Professional Qualifications and Strategy for Effective Marketing

1. Professional Qualifications and Strategy for Effective Marketing

2. Why does Your Organization need Marketing Development and Communications Support? • I. Changes in the Marketplace • II. A Case Study in Successful Public Relations • III. Critical Issues • A. Teamwork • B. Recruiting a Winning Team • C. Personnel Development • D. Marketing • IV. Position Description - Marketing Director • V. Related Experience

3. I. Changes in the Marketplace We exist in a dynamic environment. With rapid technology changes, global competition and a move away from labor-intensive manufacturing toward knowledge-based service industries, your organization stands at the precipice of an irreversible change in the way the world does business. This condition allows for proactivity and trend-setting. It is critical to challenge the tradition of assuming the name of the firm is the only marketing necessary to develop and retain a satisfied client base. The opportunity for any organization to become not only the messenger but the impetus of this change exists both internally and externally. "Who are we?" "What do we do?" "How do we add value and wealth to existing clients?" "How do we develop a new market that seeks us out to implement the changes that are crucial to the welfare of the client's organization"? First we must define our mission. It is essential to communicate this mission first internally, achieve buy-in and solicit the help of the company in blazing a trail through these coming changes. This requires not only a team of well-trained professionals, but a group of talented and innovative individuals who can successfully translate the client's mission into a user-friendly concept that the client, the media and the global marketplace considers necessary to the very life and profitability of the organization. As evidenced by most businesses' decision to restructure, flatten the hierarchy, and focus on customer satisfaction, each organization must recruit and retain individuals with differing backgrounds and experience. We must move toward a team approach where each member has his own unique contribution to the success of the organization.

4. II. A Case Study in Successful Marketing and Public Relations I joined the Houston Junior Chamber of Commerce (HJCC) in January, 1993. Seeing a need for marketing and public relations to recruit new members thus allow greater community service, I ran and was elected as Public Relations Director. The first step was community awareness through media coverage and recognition. Publicity was focused internally and externally on a city, state, national and international basis. An 8-12 page newsletter was produced and distributed to members, local community leaders and guests who attended various meetings and events. We set up a public relations committee to motivate our members to use their most highly developed personality traits and skills to increase the visibility of the organization. One of our members was a networker. He successfully encouraged local establishments to provide support in the form of shared printing costs and gratis refreshments for our networking and membership recruiting events. Another member was very sensitive to the interests of guests at the various functions. She would make each guest feel welcome at the event. And the committee followed up each event with “thanks you's” to guests who attended as well as an invitation to visit the organization. Guest attendance at networking socials increased 88% from May through September due to targeted invitations, letters and announcements to young business men and women in Houston. In addition we sent over 100 letters of recognition to business leaders and other individuals who were noted in the media (i.e., promotions, honors and awards) acknowledging their accomplishments and inviting them to attend or even speak at one of our membership meetings. Over 60 press releases announcing JC events were sent to media on a weekly basis. The result of these directives was increased membership and much “free publicity” through the various media. From the time I took office in May through September, 1993 HJCC had over 100 separate mentions. This coverage included 17 television spots on six different stations’ 24 PSA spots on two radio stations, and 33 articles in nine different publications including Houston Metropolitan Magazine, Houston Business Journal, The Houston Chronicle, the Houston Post and Houston Press. In addition we were represented through both articles and photography 28 times in the state monthly Jaycee magazine and in each quarterly issue of the national magazine as well as articles in the Area C (Canada, North, Central and South America) monthly publication. Our newsletter was the recipient of much praise and recognition throughout the state organization, and received state and national attention in competition for awards. This explosion of recognition, from 0 - 106 mentions in six months was the result of our commitment to effective public relations. In addition, my own personal integrity pushes me to consistently exceed expectations when challenged, through public relations, marketing and recruitment.

5. IIIA. Critical Issues - Teamwork Getting Out of the Locker Room and onto the Field A good team needs every person playing the position he’s best suited for, be it quarterback, tackle, kicker, coach, trainer, mascot, cheerleader or water boy. And in a great team, the coaches coach, the trainers train and the plays are called by the quarterback. The offense goes for the goal line and the defense keeps the other guys from scoring. But you football fans know all this...we just must be reminded that in every organization everyone must play a part to make the organization great! Past recruiting efforts have focused on recruiting and hiring only quarterbacks--that individual with accounting background an MBA and impressive grades. But we must balance the offense with a good defense and then train our clients to do the same. It’s up to the partners, managers and seniors to sit back and advise. Coach and train the staff to lead and “man” the project. When someone asks to play quarterback...encourage him...let him run with the ball. But if he’s a much better kicker than quarter back, save him for trouble-shooting in a crucial point in the project. The local NFL management’s attempt to convince area citizens to support (and pay for) a new stadium is an obsolete and self-supporting approach versus a customer-focused strategy. Rather than seek publicity and “shame” the fans (or clients) into attending the games (or going into an implementation phase), an organization must first build a winning team to gain support through customer satisfaction. The practice is headed in that direction. Only when we have maintained and communicated our successful track record, can internal or external marketing be effective. This article was originally written as an editorial in the HJC monthly newsletter/magazine and modified for Arthur Andersen at the request of the Business Systems Consulting partner-in-charge. Sometimes all the coaches are out trying to play quarterback while the rest of the team is sitting on the bench, or worse--still in the locker room. Have you ever noticed how the same people are staffed on project after project? Their names are always on the availability/conflicts report and are often listed on several jobs at one time. You see these folks around for maybe two or three years. They are promoted to senior and then they disappear. Then new staff are recruited, and the pattern is repeated. With September comes Fall season and that favorite American pastime...football. A huge team, a squadron of coaches, trainers and cheerleaders take to the field every Monday night to “WIN”. Now, picture a team whose players stayed in the locker room, comfortable that their name was on the roster...they were on a “team” and it looked good on their resume. And suppose the coaches and trainers played every game, every position because as soon as they came out for the team, they were made into coaches, but they really wanted to play. And the non-coaching players who wanted to get in the game were forced to “sit the bench.” These players were too “new” and didn’t realize what was required to play the game, according to the veteran coaches. Or because they thought only the coaches and trainers were allowed to play, they never tried to get into the game. Can you imagine trying to run a team like that...and ever making it to the playoffs...much less the Superbowl?

6. RESOURCE & DEVELOPMENT Project Support Personnel Development Marketing Recruiting • Mentor vs. Advisor • In-house Cross-Training • Self-Assessment and Goal Setting • Planning • EIS • Technology • Documentation • Client Satisfaction • Networking withUniversities & Professional Associations • Initial Screening • Testing • Interviewing • Defining a Market • Internal • External • Public Relations • Press Releases • Client Satisfaction IIIB. Critical Issues - Recruiting a Winning Team The core team can also provide assistance in recruiting efforts. The team can perform interviews based Learning Style Inventory test and Myers-Briggs indicators to ensure that we not only hire the type of personality lacking on the current team, but that we give the individual an opportunity to grow in an area in which he excels and is highly productive.

7. RESOURCE & DEVELOPMENT Project Support Personnel Development Marketing Recruiting • Mentor vs. Advisor • In-house Cross-Training • Self-Assessment and Goal Setting • Planning • EIS • Technology • Documentation • Client Satisfaction • Networking withUniversities & Professional Associations • Initial Screening • Testing • Interviewing • Defining a Market • Internal • External • Public Relations • Press Releases • Client Satisfaction IIIC. Critical Issues - Personnel Development A mentor vs. advisor system, that pairs veteran workers with individuals who have complementary personality types is necessary to initiate new employees. To quote Charles Handy in his bookThe Age of Unreason, “Group-think is dangerous because like-minded groups have like-minded ideas and find it hard among themselves to reframe any situation.” The core group can also assist in developing a means for self-assessment and realistic goal setting for each team member. Peer-to-peer as well as upward evaluations can also be effective in establishing and maintaining open communication.

8. IIID. Critical Issues - Marketing PRACTICE RESOURCE & DEVELOPMENT Project Support Personnel Development Marketing Recruiting • Mentor vs. Advisor • In-house Cross-Training • Self-Assessment and Goal Setting • Planning • EIS • Technology • Documentation • Client Satisfaction • Networking withUniversities & Professional Associations • Initial Screening • Testing • Interviewing • Defining a Market • Internal • External • Public Relations • Press Releases • Client Satisfaction The need for marketing is real. Marketing differs from sales in that marketing seeks to determine what the customer needs, and persuade him to invest in what he also wants. Innovative marketing can also create or identify needs that the client has overlooked due to tunnel vision or the inability to see the “big picture”. The marketing or public relations professional should be central and accessible to the organization. She should be knowledgeable in internal and external marketing techniques and be able to increase awareness of the company through public relations and press releases about new trends or “success stories”. The marketing pro must also know the company's business through self-study, company-sponsored training and experience “in the field” at the client site.

9. Marketing Sales Media/Public Relations Publishing Marketing Director Writing Computer Competence Industry Knowledge Project Experience IV. Position Description - Marketing Director The role of any Marketing Director should be one of coach, teacher, mentor and liaison. Background and experience in each of the eight “slices” above is necessary. Assertiveness and the ability to challenge the status quo; look for alternative ideas and “upside-down” thinking is essential. During the initial growth of the marketing effort, the Director will no doubt perform many of the functions heretofore described. As the company grows, the Director can recruit and integrate team members who possess a highly-developed specialty. The Director will also assume responsibility for the quality assurance of all internal and external deliverables, i.e., “The buck stops here.”

10. V. Distribution of Related Experience

11. V. Related Experience * Concurrent Years of Experience *