I recently contributed to a LinkedIn article on what a client should expect from a marketing executive. In a nutshell I shared that executive-level experience brings:
- The knowledge to build a strong, cohesive strategy with a clear understanding of what tactics should be used, so organizations can stop draining its resources by throwing spaghetti at the wall.
- The leadership skills to help a team understand how the plan and its tactics connect so the team members can work together to find success.
- Ensure the right data is tracked and analyzed to build a constant feedback loop to build learnings and stay on top of what needs to be optimized and what needs to be strengthened.
Shortly after that contribution I was reminded of the below story, which resonates with the idea that there is hesitation to spend money to move the needle … but that, when you do, the money saved and/or the revenue an organization will drive is tenfold the initial amount spent.
So the story goes …
The huge printing presses of a major Chicago newspaper began malfunctioning on the Saturday before Christmas, putting all the revenue for advertising that was to appear in the Sunday paper in jeopardy. None of the technicians could track down the problem. Finally, a frantic call was made to the retired printer who had worked with these presses for over 40 years. “We’ll pay anything; just come in and fix them,” he was told.
When he arrived, he walked around for a few minutes, surveying the presses; then he approached one of the control panels and opened it. He removed a coin from his pocket, turned a screw, and said, “The presses will now work correctly.” After being profusely thanked, he was told to submit a bill for his work.
A few days later the bill arrived for $10,000.00. Not wanting to pay such a huge amount for so little work, the printer was told to please itemize his charges, with the hope that he would reduce the amount once he had to identify his services. The revised bill arrived: $1.00 for turning the screw; $9,999.00 for knowing which screw to turn.
Bottom line …
Sure, you could just leave it at “you get what you pay for” or “you need to spend money to make money” but it goes beyond that.
It is straight up scary to spend your hard earned money when you could just stick with what you know. But there are times when you need to make that decision (maybe not as urgently as the above story) to take the next step.
An organization finds success when its marketing and communication strategy is tightly aligned with business goals. When that alignment is in place, ➡️ strategy informs a plan ➡️ that ties together tactics ➡️ which together, drive a team to its desired outcome.
That executive-level experience and thought process comes from years of hands-on work, combined with the desire to continuously learn and remain curious so that you stay on top of the constantly changing landscape. Having that deep insight and understanding for consistency on your team … is key to your success.
Keep in mind, that ever-changing landscape is not just digital platforms but also the knowledge that comes from years of building teams, interacting with and leading people. Your knowledge and experience are not just reserved to strategy and digital platforms, leadership – true leadership – is key to getting a team to move forward together.
I get it. Spending money to make money … doesn’t always realize a quick outcome like the above story, in which the cost to fix the press may seem high, but it’s immediately apparent that it would cost an exorbitant amount more if that path of experience wasn’t chosen. Many other times, you need to spend the money first, then take a moment before you see an immediate return.
However … even when patience is needed … time and time again, I have witnessed small short-term wins and amazing long-term results when experience is chosen over the spaghetti method. It’s a scary proposition to have scattered tactics, no one at the helm who has the lived experience, or the confidence and knowledge to take on new challenges. Experience matters and executives have the confidence and knowledge to help you navigate the path ahead.
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