Do you have the qualities of a marketer? In truth, becoming a great marketer is no small feat. Find the top six qualities of a great marketer in this snapshot from an interview between Dale Beaumont and Andrew Griffiths.
Describing himself as a “serial entrepreneur”, Andrew has developed an international reputation that has reinforced his six best-selling books. His books are sold in over 40 countries and their popularity has launched him as a keynote speaker and corporate coach.
What do you think are the essential qualities or attributes of great marketers?
- Follow through – I think the hardest and rarest ability is to create a marketing concept and take it through to completion. Coming up with ideas is relatively easy but turning them into a reality is tough. As the marketing and advertising industries tend to attract creative people, there can often be lots of great ideas flowing but not a lot of follow up or attention to detail – this is where marketing either works or fails.
- Make decisions – good marketers are able to make decisions. They may not always be right, but they can make decisions one way or another. This is one of the reasons I hate marketing by committee – decisions never get made, or by the time they do the opportunity has passed.
- Juggle projects – there are many times when marketers have to manage many projects at the same time. The better you are at project managing, the more effective you will be at marketing. I get very frustrated when I come across disorganised marketing managers who cause more problems than they solve. They can be very damaging in a large organisation because they waste money and miss opportunities.
- Set goals – I am a firm believer in the importance of establishing goals in every aspect of life. From my experience, those people who set clear, achievable and worthy goals tend to fulfil them; those who don’t just float along aimlessly. For me, a life without goals is like driving a car at night without the headlights on.
- Be open-minded – people, including marketers, often get set in their ways and do the same thing over and over, regardless of whether it is working or not. They use the same advertising mediums because they have worked in the past. They do what they are comfortable with. Being open-minded in all aspects of marketing is critical for success.
- Be a great observer – marketing is about observations. What are other people doing? What are our competitors doing? What are our customers doing? I spend a lot of time just sitting and observing, reviewing material, brochures, advertisements, the internet and actual businesses to come up with new ideas and find ways to do what I do better. There are opportunities everywhere, we just have to open our eyes to new possibilities.
For more of this interview with Andrew Griffiths check out “Secrets of Marketing Experts Exposed!“.
