Sage Marketing Advice from the Austin CMO Club Dinner
- Every successful CMO has a “signature” move. (think basketball player with their signature move.) What’s your marketing “signature” move?
- For your Brand and Leadership Success – Double the meaning, half the words.
- Be relentless about simplicity. Only a few things have a significant impact on your brand.
- Don’t buy into your own BS.
- You can do it all. Work, family, social life, all within a cohesive work-life balance. Probably not all at once, however.
- Focus on solving the problem, not decorating around it.
- People support what they help create.
- Marketing is helping customers know what their problem is. Help them to understand.
- Be kind when possible, but it’s not always possible.
- There is a direct relationship between the impact of your decisions and your ability to be fearless. The more fearless you are, the bigger the success will be.
Avoid Making Bad Technology Decisions
- First, be crystal clear on the problem you need to solve or the benefit you want to give your customers. Then you can approach technology options.
- Avoid “shiny object” syndrome. Stay true to your initial challenge and business benefit strategy.
- Understand the lifecycle of the data you need. How long will you need it and for what reasons?
- The CMO should spend time identifying the problem and possible solutions in detail as opposed to attending vendor meetings and reviews.
- People, Process. THEN Technology. Don’t expect technology to solve endemic problems. Adding technology on top of a weak team or bad process is a recipe for an expensive disaster.
- No matter what you do, start with a test when working with a new vendor. This test is the best way to see how they deliver and see how your organization can handle the new tools (skills, mindset, etc.)
- If the Toyota works for your business, don’t buy the Porsche. You lose time, money and focus on things you will never use.
- Have a clear understanding of how your technology decisions impact other customer-facing groups like customer service, sales, and retail. Avoid creating havoc face to face with customers.