World-class marketing 2015: Don't let the tail wag the dog

As Deputy Director of the renowned Cranfield University, McDonald is the academic authority on marketing strategy and key account management. Named one of the top 10 consultants in the UK, McDonald is also a best-selling author with over 40 marketing books to his name. His workshops address the need for effective strategies to combat structural problems within sales and marketing.

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"Don't let the sales force tail wag the marketing dog."

McDonald believes that the separation of sales and marketing, as well as the advent of digital marketing, have had a negative impact on organisations by reducing profits, shareholder value, growth, and reputational status.

Marketing in the digital age has left consumers oversaturated and overstimulated. To reach this market, McDonald proposes a model whereby companies connect with consumers on a more human level. Companies must realise that consumers are the long-term drivers of business, and a change in marketing strategy is necessary for long-term, sustainable growth.

"It is customers, not products that make profits."

Many companies overvalue product compared to their customers' needs. According to McDonald, it is companies that focus on customer satisfaction and feedback to shape the product and the supply chain, which enjoy the most success.

"Creating value for customers is infinite and is limited only by our creativity and imagination."

In its current state, products and their markets are determined by sales. As a result, marketing is reduced to a merely promotional function. Sales therefore drives strategic planning, often to the detriment of the organisation. McDonald warns that without proper marketing-driven input, the sales force is often grossly underutilised. The problem therefore lies with an ineffective marketing strategy rather than an inefficient sales strategy.

Likewise, in the modern business environment, roughly 80 percent of a company's value does not appear on the traditional balance sheet. These intangible assets, which include branding, customer relations, and distribution channels, need to be equally considered.

Professor Malcolm McDonald

In his workshops, McDonald provides solutions to these problems, explaining the need to return to a traditional sales and marketing structure while incorporating innovations theorised by two decades of research at Cranfield University.

Research indicates that properly-trained and experienced marketing specialists are one of the most useful assets a modern company can have. These specialists should understand markets, conduct proper needs-based segmentation, develop quantified value propositions, and put effective risk management processes into place.

McDonald is also a leading expert in Key Account Management (KAM), which he believes is paramount to a successful marketing structure.

"Key Account Management is rarely taught at business schools in the UK. MBA and MSc students in the main leave their advanced, expensive programmes ill-equipped to deal with the realities of the modern world."

McDonald's team at Cranfield have researched best practice in KAM for over 20 years. Their findings indicate that much like interpersonal relationships, key accounts require dedicated and specialised attention. Most companies have a sales team to deal with their entire client portfolio. KAM stresses the need for business-trained executives - with a thorough understanding of financial processes - who are able to offer tangible solutions and advantages rather than simple sales.

"Important customers literally HATE being sold to."

McDonald's workshops teach you to win business deals from powerful customers. Efficient KAM will identify root and branch problems within your own company while providing the means for a reorganisation of the business structure to solidify deals. McDonald's programme provides an understanding of how key accounts should be selected, categorised, and managed, as well as the skills which managers require in order to achieve these goals.

Marketing guru Professor McDonald, may have just the solutions you need to expand your business in the coming year when he visits South Africa to present his workshops at the Bytes Conference Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg on 24 and 25 February 2015.

• Day 1: Marketing strategy - How to develop a winning strategy to grow sales and profits, create shareholder value and enhance reputational value
• Day 2: Key Account Management - Global best practice - how to win business from big powerful customers

For more information and bookings, contact SBS Conferences:
Tel: (021) 914 2888
Email: az.oc.sbs@retep
Web: http://www.sbs.co.za/wcm2015/