What Makes a Great Marketer?

In the past month, I’ve been a guest lecturer in marketing classes at a half dozen Universities that use my book The New Rules of Marketing and PR in class. I’ve also worked with several marketing teams at companies. While people ask the question in different ways, I’m frequently asked in these sessions something like: “What makes a great marketer?”

I typically answer with three characteristics of a great marketer.

A great marketer focuses on buyers

Organizations filled with people who take the time to understand the needs of buyers they wish to reach, and then educate and inform those buyers, are more successful than organizations that just talk about products and services.

A great marketer is a storyteller

Stories are universal, widely recognized as an essential part of human cognitive development. As social animals who crave connection with others, we find that stories—whether told orally, written on paper, or conveyed on film—are our most immediate way to enter the imaginative minds of others. When the story that you tell customers matches the story that customers tell themselves, your business is in alignment.

A great marketer understands technology

Marketing is a combination of art and science. Many marketers, however, spend more time on the art. Implementing marketing programs using a wide variety of platforms like the web, social networks, and video requires knowing the science behind the platforms.  Keeping up with ever evolving new technology like AI is essential and the ability to use often complex tools to measure means continuous improvement.