Do Marketing Wins Drive Growth?

By Debbie Cline

You’ve scored big, blown out the metrics and are are high-fiving your team. Marketing has overachieved. You’ve delivered leads, published and posted great content on time and hosted a standing room only event. You’re sure that the company will blow it out this quarter thanks to the efforts of your team. Nothing feels better than looking at the numbers and thinking that you’re crushing it.

This makes it all the more confusing when you go to the management meeting and find out that everyone else thinks that you’re a loser.

How Is This Possible?

Most companies have teams defined by function. The sales team, the marketing team and the customer success team for example. Each team has a set of goals, metrics, expectations and definitions of success (this also holds true for companies that have multiple business units).

If we go with the sports analogy, the above describes 3 teams with 3 sets of players and a coach for each team. Each team may have either offense and defense or a focus on one. Customer success for example may focus on reducing customer complaints and churn – defense. Sales may want to get signed purchase orders and contracts in the door – offense.

The problem is that the score of a sports competition results in a single winner. There isn’t a first place trophy for offense and one for defense. One team wins. The same holds true in business.

SO HOW DOES A COMPANY WIN?

So how does a company win? By having all the coaches on one team that has clarity and agreement on business unit and company goals. Misalignment kills growth.

So why is marketing a loser in the initial scenario? Marketing metrics are not a company win. The marketing team that delivers leads that don’t convert aren’t delivering a win to sales. This could be for a host of different reasons, but the result is the same.

Marketing needs to determine what the marketing strategy is, but also needs to have clear alignment with the overall business goals and be agile to work with other leaders and pivot for a team win. Part of this includes translating strategy not only into execution but into language that the rest of the organization will understand.

Top 10 Most Overused Sports Analogies in Business:

T.E.A.M. – Together Everyone Achieves More
There’s no “I” in TEAM
Step up to the plate and swing for the fences
Don’t drop the ball
It’s a marathon, not a sprint

Level the playing field
Full court press
It’s a slam dunk
The ball’s in their court
Hail Mary

Top 10 Most Overused Sports Analogies in Business:

T.E.A.M. – Together Everyone Achieves More
There’s no “I” in TEAM
Step up to the plate and swing for the fences
Don’t drop the ball
It’s a marathon, not a sprint
Level the playing field
Full court press
It’s a slam dunk
The ball’s in their court
Hail Mary

Debbie is co-founder, chief of customer success at Buzzy Rocket and yellow lab lover. From LA to London, she is well known as an expert in creating that certain elusive magic that drives explosive growth at the intersection of companies, customers and mobile. She has proven strategic vision, and isn’t afraid to get in the trenches. In fact, she’s been doing this at companies big and small for 25+ years. Her background includes executive level positions at both public companies and startups where she has proven over and over again that her passion, drive and results oriented perspective get it done. She is tenacious, loves the game changer and loves to win.

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