The 10 questions of marketingAs an avid reader, I recently came across a phenomenal book called The 10 Questions. Written by psychologist and life-coach Debbie Ford, the book invites readers to evaluate their life choices on the basis of 10 essential questions. The book added much value to my personal decision-making process and with my marketing manager's cap on, I began to analyse the questions from a marketing point of view. Her philosophy is very simply that one changes one's life through each and every decision one makes. These decisions become the basis for one's life situation. I couldn't agree more. Many of us “marketers” spend our days chasing deadlines, conceptualising campaigns (usually whilst cooking dinner) and writing reports to justify the masses we spend. To what end I ask? Obsessive compulsive by nature, I often challenge myself, trying to come up with more practical, efficient and effective ways of achieving my goals. This usually happens between 4am and 4.30am while I am meant to be meditating. On one such day I began to consider if asking the 10 questions in my daily marketing activities would have an impact on both my ever-constant mission to deliver marketing results to stakeholders and my career. I decided to rewrite the questions and stick them up on my wall at the office and take a month to measure the results.
Many of the questions come back to the same point: are we making decisions for the benefit of the brand because we believe it's right or because we've always done it this way and it's easier to just do things the way they've always been done than to question? I've decided to blow them up and frame them on my wall because whenever I'm doing something it brings me right back to the focus of what I'm doing, why I'm doing and what I expect to achieve. Just a thought I had. About the authorLisa Steingold, with an understanding that she is her own brand, approaches all aspects of her life through the key values of passion, integrity, innovation and results. She is currently the marketing manager for a well-known paint company. Lisa also writes voluntarily for various online and printed publications. She spends her spare time coaching clients through an entity called “Life Inc”, being active outdoors, reading philosophy and leadership, writing, studying and concocting fabulously flavourful dishes for friends and family. Contact her on +27 (0)11 661 5700 or email marketingmgr@medal.co.za. |