How to fast track to marketing management
I’ve always known that I have wanted to be a marketing manager. When I started out my career in the early 90’s, I wanted to achieve this by the time I was 30 years old. That was my expectation and the goal I set for myself.
There are many ways a marketer climbs the corporate ladder fast, but for those whose family don’t own the business, are not as connected as they could be, or simply have not done a good job of showing worth, there is hope.
Marketing occupations have evolved significantly. For example, there was no such thing as a CMO when I started, and someone from a marketing role would never make it to the C-suite. Today, not only is the role of CMO something that everyone in marketing strives for, but a c-suite position is now feasible, and in most large businesses, someone with a marketing degree is in senior management or on a board level. If you are starting off your career in marketing, there are a few insights that may help you fast track your path based on the hundreds of marketers that I have worked with over the past three decades.
Your Mindset is Everything.
It is important that you know your strengths and weaknesses.
When we do a marketing strategy, we outline a company or brands strengths and weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Have you ever tried to do this for yourself? It’s a great exercise that helps you identify areas to work on so that weaknesses become strengths, and threats become opportunities. Nobody is perfect, but the key is to be able to transform your weaknesses into strengths and your threats into opportunities. This is what differentiates you.
Your Mental Health is Important
One of the biggest challenges that marketers (and people) find in becoming their ‘best self’ is their minds. “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right!” said Henry Ford. This saying rings true for everyone, but it is your mindset that sets you apart.
It’s natural to feel self-doubt or believe that something is out of reach, but if you shift your thinking and remove your thought-based constraints, everything is possible.
Therapy teaches us not to overthink things and to digest information more effectively. It also provides us with tools to control the emotions that may influence our decision-making.
Who hasn’t told a boss to “put their jobs up their behinds!” only to find the junior in the office become the future CEO? If only we saw both sides of the conversation, understood our part and realized that even bosses are human and make mistakes, perhaps it would have been us in that job.
Your Goals are Meant to be Achieved
If you have a goal and a plan in place, your chances of success are quite high. The top athletes in the world have a set goal in mind and stuck to it. Don’t be afraid to set lofty objectives for yourself and remind yourself on a regular basis of what you want to achieve and how you plan to get there.
Hard Work Pays Off
“There’s no shortage of remarkable ideas, what’s missing is the will to execute them.” Seth Godin.
A goal is one thing. A plan is another. However, carrying it out is critical to attaining objectives. Many individuals are unaware that most people who reach the pinnacle of their jobs have worked harder than everyone else. Their triumph did not arise by chance or as a consequence of “luck.”
Learning and development – key
“Constant, relentless improvement is always necessary!” Mellissah Smith
Will Rogers said, “Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.” The same can be said about your career. Constantly learning new things, experimenting with better methods to accomplish things, and honing your talents will keep you miles ahead of your competitors. The learning curve in marketing never ends. There should never be a time in your marketing profession when you stay still.
Fast track your career to marketing manager
If you have a few years under your belt in marketing, it’s time to think about whether you want to continue a career in the field. If you love marketing, like I do, you will start to process what you need to do to be capable of reaching the next level.
Consider:
Marketing strategy competency is essential
One of the most important jobs for any marketing manager is marketing strategy and planning. Many marketers have learned the basics at college but failed to use these skills or develop them in the real world.
Fortunately, with technology as it is, companies like Robotic Marketer write the marketing strategy for you, but it still requires you to input data on your company and set goals. Make this your strength.
How to “sell” Robotic Marketer into your company as a must-have tool.
The capacity to generate change and steer the future of your firm is an important part of being a marketing manager. To accomplish so, you’ll need the necessary tools in place to assist you perform the best job possible. Marketing strategy technology platforms, such CRM, email marketing, or marketing automation software, serve as the backbone for marketing departments. When “selling” Robotic Marketer to your company, be sure you communicate:
- How much time it would take for you to develop a marketing strategy and the cost to the organization (weeks/months)
- How long it takes to develop media, event, awards, LinkedIn groups etc lists (days/weeks)
- Ongoing reporting requirements
- Access to influencers
- Content suggestions to drive content marketing performance
Ability to uncover the best ways to do marketing
As a marketing manager, your job is to add-value to the marketing function in the business and drive performance. Part of this equation is to find ways of doing things better, saving money on marketing activations and using technology to automate processes freeing up the time of your team.
Within one month of starting a new job in any organization, you should be coming to senior management with a list of things you can improve under your stewardship.
Learn how to present
Whether you are presenting in a meeting or on behalf of the company at an event, your role as a marketing manager will require you to get up in front of people Take a public speaking course, watch recordings of outstanding speakers on YouTube, and discover your unique voice that sets you apart from the crowd. This will instill trust in your audience and guarantee that they interact with your content.
Having a good relationship with your sales team is critical
There is no company if there are no sales. This is a fundamental notion that every marketer should understand. You must understand your sales staff and ensure that they have all of the resources necessary to drive new business to the company. Assist your sales staff in having “no excuse not to sell” by providing them with anything they require.
Continually change and evolve
“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change” Albert Einstein once said. This is true for marketers and anyone in management positions. Change is necessary to adapt to new working environments, changes in marketing practices, new technologies and becoming the best version of yourself.
If you invest in change, you will reach your goals – and don’t be surprised if you exceed them!
On a final note: “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing” Walt Disney. Now get to it!
