"If you hear of any marketing jobs..." In my travels, I've run into hundreds of marketers who are out of work. Some say the most incredible things to me, such as: "I don't want to start consulting, in case a company offers me a marketing job, I want to be ready" or "I could use a cushy six figure marketing job right now." But, the strangest one is "If you hear of any marketing jobs out there, let me know." It's ironic so many marketing people don't know how to market themselves. Of course, the hardest thing to market is yourself because you're too close to the product, namely you. I see many people at networking functions here in NYC telling what firms they came from and what they did, always speaking in the past tense, rather than speaking in present tense and talking about what a specific value they bring to a given situation. Here are the brass tacks as I see them. A great many of these marketing jobs that went away in the past few years are just not going to return. Rightly or wrongly I see lots of companies giving marketing responsibilities to non- marketing people who are still working at these firms. There are baby boomers who are perhaps aging out of corporate life and in need of refreshing skills sets and outlooks on what they do. There are people in their 20's and 30's who never new hard times and are now caught off guard, unsure of how to respond to these times. I know a few people who "bit the bullet" and have put themselves into the painful process of "re-def" (redefinition). I know others who firmly believe the recession is over and with the recovery comes back their job. I just don't think that's going to happen for many marketers, which is why I try to persuade them to start a consulting practice. If you start a consulting practice, you may find you'll like that feeling of self-reliance. If someone does offer you a job thereafter, you will then have a much stronger negotiating position as you will presumably have clients that you may have to give up. I did this when I worked Madison Avenue and found my next job paid me 35% better than my previous one. Hereunder are ten tips for starting your own practice. It is by no means complete, but it is a start. 1. Pick a name. It may be John Smith Marketing, or it may incorporate your unique selling proposition, or address exactly what it is you do. A tagline isn't necessary, but make sure that if you use one it delivers information and not smooth-sounding phrases that really say nothing special. 2. Write something, anything! It can be a book. It can be an ebook, pamphlet, tip sheet, column for a trade paper, but get this done pronto. We all live and work in fox-holes and are out of sight of others which means we're out of mind until we're seen publicly and especially in print. 3. Pro-bono: If you have no clients, volunteer in a way that makes a big difference. Hopefully you can get a testimonial from the non-prof org, assuming your good works really do make a difference. Good works and marketing both seek to make a difference. 4. Benchmark: Locate 5 role models and learn everything about them. See how they climbed up. Nobody was born at the top. Don't just pick Tony Robbins or Brian Tracy. Look for successful people in or near your niche, but don't expect them to give away their proprietary secrets. 5. Define Your Nature: Be honest with yourself and determine what you're good at and what you suck at. I'm a contrarian which didn't always go over so well in corporate cultures because I would openly disagree with things that I thought were misguided. I was not a good political player. Now, I get hired to say things that used to get me fired. 6. Organize your database: This sounds obvious but I see few people who split their contacts into advocates, leads, prospects, partnerships, mentors, etc.. Once done, then set up a schedule where you contact them on a regular basis. You might as well get some mileage out of all that data entry. 7. What if? Be open-minded to things you automatically dismissed previously. What if I asked 40% of the contacts in my database to refer me to someone? What would I ask them to refer me for? What if I got quickly to the point when I got these referrals on the phone, thus demonstrating my focus, effectiveness and respect for their time? 8. Make the phone ring: This is a good challenge to prove you have some control. I don't care if you make the phone ring from a piece you wrote for the newspaper, a press release, email newsletter, or hot air balloon. Just ask yourself how do I get that phone to ring with opportunity at the other end. 9. Vow to make mistakes: You're going to make them anyway (I make loads), so you might as well incorporate them into your plans. This way, when they inevitably happen, you can tell yourself your right on track. Of course the mistake is there to teach you, not to discourage you. Easier said than done. 10. Don't flip out on stationery: I know many folks who spend weeks obsessing over which font reflects them best and what paper stock to use. Let me tell you something, I haven't had made-to-order stationery in 6 years, and I doubt I've missed any opportunities because of it. My cards were recently done at Kinko's and people marvel at the color and clarity. Bonus Tip: Call on your sense of humor. Poking fun at yourself in a light-hearted way shows people you're bigger than yourself and you have perspective. You're accessible and easy to be with. Very often people hire others on a chemistry basis and whether they can see themselves spending time with you since you will be working together. A sense of humor from you helps them see this as very possible. My last full time job was ten years ago. When I went out on my own I was very green and didn't know the first thing about how to fend for myself. I learned. I'm still learning. What I've come to realize over the years is whether you work for yourself or for someone else, the truth is: you work for yourself. It's your career. Good luck. |
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