“When we’re marketers, we think our job is to flex our brand muscles and tell the world how great our company and product are.”
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Except when we’re at work, those of us who have marketing jobs aren’t marketers, we’re customers.
When we’re not at our marketing jobs, we experience the world of commerce through the eyes of a customer. We make purchasing decisions and interact with companies — all while in the role of buyer, not seller; as a user, not a maker or supplier.
We all are experts at being customers, perhaps even more than we are experts at being marketers.
But too often, when we punch in our time-cards at the marketing factory, we leave that expertise at the door.
For example, when we are customers, we buy products from companies that tell us how great we are — and how their product is all about helping us be or do what we want to be or do.
But when we’re marketers, we think our job is to flex our brand muscles and tell the world how great our company and product are.
When we’re marketers, we think our job is to target customers. But as customers, we’re tired of being target practice.
The secret to successful marketing is to stop being a marketer.
Stop cranking out all that hype you can’t stand to receive when you’re a customer.
Stop telling customers how great you are — and start helping them be great at something they want to be.
You know all this — at least you do when you’re not at work.