A marketer has a burning desire to intervene—to connect a business with a customer.
That’s it. That’s what I enjoy doing.
And moments like these confirm it.
A Marketer is a Mediator
Let’s keep this simple…because it is. A marketer is an interlocutor, an emissary, a go-betweener.
This is what a marketer does…
Step 1: Meet the Client
When I meet with clients, my natural bent is to listen and learn. I want understand what they do, what they offer, what makes them tick, what their dreams are, and how they want to impact the world.
Ask questions. Listen. Learn. Ask more questions.
Step 2: Leave the Client
The next step is to leave the client. On purpose. You’ve got to get out of there. Make a clean break.
Because leaving the client is the only way you can get in the customers’ shoes.
And that’s the crucial next step. It’s the one step only a marketer can really do. Keep reading and you’ll see why.
Step 3: Love the Customer
I tell my clients all the time. “Half of what you’re paying me to do is to show up and be an advocate for your customer.”
Why do I say that? Because…
I’ve never met a client who is not an expert at being a client.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve met bad clients.
Here’s what I mean…
Every client who reaches out to me, does so because they want help growing their personal brand or business. They have unrealized goals. They want more of something. And they know it.
I’ve never had a client say, “We love where we are, we just wanted to write you a check.”
Nope. Every client wants something. And that’s the one thing they know well. They know it well, because they stare at it everyday. And it becomes brighter in their eyes than the noonday sun.
But here’s the deal with the noonday sun. For all its greatness, it causes blind spots.
Yes, every client wants something, bad. But…
What ALL of us get blind to is knowing what the customer wants with equal conviction.
That’s why this step is one best-made by an unbiased marketer.
Step 4: Mediate
This is where a great marketer shines. He knows the client and what they have to offer. She knows the customer and what they need.
A marketer steps in and facilitates a conversation between the two.
And a marketer gets energized when the two click. When the client and customer get each other, a marketer goes home happy.
It’s not easy, but it is that simple. Any marketer who says otherwise is likely a wolf in fancy sheepskin shoes trying to pay them off by dazzling you with ‘expertise’.
Sandwiched Between Dora Jean and Subway Sara
Me: Hold up ladies. Let me see if I can help. Mrs. Jean, you’d like three six-inch sandwiches. One on wheat, two on Italian. Roast beef and cheddar on the wheat. Ham and turkey on the first Italian. And the Italian club sandwich on the second Italian bread, with ham, turkey, salami, and pepperoni. Is that right?
Dora: Yes. Thank you. Isn’t that what I said?
Subway Sara: Oh. I got you. Why didn’t you say that Dora? Coming right up.
Me: Get over here you two. Let’s hug it out. And I’m buying.
And that’s exactly what happened. At least in the movie playing in my mind. The mind of an introverted marketer watching Dora Jean and Subway Sara make a mess of three sandwiches.2019-01-24 07:15 Marketing