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By Julie Olson, SMP February 1998 Marketer Articles
Marketing Apologetics: Skills and Attributes to Achieve Personal and Firm Success
I recently read that the size of the U.S. construction market has remained basically unchanged during the last 20 years. It has increased less than one-half percent per year in constant dollars as measured by the U.S. Department of Commerce. However, the number of design firms has doubled during the same period. These trends, expected to continue, are complicated by economic indicators foreshadowing a slowing in the economy.
Determining a strategy for personal and firm success has never been more challenging. Traditional skills that were sufficient five years ago are now marginal. The marketer's network has changed dramatically as peers leave the industry and staff turnover continues to accelerate. Traditional models for marketing and service delivery must be upgraded to address the millennium mindset-more "product" in less time.
A survey by Harley Ellington Pierce Yee Associates (Southfield, MI) of 135 past, present, and potential clients revealed clear and distinct priorities for selecting design firms:
1. "architects who listen to and understand their clients"
2. open, trust-based communication.
However, a quick review of proposals for government-sector projects submitted during the last year confirms that most design firms still cling to an egocentric marketing approach, focusing on past projects and awards rather than on what the advertising client wants and needs at the time the submittal is due.
The Model
To succeed in the next century, firms must re-align their marketing strategies to address client expectations. Marketers must lead this charge by re-aligning their own success strategies. "Marketing apologetics" provides a model for both individual and company success.
Evolving from religious theological debate in early Christendom, apologetics is the art of putting yourself mentally within the decision-making frame of reference of another individual or organization. It is based on the premise that, before you can expect others to understand and subsequently accept your beliefs, you must first understand the context of their beliefs.
Marketing apologetics is a logical adaptation of this model. To convince clients to hire us, we must first convince them that we hear and understand their concerns. In an increasingly competitive environment, firms must forego the egocentric model. To convince clients to listen to us, we must do the same. The apologetics model recognizes, seeks to understand, and embraces clients' changing demands.
The Skills
For the individual, effective apologetics requires a distinct, linked set of skills. Marketers must perform a personal Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat (SWOT) analysis to assess and develop a strategy for acquiring these key skills. The firms realizing the greatest future profits will be those that recognize the need for these skills, not only in marketers, but also in designers, support staff, and management.
The following briefly summarizes five key characteristics and attitudes of marketers destined for success in the A/E/C industry in the next century. These traits will be embraced by key individuals in every successful firm.
1. Be a CEO. A CEO mindset is the first step in achieving success with the apologetics approach. It requires evaluating proposals and strategies from the framework of how the decision will affect the firm tomorrow, as well as five years from now. The CEO mindset is reflected in the statement, "Our goal is to maintain the viability of the firm so its operations continue to fulfill tomorrow the promises we made to clients yesterday."
Individuals with CEO mindsets typically have professional goals that are ambitious, clear, directed, and achievable. The apologetics model recognizes that firm success and personal success are intertwined and complimentary. Personal achievement is critical to long-term firm success. Firm success is achieved by groups of individuals working together to understand and address evolving client concerns.
2. Political Astuteness. "Man is by nature a political animal." (Aristotle) A sensitivity to political nuance is essential. Requiring deftness and tact, one of the single most valuable skills for marketing success-internally and externally-is the ability to recognize and define situational politics. From the ability to identify the true power brokers within your own firm, to recognizing the politicos in client organizations, this key characteristic sets the millennium marketer apart from his or her peers.
Politics is the art or science of influencing policy. Influence is a factor of position, knowledge, relationships, and money. How influential are you? To position for professional success, individuals must align their personal goals and ambitions within the firm's political structure. On the other hand, the firm's political structure must be aligned strategically to adapt quickly to changes and influences on clients and client markets. This is the beauty and essence of apologetics.
3. Insist on Profit. Each person in the firm, including all people responsible for marketing, should understand the basic premise that (most) businesses were formed with the expectation of attaining reasonable profit. Projects should be evaluated at the pre-proposal stage for projected profitability. In-progress work should be evaluated for profitability. Profit should be evaluated annually firmwide by market segment.
Marketers need to understand the relationship between marketing functions and profitability. Margaret Spaulding wrote, "Effective marketing should reduce, not increase, the firm's overhead in relation to income." Ask for information, then evaluate the implications of that information. Millennium marketers need to develop and demonstrate a sensitivity to profitability.
4. Demand Excellence. Develop an exceptional commitment to excellence. A marketing coordinator in one company was told, tongue in cheek, not to turn in any assignment unless willing to forfeit her next paycheck if there were errors. Management has a commitment to excellence and expects excellence from staff. Excellence takes more time, yet yields enormous rewards.
Millennium marketers will set excellence as a personal standard. "Men of genius do not excel in any profession because they labour in it, but they labour in it because they excel." (William Hazlitt)
5. Vision Casting. Flexibility and adaptability are required characteristics of marketers. To leverage the apologetics framework to competitive advantage, firms must possess these same characteristics.
"Vision casting" is a two-step process providing a strategic planning tool to direct the changing character and nature of the firm. The process begins by visualizing, based on current firm practices and resources, the character and nature of the firm at a set point in time. The second step is visualizing what the firm should be and identifying the practices and resources required to reach that vision.
Vision casting, done correctly, will generate vigorous debate. Vision casting should challenge existing rules, protocols, and authority.
The process will provide a unique forum to address evolving trends, technologies, and economies and generate concepts for expanded services, products, and growth. As a result, firms that routinely practice vision casting will be positioned to strategically "mine" these opportunities brought about by change and achieve a distinct competitive advantage.
Future Talk
The most challenging task of the apologetics model to marketing and management is introducing the concept to firms comfortable with their existing programs. Frankly, apologetics is a lot of work. It's a lot easier to continue to focus on finding new clients for existing services then to identify and promote new services for existing clients.
Yet, as society continues its relentless pursuit of information, opportunities to provide non-traditional services will broaden. The spectrum of potential clients will continue to expand on a parallel track as you develop new services.
To provide the greatest probability for growth and development, firm management must recognize these opportunities and leverage existing firmwide capabilities, including design, service, marketing, finance, and operations, as essential components to individual project and firm success. The nondesign functions, in particular, provide fascinating possibilities for broadening the base of services offered to clients in the new millennium.
The challenge to professional marketers, whether internal or consultants, will be to analyze the information cascade and evaluate areas of potential development.
Your first step to success is identifying the power brokers within your firm who share your commitment to long-term firm success. Initiate discussion on nontraditional roles and services during strategic planning events. Be willing to step out on a limb and ask why your firm can't provide XYZ services, although it hasn't before.
Take time to do your personal SWOT assessment. Apologetics skills can be developed. By demonstrating political sensitivity, a CEO mindset, a commitment to excellence on a personal and firm basis, and a desire to maximize profitability, you can become a leader in positioning your firm as a leader in the new millennium.