Delivering VS. Engaging: 2 dimensional thinking in a multi dimensional world

Tom Peter's blog had a thought provoking entry called "Embrace the Mess?" .   It was a gentle rant against the majority of linear thinking executives trying to operate in complex environment. 

They often look at an emerging issue as an engineering problem controlled by predictable laws of physics, rather than a messy puzzle ruled by random variables in the behavior of employees, board members, investors, competitors, and customers. They think, "If margins are poor, cut costs." Rarely are all the possible impacts on future revenue generation or current productivity considered.

And I've been thinking about this a lot as it applies to marketing.   After all we deal with not automatons which operate with a pre-defined set of rules, but thinking feeling human being who are much more complex.    You know linear marketing when you hear things like "How do we effectively communicate our value proposition to prospects so they become leads".    Basically if we deliver A to B then C will happen.

Conversely you can see marketing people who thrive in complexity because they say things like "How can we better engage with our market"?  It's a state of mind and approach.   

Now this does not mean you toss the fundamentals, but those are only a small set of the tools you have available. 

Ask yourself : "How have I engaged with my market today"?

 

Comments

[Mary Schmidt]

But, gee, anybody can do marketing! ;-)

Seriously, I sometimes wish marketing worked according to formulas and fit neatly into processes. But, we've got that pesky human factor with which to deal. Doing market research? Guess what - people lie. Think you've worked out all the kinks in the lab? People will do things with your product you never dreamed. Things work a lot differently in the real world than on a spreadsheet. So, marketing is never going to be an exact science.

[Lee Webb]

I agree with Mary's point that not everyone is a perfect fit for marketing. I was thinking about hiring someone to help me marketing my online business. I heard a few good things about James Jones, and was wondering if any of you have heard of him. He's supposed to be an expert in the area of internet marketing, and I was hoping to find someone who has worked with him. Thanks! -Lee

Lee, are you serious? "Act now and we'll throw in absolutely free a set of steak knives. Operators are standing by" "But wait, if you respond in the next thirty minutes......."
...Bruce...

[Richard Carenton]

I've been researching James as well, and the marketing sites I've been to have nothing but good things to say about him. I don't think that everyone can do all of their marketing themselves, but if you can automate some of those tasks, they get a lot easier.

[Susan]

Yes!!

James has a fantastic study at home course called funky business system that walks you through automating all your business processes step-by-step. It's amazing. And yes, he probably does throw in the knives for free!!!

Susan,
I wish you guys would have read my post. James is an A+B=C guy. A linear thinker. Or maybe this is just a bunch of people trying to bump James's Google Juice. Naw, that would be too cynical of me, wouldn't it?

...Bruce...

[Mary Schmidt]

No, really? ya think?

But, golly, won't all my problems be solved with "automating all your business processes step-by-step"?

Now I know! (I feel a Lewis Black moment coming on...;-)

Thanks for a grin. And, another example of why I say I hate consultants, like "James Jones."

[Jo Dane]

But you have to at least TRY to make processes work, right? Economies of scale and all that.

And automation is not totally evil. Maybe you could do a James *******on it and automate most, delegate the rest.

Oh look! Hand Splog.