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An analogy a day keeps the mind at bay.
I wanted to take a short swing at writing my own golf analogy about B2B Marketing - So I did.
Whip Clang! Kh-wo-utt!
1. Position the ball
Great golfers play for position. Figuring out how to get the best angle on the pin.
A good swing evolves from a good setup. Your stance, where you want to hit the ball and choosing the right club are all factors that determine where the ball is going to land - You want to control your distance? Change the width of your stance.
Similarly, great B2B marketers also play for position. When you build the right brand position, it becomes the driving force behind your organization, helping you form marketing messages, shape your products and services - and if you want to change direction, adjust your positioning accordingly.
2. Check the Wind
Checking the wind direction and speed is like assessing the market and doing your research. In both disciplines you’re identifying the opportunity to make a more informed decision.
In golf, this step allows you to best determine your shot’s shape and in marketing it helps you devise the most appropriate plan that allows you to best predict its impact.
3. Know the yardage
Knowing the yardage is like visualizing a realistic goal. In golf and marketing alike, the return on investment of stepping up to each shot with a sensible goal in mind can be much more favorable.
Many golfers refuse to accept that they are not long hitters, and therefore choose to over inflate their club distances; this can cost strokes out on the golf course. In the B2B marketing world, reaching for the stars can also cost largeeeee amounts of green.
4. Read the Greens
green-reading is one of the fundamentals of putting.
if your “green-reading” is all about guessing and rushing, you’re in for a long round, with quite a few putts.
Similarly, if you're marketing efforts are a bunch of guesses, speculation and rushing into action with unvalidated ideas you're also in for a long ride, a) because you won't be able to objectively figure out where you went wrong, b) it will take a lot more time to reach your objective.
Unless, you get there by luck or some other miracle - in both cases! But just remember, "Luck sometimes visits a fool, but never sits down with him".
5. Stay on the Course
Mental Grit. The passion and perseverance to reach an ultimate long term goal. Both disciplines include the perfect mixture of short game and long game tactics and strategies to achieve a common desirable outcome: Winning.
6. And finally, Who’s your Caddy?
On the golf course, sometimes you might need a little support. That’s why you must have a good, trusted caddy. Caddies must know the golf course very well to be able to provide instant advice to golfers when asked, which club to use for a particular shot etc.
Asking a b2b marketeer about which tactic to utilize to reach your objective is the same thing. You need to have a trusted advisor, one that knows the course very well.
If you happen to be interested in taking your b2b marketing to the next level we can help you get started or accompany you on your existing b2b marketing journey.
Explore how we do marketing for b2b companies or have a look at our b2b marketing services now.