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MAY 2015 • PPB • 31
AVERT THE TALENT GAP
They can no longer simply broadcast the brand message, they
must embody it. Social channels offer opportunities to com-
municate corporate purpose and culture, and to build rapport
with prospects and customers.
To do so, marketers need to develop communication skills
that allow them to authentically participate in social media. As
marketers move away from product-based messages, they must
also build personalized interactions that address the customer
as an individual. Their communications mustn’t be perceived as
selling, but as helpful and relevant, tapping into customers’
interests and tailoring the message to deliver information that
enhances the customer’s engagement.
4Carry Internal And External
Messages Marketers can’t simply focus
on customers any longer; they also
need to build insights to help their organiza-
tions rally workers around the brand, recruit
new talent and better understand employee
motivation.
Marketers will need to develop insights
that allow them to understand both customer
and colleague, increasing engagement on both
fronts. Traditional approaches that separated
these functions should instead be integrated,
as the processes draw on similar marketing
competencies. Corporate blogs, intranets and
proprietary social networks can be places for
collaboration, and social media breaks down
the wall between internal and external com-
munications.
5Bridge The Gap With IT Marketers
often point to the challenge of balanc-
ing left and right brain initiatives. To
be successful, they need to blend art with
science, but too often they let technology,
data and analytics remain firmly in the domain of their
colleagues in IT. This can be less than ideal because IT
professionals rarely have the deep knowledge of the customer
or the brand.
Marketers don’t need to become analysts, but they do need
to be able to guide the work of analysts, understand data and
turn insights into strategy. Here they will likely need some
training to develop their analytical skills and long-term strate-
gies. Career-long learning programs will become the norm
since the technology marketers utilize won’t stop evolving, and
it’s highly unlikely that customers’ expectations will do any-
thing but increase as well.
6Bridge The Gap With Sales The arc of the customer
relationship has changed―lead generation and manage-
ment have become increasingly complex, and access to
data and real-time tracking are empowering deep insights.
Sales leaders rarely have the skills or the bandwidth to take
advantage of all this new technology, so they will need to rely
on marketers more and more for this insight.
Changes brought on by the introduction of these new
technologies will require marketers to rethink the concept of
the sales funnel itself because the buying process is no longer
linear. To lead this transformation, marketers
must have data management skills that enable
them to identify prospects and influence their
path to purchase, as well as the ability to
manage databases and use technology to
track customers’ progress.
Marketers As Strategic Advisors
Out of necessity, marketers have become
experts at navigating change. But the oppor-
tunities of the digital age exceed any simple
notion of self-preservation. This is a time not
to preserve, but to excel, and the FORUM
research hopes to provide marketers with a
path to that excellence.
Marketers must focus on the mechanics
of new technologies and the strategic gains
these new tools provide. They must step into
the leadership role that now organically pres-
ents itself, and collaborate with colleagues
across departments to shape employee and
customer experiences that will drive long-
term company growth.
Named one of the Ten Best and Brightest Women in the incen-
tive industry by Incentive Magazine, Michelle M. Smith, CPIM,
CRP, is a highly accomplished industry leader; international speak-
er, author and consultant. A respected authority on leadership,
internal branding and employee engagement, she is past-president
of the FORUM for People Performance at Northwestern
University, vice president of research for the Business Marketing
Association, and president emeritus of the Incentive Marketing
Association, among many other prestigious board positions past and
present. Smith is vice president of marketing for O.C. Tanner.
Reach her at .
“Marketers can’t
simply focus on
customers any longer;
they also need to build
insights to help their
organizations rally
workers around the
brand, recruit new
talent and better
understand employee
motivation.”
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