It starts the process of shifting mindsets to understand how to align marketing and sales.
Michela Stribling (@mstribling)
June 22, 2012
This article should be required reading for all marketers; it is chock full of practical advice about the power of simply shifting your perspective and your language. I had to learn this lesson the hard way but those who take the time to read this post may well spare themselves that frustration.
The Quant Method (@QuantMethod)
June 28, 2012
Great post, Steve and Brian. Using the language of any client that you are pitching is essential to breaking through resistance and making a meaningful connection. We’d go a step further and research their personality type, then communicate in their type-specific language. For example, if your target likes working with details, then I’d present them with as many relevant ones that I could think of. Another type may just want the bottom line; then I’d model my presentation around that.
Laura Kinoshita
July 22, 2012
So few marketing folks are using closed-loop marketing, but this post explains why it’s so important. I also think low-level marketers shy away from true “accountability” measures that the CFO or CEO can track. Once your accountable, you’re responsible.
Steve Farnsworth A.K.A. @Steveology
July 23, 2012
Agreed. Also, you can change what you can’t measure.
Robbie Alan Leiva
December 16, 2012
Steve’s post is right on time for what business is all about. Without communication, we’re just another species, and without communicating in the RIGHT language, we’re just waisting breath. It’s time to STOP imposing our own way on others and start getting off our high horse in order to PROVIDE for our prospect’s needs. After all, business is supply and demand after all, but… isn’t that the FIRST lesson in ANY business? Basics people. THANKS STEVE :-)