Why marketing? since I was a kid, I can remember being captivated by marketing. I always wanted to be convinced of things, and I always wanted to make things better. Marketing just seemed to be a great way to make things better.
When I took my passion for marketing into the world of high tech, I realized that I was playing a whole new game. I was given tremendous opportunities to try many different marketing positions, and, as an opinionated young woman, I encountered some resistance as I tried to make changes. Along the way, I learned a few lessons that have stuck with me.
One—be fearless. Never be afraid of what might or might not happen. Never be afraid of the truth or to try new things. Never be afraid of being yourself. This was sometimes easier said than done in a largely male environment where things had always been done a certain way. But, I found that I changed perceptions as I stuck to my guns.
Two—never stop trying to capture the imagination of your customers and getting them to believe in your products. If you can help customers with things like making work easier, protecting children from the bad guys or giving people more time to dream, that’s a good thing. If you are not afraid and really feel committed to capturing the imagination of the people you serve—it makes for a wonderful place to work and live.
Three—build strong teams. I’ve met many brilliant marketing executives who can’t get their teams to follow them. They might have the best ideas, but their teams aren’t committed to delivering on those ideas because they really dislike the person. It is much more fun to have a committed team than to be brilliant all alone.
So, I have focused a lot of energy in building talented teams that can function without me. It’s about getting to know each member of the team and allowing them to contribute in a role that matches their strengths and allows them to grow. Regardless of industry or company size, you can do so much more to help customers when you’re all in the same boat, rowing in the same direction to reach the same destination.
