plAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS

Now, there’s a phrase.  

‘You need to do some marketing.’  And there’s another.

Businesses spend considerable efforts producing go-to-market plans, approving budgets, getting them signed off and then…? Perhaps the plans go back into the drawer, the market moves or we simply avoid it as we have the day job. 

It also often falls to the sales and marketing teams to market the firm although relying on a singular group to sell has its limitations. With the increasing pressure on employees to include marketing in their acumen, it’s a tricky balance between fee earning and non-billable time. 

So, what if you made marketing part of your day by doing the activity you liked i.e. playing to your strengths? 

Making marketing part of your day, might sound like some form of nudge just like choosing a new fitness regime, it’s much easier to stick to if you choose the activity you like. 

Playing to your strengths and choosing activity that aligns to your firm’s business goals enables a more consistent pipeline of output and better results. 

You might lean towards writing, networking, running an event, speaking or producing articles. Any of these areas would classify under three areas: Write, Think or Do. 

Here’s what an outline could look like:

Write: 

• Increase your socials: 

• Now, more than ever, there is an openness on social media to connect, join debate and find community. 

• Perhaps you have seen something that is affecting your industry. Make it part of your day to share it, or write about it. Around 500 words is more than enough. LinkedIn has great tools to help you reach your audience. link here 

• Is there a post worth commenting? Become part of the conversation which might take you onto more focused chat offline. 

• Tell a story: 

• Want to expand into longer form content? Consider thought leadership that shapes the narrative or contribute to articles or blogs. 

Think:

• Data led insights

• Embrace the data your firm produces and how this might serve to tell a story.

• Survey your clients and gather the findings - could this reveal a new way to service them?

• Innovate 

• Test the market with a new proposition. 

• Run an internal new products/services/issues discussion group.

• Collaborate

• Don't forget to connect with your marketing advisor - collaboration is key. They will guide you as to what aspect of marketing activity aligns with current plans.

Do: 

• Network

• Utilise your organisation’s memberships, existing events programme or become part of the wide range available. Institute of Directors is one example and packed with content -rich programmes across all levels UK wide. 

• Connect over Face Time

• Virtual coffee is still an efficient way to connect with new contacts. Remember to breathe between meetings appointments. 

• Events

• Run a roundtable or focused reception with your peers; involve your contacts and share the joy.

Often the space to explore just needs focus. If you need some space to explore your options as a fee earning professional or a business leader, I’d love to hear from you and if you are a marketer that needs some resource or space to think, get in touch.

I help organisations bring their purpose to life through marketing and business development programmes that deliver.

Message me directly at cbaltas@skethia.com and let’s start the conversation.