Marketing Mentor

A colleague has asked me to pose a question to businesses large and small.....

Do you know what role a mentor fulfils? Specifically would you consider using a marketing mentor to improve your organisational and personal business performance? Perhaps an expert who would come in each month to work with the MD/Chief Exec to progress strategic plans or perhaps work with an inexperienced marketing team to get them working more effectively?

Would their membership of the Chartered Institute of Marketing be important to you? Do you understand what membership means?

Any thoughts would be welcome including the price you would pay for such a service?

Where are all the CEOs?

To communicate effectively, leaders require great strategy, implementation and ideas. Communication defines your image and image is everything, not just what you say, but the way in which you say it. Image is only half the battle, images get you noticed and make people listen to you but it is substance that holds their attention.
The key attributes of great leaders are;
· Belief in oneself. They are known for their position and respected for their stance.
· They are decisive with an ability to transcend risks through sound judgement.
· They are also skilled communicators, which is essential to inform and enthuse in a simple, consistent way.
· Being responsible the buck stops with them. Leaders don’t blame their followers for their failings.
· They are intuitive, with an instinctive grasp of their follower’s moods and ability to predict and pre-empt future events.
· They are one step ahead, not two!
So, why does the public not know the names of more CEOs of voluntary organisations? Why are not more CEOs of voluntary organisations sitting in the House of Lords? Why are not more CEOs of voluntary organisations non-executive directors of private sector organisations? And why do we so rarely hear or see CEOs of voluntary organisations interviewed on the news?

Leaders have impact

Communication, like charity, must begin at home. All communication should flow uninterrupted around an organisation, like blood through the body. If the flow is blocked, damage soon occurs. CEOs today must lead through more personal and direct communication to harness both internal and external support and turn their vision into reality.
I think it is necessary to radically rethink how the CEO educates and enthuses their organisation with their vision. The CEO must remember that leaders empower their followers, that everyone of their employees is their ambassador. They must also be aware that their reputation can make or break the reputation of their organisation and that there is usually a gap between perceptions and reality!
For me these quotes sum it all up;
“It is hard to look up to a leader who just keeps his ear to the ground”
“Leaders have a vision of a better future, they feel strongly about the need to go there”
“There go my people. I must find out where they are going, so that I can lead them there”.
This all revolves around the basic belief that companies must put their people, not their customers, first. Leadership is doing the right things and management is doing things right!
Leadership is about impact and impact can only be achieved by communicating effectively and by moulding a positive image. In my view good communication is about;
· Shaping and influencing opinion
· Sharing information and views
· Inspiring and re-assuring stakeholders
· Being honest and transparent
· Building trust and co-operation
· Listening, listening and listening…

Communication and the CEO

We live today in a sophisticated multi-media society where the number of global communications networks has exploded in recent years. This has made it even more important to have effective communication, “the right word at the right time”.
Looking back at a brief history of communication we start with the first consumer brand, Wedgwood, in 1760, followed by the first newspapers in the 1800’s. With the development of the understanding of psychology, Pavlov and his slavering dogs (1920), the advertising world took off in the 60’s and 70’s. The mid 90’s had the www.com chaos and the last decade has left us reeling from stimulus, response and endless feedback. So is the 21st century is the age of conversation?
An organisation’s reputation is increasingly based on how others see the CEO and how others talk about you. Those favourable perceptions are dependant upon the CEO's visibility and the consistency of thier behaviour. The communication skills of CEOs are important in shaping public perception, after all in today’s business world CEOs are the celebrities! In a world of suits, their human face helps to differentiate the brand, inspire confidence and deliver results. In the voluntary sector this is equally true but many CEOs are reluctant to take the risks of being in the goldfish bowl of public life.