It's a question the van Schouwen Associates (vSA) team has heard many times over the years, and we understand the thinking behind it. Some small to midsize B2B companies have limited marketing budgets. The person "in charge of marketing" may be an owner, an engineer, a project manager, or a sales VP, all roles that leave limited time for marketing.
In such cases, the B2B company may debate the merits of the following either/or proposition: It could engage a company such as vSA to develop, implement and manage a marketing program. Or, it could hire a single marketing manager to do the job.
vSA, and other marketing companies of our caliber, are the best choice in such situations. Here's why:
-Good B2B marketing companies such as vSA are accustomed to taking full responsibility for proactively managing our clients' marketing. Our clients are often far too busy, so we make sure each program adheres to high standards of progress and ROI.
-A single entry- or mid-level marketing employee is not likely to have top-notch skills in all the areas you may require: strategic planning, writing, digital, video and print design, production management, and more. By contracting for integrated marketing with a good company, you access and leverage all those skills as well as the synergy of a team.
-Four-walls thinking avoided. Marketing companies like vSA can provide marketing that addresses your major needs while staying out of the weeds of the day-to-day trials and tribulations. We're your short-term, mid-range and futurist planners - something every company needs.
Of course, if your company can invest both in a marketing staffer and a marketing company, that's a good alternative. But if you must choose one or the other, go for the expertise, multiple complementary skills and powerful perspective of a marketing partner like vSA.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Business ethics in a not-so-ethical world
How many months or minutes has it been since you’ve been outraged by a business practice you’ve seen in the news or experienced in person?If you have recently been alarmed, annoyed or upset by an incidence of price gouging, cheating on regulations, purchase of political favors, or other questionable business practices, you haven’t become numb yet. Congratulations.
Having been in business for three decades, and having witnessed both honor and decency and its inverse, I argue that being ethical beats the alternative. On the practical side, research indicates that good business ethics lead to better customer relationships, a stronger reputation and higher profit margins. Maintaining good ethics is also better for your conscience.
It helps to have guidelines, because it’s all too easy to get lost in the weeds of the daily struggle.
-Determine the mission and standards of your business. Decide in advance of crises what behaviors and methods are acceptable to you. How do you handle a cash crunch? How do you deal with problem employees? Difficult customers? Have standards to which you can stick in good times and bad.
-Ask yourself, in any interaction, the questions in this Arab proverb: “Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?”
-When dealing with unpleasant people, I’ve found the following technique helpful in making appropriate, ethical decisions about responses and action. I guess this is my own business proverb. “Listen to the message. Ignore the tone.”
-If ever you are asked to compromise your ethics for a customer or anyone else, remember that the bad taste of doing wrong lasts longer than the pleasure of winning a deal, making more money or evading responsibility.
And one more thing. I realize that these standards mean nothing to some people. If you have read this far, you are probably not one of them. Remember that the cheaters, corner-cutters and other dishonest types make poor employees, worse employers, bad partners, and terrible customers. Avoid them when you can, eliminate them from your circles when you must.
That last bit may not sound kind, but it is sometimes necessary.
This article, by Michelle van Schouwen, president of van Schouwen Associates, LLC, was first published in Succeeding in Small Business in July 2016.
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