If You Want To Influence Outcomes Close The Loop

At a time when professional schedules are rushed,  the simple art of following up to 'close the loop' is a powerful influencing technique. Highly successful sales people make this an art. They carefully craft each communication to reinforce they value the relationship, understand the rules of engagement and are committed to being of service as required.  They always thank their contacts for their time and contribution before the chance of a sale has been established. They build credibility from the outset by demonstrating professionalism, interest and efficiency.

While this is well recognised in sales roles where customers are concerned, it is often not the case when it comes to internal relationships. This is a missed opportunity to engage others and gain an increased level of influence. In the same way as getting on the agenda gives you a voice in a large organisation, the process of 'closing the loop' gives you integrity.

I felt compelled to write this article because I feel that professional courtesy is something that is slipping away in the current climate. The reason for this is that we are all doing more with less due to limited  funding, resourcing and time. The professional polish in how we interact in the workplace has eroded, representing an opportunity to influence through attention to detail.

The reality is that any business outcome is accomplished through relationships. Placing an importance on 'closing the loop' will make you stand out. You will become an influencer because you will be seen to be respectful of others, action orientated and in control.

My top  'Closing the Loop' tips for internal consulting are:

1) Send out a follow up email after a meeting you are running to all participants - How often do people go to the trouble of preparing an agenda for a meeting, yet don't take notes during or do any follow up post the meeting. Simple?...the extra follow up can feel like additional time when you are busy, however anything that is documented and shared is more likely to get done, it saves time down the track as a way of tracking actions/decisions etc.

2) Always do what you say you will do - Action what you have promised to do and let the appropriate people know it's done. Simple?....yet we often do we forget to let others know the action is complete.

3) Thank people for their contribution, in an authentic way - It's not hard to thank some-one. The most powerful 'thank you' is one that is short and specific. There does not need to be awards, just a simple recognition that a thought, action or behaviour was appreciated. It demonstrates to the recipient that what they are doing is not going unnoticed. Simple?... rarely done effectively in follow-up communications and 'thanking as you go' is a difficult concept for many.

4) Position key stakeholders - A big mistake in 'closing the loop' is to leave out important stakeholders, even though their direct contribution may not be as obvious.  Influencing is about identifying the most effective way to achieve an outcome. Always position key players and decision makers in any communications.
Even ask yourself if the communication piece should ideally come from them.  If this is the case, make it easy for them by being a 'ghost writer' and compiling a draft.  Simple?...some may feel they lose influence doing this, on the contrary, it demonstrates a clear understanding of politics, process and accountability.

5) Right tone and place - Assess the right tone of follow up;  informal vs formal, dialogue vs action list, light hearted vs serious. You can be creative about how you 'close the loop' and find ways to cut through the communications clutter. It is good process to imprint your professional style on. Simple?...how often do follow ups just become email clutter or action list wallpaper.

If you want to influence outcomes CLOSE THE LOOP. It works. It is an art form and stamp of your professionalism and integrity.

A Dynamic Approach to Structuring Marketing Teams

Consumer behaviour and how we communicate has changed. In response, business leaders are reshaping marketing teams. In this period of adjustment, ambiguity around the role of marketing is growing as various structural models are being trialled.

"People shop and learn in a whole new way compared to just a few years ago, so marketers need to adapt or risk extinction." 

Quote Brian Halligan, CEO Hubspot.

There are various views and expectations around how marketing teams should operate and what they are responsible for. The mix of competencies required and structural fit is up for debate. 

Emerging areas of expertise, big data analytics and socialisation of communications requires new competencies. While marketing effectiveness becomes more and more interwoven with technology, the structural frameworks are still evolving.

Consider just a few areas of thought impacting the structural design of a marketing team. Considerations such as:

- Should digital and social media expertise be integrated into existing roles or defined as a specialised skill set?

- Do the skill sets sit in an area of marketing excellence or in other functional areas within the business?
- Are marketing services shared or divisionalised?

- Where does expertise for communications, marketing technology and creative services sit?

- What does the term Marketing mean within the business relative to Sales and Corporate functions?

There is clearly a need to adapt quickly and be flexible in determining the most effective structure. The challenge being to ensure that the rest of the business is clear about the model 'in play.'

Roles are emerging within marketing with newly created titles and areas of focus. These roles come and go, and are distinct from the expected disciplines. The result is  that marketing is perceived as an area of unrest, always chasing the latest fade rather then making a proven contribution. A real problem for positioning the area in the short term. 

Also, within organisations the need for effective communications and design is required by a range of departments. Skill sets that were once the exclusive domain of marketing are in high demand across organisations. This can lead to resources being distracted from an external focus and being over stretched. Diluting the effectiveness and single minded focus of marketing teams.

Initiatives such as employee branding, talent acquisition campaigns, corporate issue management via social channels, internal social network building, influencer blogging, on-line content generation - all require talents that traditionally sit in marketing areas. Structural considerations need to recognise this trend and dynamic.

Marketing leaders must be quick adaptors and comfortable with structural 'trial and error' to achieve optimal team performance. Bringing other parts of the organisation into the loop as the group reinvents itself is necessary to overcome the ambiguity created by change.

Marketing skills are needed more than ever across business disciplines to improve communications and implement creative solutions. This high internal demand requires a structural model that enables a balance between creative service expertise and 'go to market' initiative.

This all results in the credibility of marketing being under question - adapt or become extinct. Marketing leaders therefore need to focus on clearly articulating their vision,  what they do and don't do, and how this will deliver on the business plan.

Marketing groups that can not adjust, reinvent themselves with a clear vision of success, and structure with a purpose (even if this changes often) will lose organisational effectiveness. 

It seems crazy to be asking ourselves What is Marketing? 

What's your biggest challenge in building credibility for the marketing function? 

What lessons have you learnt in trialling new structural models?

Unleashing the Creative Genius of Generation Y

One of the most difficult challenges for organisations is to motivate Gen Y resources who seemingly need constant engagement and new experiences to stay committed.

Gen X leaders and functional managers find it difficult to tap into what inspires Gen Ys as the conventional ladder of success either alienates or frustrates them. This is often misunderstand as arrogance or a push to fast track their careers.

In my experience the main frustration for Gen Ys is the need to express themselves and their creativity. Being viewed and treated as an individual who has ideas that may be 'outside of their current remit' is important. This is an unusual work situation for Gen Xs who have built and protected their professional areas of expertise.

While the seniority system was broken down and challenged by Gen Xs, it is Gen Ys who are embracing the concept that knowledge and talent can not be contained in the workplace. Add to this the emergence of self expression and opinion through social media and it is not a surprise that Gen Ys appear to be eager to express views whether they are invited too or not.

Gen Ys admire leaders who are not afraid to allow creative expression and idea generation because it makes them feel valued as individuals. Especially in teams where the essence of what is produced is based on imagination, artistry and originality.

The following management approach can be successful in unleashing the creative genius of Gen Y teams:

1) Do not own the process, be clear about owning the outcome: enable teams to input into the process  as Gen Ys have strong opinions, new ideas and approaches to express.

2) Be assessable and approachable to provide quick feedback:  avoid the frustration of teams not being able to move swiftly and losing momentum.

3) Create a spontaneously collaborative team environment: structured 'ideas sessions' can put individuals 'on the spot' or make them feel self conscious.  Encouraging open unstructured collaboration between team members enables quick fire trouble shooting, heightened urgency to contribute to solution finding and random inventiveness. Be prepared for noise, odd comments, laughter and some 'light bulb' moments.

4) Be cool, Stay calm:  creativity is a fun, spontaneous and slightly 'out of control' pursuit. This is in direct contrast to hierarchical reporting line structures where order and control rules interactions. 

Being cool and staying calm when there is no obvious answer or outcome to report is difficult when there is a need to demonstrate progress at regular intervals. A perception of lack of direction and/or progress can developing. Managing internal expectations around this is required.

Setting a challenge, embracing flexibility and conveying confidence in Gen Y teams ability to contribute solutions will create the energy and positivity required to produce great work. 

5) Provide clarity of decision making: ensure that teams have clarity on decision making and who the decision makers are. This ensures authority levels are respected, the approvals process is clear so time is not wasted, there is communication 'up' and guidance is provided. 

6) Reward contributors not just the project owners:  reinforce that individual expression is esteemed and valued.

What are your experiences in managing Generation Y resources.

Business Artists: Brand engagement through creativity

The focus on design innovation and the influence of digital communication has  placed a new emphasis on creativity. Creative disciplines such as graphic design, creative writing, video production,  copy writing, product design and art have risen to new heights of strategic importance. Even in the most conservative of corporations these disciplines can add business value.

Pure creativity has never been so important or valuable to businesses. The frequency of content generation, customer dialogue, product and service enhancements in creating a competitive advantage has increased significantly

Still more often then not in larger organisations creative roles are stifled by internal processes, rounds of internal stakeholder changes, and opinion led feedback. To the extent that often the person producing the creative concepts has little input into the process or the result.

The issue with creativity as I see it is that everyone envies it, everyone wants to contribute to it, and a lot of us are afraid of it because it is has high visibility. Yet we all know a great creative idea when we see it, so our nature is to try and copy these ideas rather than let the creative process unfold. Hence, the phenomenon of copying an ad style, fashion trend or digital content style until it becomes unoriginal.

A challenge for business process models is fostering creativity, simply because even when it is scoped, framed and time-lined it takes many unexpected directions. This makes it difficult to replicate, impossible to micromanage and inconsistently executed.

The on-line environment is paradise for creative types. It has no boundaries and perpetuates continuous learning and improvement. It enables creativity to be the 'hero" and appreciation to be fed back  immediately; with a simple like or favourite button share. Creativity flourishes because it is devised, presented and shared by the owner without constant change for change sake. 

Creativity even in simple forms, such as eye catching graphic design, can be a competitive advantage. In the on-line world where story telling, display and content rule this is particularly the case. In a world full of clutter, it can lift the profile of a brand and captivate audiences. A simple clever product feature, attractive package design or captivating 

copy can achieve cut through and drive brand choice.

Imagine if this same principle was applied to corporate business structures. A division of BUSINESS ARTISTS rather than MARKETING SERVICES. Respected for their unique skills and ability it engage internal and external audiences.

Creative skills and services are mainly grouped into corporate design or marketing functional responsibilities. In many organisations these roles are viewed as business services that respond to requests to produce desired outcomes. I have found when this is the case individuals in pure creative roles are less likely to be part of brainstorming sessions or initial solutions framing. They respond to briefs rather then being able to contribute to them. Yet in my experience these individuals are well trained in creative process methods and have a lot of suggestions/ ideas to offer.

In the same way that mathematical genius has made algorithms 'king' and 'geek' the new cool, I am sensing a shift in the esteem and profile of creative thinkers and professionals in conservative cultures. I think of these roles as Business Artists. Professionals charged with creating content, copy, visual design, smart features to delight, impress and inspire current and new customers.

Brands that achieve engagement will have a competitive advantage. Business Artists will ensure that brands can frequently communicate in a compelling way, stand out in a cluttered market, and engage with audiences through 'cleverness'. It is not many brands that can launch first to market, widely acclaimed product and/or service innovation. However, brands can connect with us like never before, if they take the time to 'create' with the aim to delight their customers.

Here's to Business Artists making the everyday less predictable in surprising ways.

Intrinsic Drives & Random Buys

"It can attend to more information, react more quickly to emergencies, and keep track of more complicated routes. It never gets angry. It never even blinks. In short, it is better than human in just about every way."  Taken from Wired Magazine; "Let the Robot Drive - The autonomous car of the future is here," February 2012 by Tom Vanderbilt

We make decisions on a 'hunch,' and often buy something that we didn't start out to get. Trying to understand this behaviour in a rational way has been the endeavor of many studies into human decision making behaviour. Understanding why customers make the purchase decisions they do is the 'holy grail' of marketing.

The quote relates to self-driving cars and why they are safer on the road.
It’s a rational reason for embracing this new technology, less human error resulting in safer conditions for driving. The idea played in my mind because it highlights how limited our access to information is when making decisions, and the seemingly random; even careless; behaviours we demonstrate.

In marketing we provide information, brand cues, service and offers to influence purchasing behaviour.  We have a range of mediums and tactics to utilise. Breaking through the clutter in a human mind is a challenge, given the high degree of audio and visual stimulation in the market.

Disregarding irrelevant inputs and distractions is impossible. They influence us in ways we often don't recognise or understand.  Measuring perceptions, subconscious choice drivers, innate preferences and underlying anxieties influencing buying behaviour is difficult.

I was reading on Brandchannel.com an article entitled 'NASCAR Drivers and Fans Juggle Sponsor Logos” posted by Mark J.Miller about the high brand loyalty fans have to team sponsors. Fans indicate that they are 54% more likely to purchase a sponsor product if prices are equal and 11% if the price was higher.  This is not a surprise given the passion these fans have for the sport, resulting in an emotional connection to sponsor products by association.

We process data that has an emotive impact more deeply and faster. It is our way of filtering out some of the clutter. In my experience this includes rational statements, as often this provides an emotional benefit e.g. makes me feel safer, smarter, frugal, responsible, less gullible, less pressured. 

Tapping into these subconscious decision making factors is the biggest challenge for marketers, yet yields the highest returns because it influences behaviour.
After all we are human. Our rational responses often don't calibrate with what we say we will do or even think we will do a lot of the time. When working on the convenience category, stated behaviours did not calibrate to shop item sales data. This was because customers did not remember or did not like to reveal that they had purchased treats such as chocolate bars or a soft drink ‘on a whim.’

Like driving a car, this makes marketing to humans a hazardous and potentially risky endeavour without having some predictive data to assist in strategy development. Always keep in mind that stated behaviours are often different to what people actually do.

Let's face it. This is what also makes marketing interesting the intrinsic drives...the human factor. This is what makes shopping interesting....our random buys.

What are your thoughts?

Managing Marketing Projects to Achieve Big Outcomes

This is not an article about project management. To successfully deliver a big project competence in these skills is essential.

My experience has been in managing marketing and brand projects, including brand identity launches, national fundraising initiatives, global research and branding activations. Therefore the insights I share come from this perspective.

This is an article about what lays behind the process charts. What to expect when managing competing agendas, ambiguity and multiple considerations.

1) Know what the project is: Sounds obvious however most marketing projects start as a concept. Often the project is not defined or even clearly understood. Take the initiative to articulate the scope, set objectives and identify outcomes. It creates alignment upfront and provides an opportunity to communicate in a meaningful way with decision makers.

Remember scope and objectives can be amended along the way. Don't be afraid to take the initiative and suggest what they should be.

2) Control what you can: A day, a week, a month in a project can change everything. Control what you can and do this well. Flexibility is key when managing projects. There are a lot of variables, stakeholders and tasks. Not everything will go to plan and schedule.

When you control what you can, you create momentum. Identify what you can control and keep this moving.

3) Allow time, momentum or a 'drop dead' decision date to overcome the ambiguity: This relates to the points outlined above. There is always more than one direction or action that can be taken when it comes to marketing tactics. It can lead to work teams and stakeholders wanting to brainstorm more rather than agreeing on actions and next steps.

Keep the project moving by being vigilant to flag decision points and putting forward recommendations. Inevitably a stand will be taken or a direction agreed.

Be bold about recommending next steps and brave in pursuing a cause of action.

4) Put a stake in the ground and call timings and budgets: Work ahead. Good project management requires forward thinking. The ideal is to have information ready for feedback.

Timings are a good example of this philosophy. Don't wait for every piece of information available to map out timings. Start with the projected project implementation date and work back. Not only does it clarify a schedule of milestones, it provides insight on resource
requirements. Besides this analysis is totally objective providing instant reassurance that you know where you're going.

5) Be honest about the issues: While you don't want to be viewed as the road blocker I have seen many people position themselves poorly by being associated with a project that had no chance of coming to fruition.

Be honest about the issues. Offer solutions or modify the scope when possible. It can difficult to 'call a project' however as is the case in most business relationships 'early warnings' are better then late notice.

If you are expected to keep going on a project that has high risks and internal cynics, go back to the principal of 'control what you can and do this well'. Just remember the higher the risk, the greater the reward when things go better than expected.


6) Accept that others may not see the project as a priority or even care: Stakeholder analysis is the project management process for this. The reality is that a big project sits outside of usual business and this means that resources being pulled in at various stages will see this as extra work. If there is no recognition for small contributions individuals can derail or block progress.

Making the contribution of others as easy as possible by being clear about requirements and not taking too much of their time is critical. Over managing tasks, creating long meetings and over engaging these individuals is a sure way of getting them offside.

Think about what you are requesting and your interaction style with these individuals. Be specific and don't enter into an over laboured process for a small request. Respect others expertise by not directing and controlling their contribution.

7) Be positive, don't allow a minor set back to railroad the bigger picture: Some people over react to the smallest set back. Some individuals love drama, loudly and boldly sharing any minor issue. Be positive, remain strong and be the voice of reason, keep focussed on the end goal.

Remember there is usually a solution for every problem if you search hard enough. You may need to remind others of this.

8) Call it! Often a project is to identify what's possible. If the resourcing, systems and support aren't forthcoming it may be best to call it off until these areas are addressed. Some talented people have stalled their careers by being associated with projects that had no chance of being delivered and not being brave enough to call it as it is.

9) Get ready to be judged - a project by it's very nature is exclusive. A project is set up to ensure there is a concentrated focus by a select group of people. Therefore it is an exclusive - not inclusive process. This means that the majority of people will not be across the details, challenges and wins. They will judge the project on the outcome only.

All projects offer look back opportunities. There will always be things that can be done better. Be willing to share the positives and negatives. Know that some people will feel alienated from the process and this is OK. After all a good project is designed to exclude others and bring them in when required.

10) Don't get derailed by individuals wanting to contribute ideas: One of the biggest challenges in delivering marketing projects is moving stakeholders from contributing ideas to decision making, and having work teams complete tasks to plan rather then expand the scope.

Be clear about being in execution phase and insist that individuals with expertise in this are available. There comes a time when it just needs to happen. People wanting to contribute ideas rather than a means to implement are a distraction. Beware of this as a project progresses. Ideas without substance do not add value when implementation plans are in progress.

Managing big projects for big outcomes goes beyond process excellence. It requires flexibility, tenacity and positivity to keep moving forward. An ability to shake off small set backs to achieve a bigger goal.

Good luck with implementing your big marketing projects.

Guerilla marketing thinking in large organisations

Guerrillamarketing was defined by Jay Conrad Levinson as a way of promoting that relieson time, energy and imagination (source: Wikipedia). It embraces an alternativeway of thinking to the traditional marketing principles employed by largeorganisations to assist individuals and smaller businesses attract and build aloyal customer base.

Theapproach cuts through marketing jargon and ignites us all to ‘go to market’ with confidence by trustinginstincts. It is the “doing” that is critical to keep momentum.  Everyone has time, energy and imagination.What we often lack is investment dollars and support resources.

There aremany free and cost effective ways to target customers. Opportunistic ways tostand out from competitors are all around if you are open to seeing them andapply some imagination. Managing the risk is less daunting when there islimited investment dollars required to assess impact.

Marketingleaders in large enterprises are required to be more adaptable and flexible astraditional practices are being challenged. Find new ways to adapt traditional ‘go to market’ models.  Keep a keeneye on the external environment as the cost of entry for new brands to quicklyreach a target audience becomes less of a barrier. Demonstrate a guerrillamarketing tenacity and attitude to stay ahead of the competition.

Bigcompany marketing approaches can become predictable, slow and unoriginal.  The big players keep watch of the other bigplayers.  This allows new players withenergy, imagination and time to grab attention and customers.  Placing pressure on margins for largercompanies with high cost structures. 

Thequestion is whether process discipline and guerrilla thinking can co-exist? This evolution is still a work in progress.  A philosophical step change is required tounlock guerrillas from their constraints in large enterprises.

Suggested leadership qualities and mantras are outlinedbelow.

1.  Time, Energy & Imagination - Embrace thismantra as part of the marketing culture. Marketing leaders need to be enablersof these conditions to incorporate guerrilla thinking to challenge theconventional.

2.  Doing trumps planning – Execution provideslearning. Embrace doing and avoid over engineering the planning process.

3.  Leadership – You are closest to the business you intuitivelyknow what to do. Be decisive.  Trust yourinsights.

4.  Apply, learn and test scenarios – Review quickly. Stop doingwhat isn’tworking.  Even when there is a lot ofdata, isolating the impact of individual marketing activities can beimpossible.  Be a champion of flexibleexecution to uncover wins and losses.

5.  Does it really need high production quality toexecute – Oftenit is the simple, personalised touches that make the most impact withcustomers.

6.  Be alert and react quickly – Avoid being too internallyfocused and set on a path regardless of external trends and competitor actions.

7.  Use technology to advantage – There are many new andcost efficient technologies that can be used to engage customers, increasemessage reach and measure activity responsiveness. 

8.  If you can’t explain quickly and simply what you’re doing and why, youprobably don’t knowwhat you’re doing– Oftenmarketing plans are complex. Does everyone in the team know what is expectedand how to measure success.

Marketingleaders who can get the internal balance between process discipline andguerrilla marketing thinking right will increase profitability.  Having the two co-exist will produce optimalresults even though the approaches are divergent practices.  Fast moving markets, on-line consumerengagement and new media has created new ways to ‘goto market’ for those with time, energyand imagination.  This reality appliesjust as much too large enterprises as it does to smaller players.