[Author: Cindy Feldman, 03.16 | Keywords: Marketing]
Everyone is talking marketing advice these days, from authors to bloggers to social media gurus. But for those of us that have worked hard to find success, true marketing wisdom is more than just inspirational plateaus, it’s success-defining mantras.
- Empathy will always come back to interpersonal connections. Become adept at understanding the interests of your audience. Demonstrate value for your customer by reining in a mixed effort and figuring out what your customers want and produce more of it.
- Change used to be incremental. It’s exponential now, and you need to get out in front of it. All I can say is “learn it, experience it and master it.” Push yourself to do things you aren’t comfortable doing. With the disruption that nearly every industry faces as the world becomes more mobile, stretching your limits will make you better, smarter and better equipped to deal with change.
- The only thing that matters is that you do great work. Answer the simple questions: What moves customers? What makes them get up in the morning? What do they enjoy in their free time? Do you realize that most likely the answers to those questions could have a business result? We live in a world where consumers can fast-forward so you have to create a brand that people want to pay attention to.
- Reputation is something you spend a long time building for yourself, and every interaction has the ability to increase it or decrease it. Increase your recognition as a thought-leader. The way you treat people—no matter how big your dealership is—is a big part of the reputation you build for yourself.
- The only way you can score is if you’re in the game, so you have to have the courage to suit up. There is more value to be had than just being accessible and using traditional communication. To best serve your customers, you need to be knowledgeable and share that knowledge using technologies or social networks. Go where the conversations are and add value to them. In this digital era, your customers are connected online. Nearly 75% of adults are online daily and almost 25% of them report being constantly connected.
- You can’t give up believing in yourself and being your own biggest advocate because no one else will do it for you. Using your ability to tell stories and share your work is a critical enabler that will mean a big difference in your marketing success, particularly those working in analytics.
- Make sure to be a part of your journey in the moment, rather than focusing on the destination, because the journey is everything. One of my learnings has been to be honest with myself and make sure I’m keeping my focus on those things I can influence in the most significant way. I’ve learned there are things you can really affect, and things you can’t. I try to focus my limited energy and time on those things I can influence most.
- With hard work, grit and a positive mindset, anything can be achieved. Your passions and your natural strengths are the pillars that you will build a successful career on. Work at finding what you love to do and do more of it.
- Stay curious and don’t settle. Just another way to say “inspect what you expect.” Every assumption deserves to be proven and proven again if the proof is dated. Be aware that your customer’s needs are ever-changing and so are the needs of your marketing department. Be flexible so you can change along with them.
- We have a tendency to compare ourselves to other people, but the truth is that everyone is on their own journey. Identify the skills you’ll need tomorrow and learn them today. You have 2,080 hours this year to do just that.
About the Author
Cindy Feldman
For over three years, Cindy has managed marketing and communication efforts for the Association and Power Farming Shows through print, electronic and social media. Outside of work, Cindy can be found traveling, gardening, hunting for cool vintage finds, running, biking and hanging out with her dog, Jack.