"Marketing, in all forms, in detail, is the driving culture
How we live our companies and help our clients. 31 rules:
"Hallmarks of great marketing companies or companies that market great:
1. Achieving and keeping a dominant market share in chosen significant niches - is their priority. They fully understand that the #1 or strong #2-market share in their niche is the fundamental common denominator of profitability.
2. Marketing superstars know that the #1-market share leaders almost always have the #1 profit, #1 awareness, strongest customer franchise, and loyalty, and highest prices. This allows them to invest more in market research, more in R&D, and more in gaining share advantage over their competitors.
3. Superstar’s focus on market share as measured in units rather than sales dollars. They invest in market share, utilizing some of today’s profits for future market position.
4. Understanding the importance of market share leadership requires a sharp awareness of what business the company is really in—from a customer perspective—and what translates to for positioning and niches. That’s why great marketing companies know their niche customer sand think about marketing strategy, and then execute that strategy relentlessly.
5. Consequently, marketing superstars are constantly segmenting their markets into new niches, big and small, and executing their segment plans meticulously.
6. There is constant contact with customers. Superstars are open-minded. They suppress their ego. They observe customer behavior, changes in behavior, and emerging customer needs. They do lots of listening. They hire objective outside professionals to give them honest answers.
7. The entire company is oriented towards marketing. EVERYONE in the company understands that marketing is the only renewing activity. Every employee values the customer.
8. In great companies, all top managers are customer-oriented, and they make sure all of the people they supervise are customer-oriented.
9. All top managers regularly make calls on customers.
10. The whole company serves the customer, not just the sales and marketing people, but production, HR, financial, and research people as well.
11. Marketing superstars plan with absolutely clear measurable specific goals; not just short-term, one-year goals, but those critical to implementing the strategic vision.
12. Manufacturing and marketing people often meet once a week, to discuss costs, forecasts, production, new products, and new processes.
13. R&D is rewarded for commercialized successes.
14. There is a constant review of competitive activity. Superstars realize that competitors lurk and plot and want to steal every single customer.
15. Superstars invest more in customers' aggressively getting and keeping more than their competitors do.
16. Application case histories and successful customer incidents are constantly communicated throughout the sales forces.
17. The sales function is considered part of the marketing mix and overseen by a marketing manager. Great marketing companies understand that selling, distribution, and advertising are not marketing but marketing functions.
18. Superstars do not make decisions based on short-term shouts and pleas of the distributor or channel. Channels are not end-use customers. Channels are channels.
19. See trade channels as partners, not customers.
20. Work relentlessly to create customer franchises.
21. Truly understand the importance of brand names and constantly work to keep the brand names known and untarnished.
22. Reduce uncertainty with meticulous homework and research. Superstars have a clear vision. They know what business they are in. They know what their customers want. They give customers what they want.
23. Seek lots of opinions, especially from current and lapsed customers, the suppliers, and the people on the firing line.
24. Does not get surprised by changes in the market. Superstars usually influence the market.
25. Sells the dollarized value of benefits, not features or technology.
26. Creates successful recipes by combining marketing data, intuitive marketing common sense, and contrarian ideas.
27. Prices products to value, not cost, and fearlessly sells that price.
28. Provide good, customized, and consistent sales training on how to sell dollarized value.
29. Preserves opportunity money to take advantage of unplanned opportunities.
30. Are maniacal about product quality, and quality is defined by their customers, not by manufacturing or quality assurance.
31. Believes that only the good “Okay” customer is always right. Superstars work like crazy to find the right customer, get lots of the right customers, and keep all those customers.
The best in the business
"How to become a Marketing Superstar," Unexpected Rules That Ring the Cash Register, by Jeffrey J. Fox