This has been asked over and over again, and even though I have been in the industrial marketing management game for a very long time, it took quite a while and the words of an erudite professional to make me understand what it is I really do in business.
This professional, a certain Mr Tony Panrucker, has been employing my marketing and PR services for about 25 years, mostly in his role as CEO of various businesses or, in more recent years, as the go-to man called in by established companies that need their fortunes turned around.
Believe me, on a balance sheet Tony knows how to turn the fortunes of an industrial company from red to black very quickly.
He has always been a bit ahead of his time in recognising how content - the experience and capability stored in the heads of management and owners - can be the ultimate marketing seed.
But several years ago, Tony asked me a very logical question that completely threw me.
"Tell me, what is it you do for me?", was the the question.
Unexpectedly, I stumbled for an answer. "Well. I study your business and its market objectives, I prepare information on behalf of it, and I disseminate this to appropriate end users in my PR mode and now through CRMs, blog platforms and social media to harness modern comms streams."
Tony shook his head and repeated the questions. I stumbled again, basically paraphrasing my first response.
Once more he shook his head. "you know what you do for me, don't you?", he asked again.
By now I was out of answers, but his analysis from outside the square quantified my professional skills in a way I had never quite due to introspection.
"You open doors for me."
He went on......His point - a very valid one - highlights how the power of words is now on steroids and industrial companies have never been better served by media streams which allow them to skilfully and intelligently publicise their capabilities and turn this action into genuine leads. In a nutshell, that's industrial marketing for you."Over the years, with every client of mine you have done PR and media work for we have not spent one single cent on advertising but when sales staff cold called or met someone for the fist time they were normally greeted with 'oh, I have heard of you guys', or something similar."
Familiarity and trust are now just as important as capability, so your company should be in control of its own image and how it is perceived across all applicable market verticals.
many of you may be swamped by the thought of such a task. Whether you are a business owner or a marketing manager finding the onslaught very challenging, please download our free e-book which is bound to make you feel more at ease about the situation. You are not alone in this pressured environment.