Ways To Be A Successful Marketing Manager.

Here are some essential qualities any marketing manager can work on to magnify their success:

1. Have The Sales Skills

As a manager you are no doubt aware that you are constantly ‘selling’ people on ideas, tasks, and decisions. That in and of itself makes developing some sales skill vital. Yet as a marketing manager you need this even more — your collaborations with the company sales team will tend to be the most crucial, and frequent ones in your career. Your biggest successes will tend to come working arm-in-arm with sales.Therefore, spend some time working in sales or studying up on the art of selling. You’ll gain invaluable insights into understanding people (and sales professionals) after spending some time building relationships and interacting with customers.

2. Deliver. Always!

Top 1% managers do whatever may be necessary to deliver the project. They don’t see their role bound by any specific limits. They recruit as necessary, escalate if need be, do menial tasks when the situation demands, and otherwise see that the job gets done without excuses.

3. Fill Your Work With Passion

Few people are quite as addictive to be around as those with a spirited, passionate energy for their jobs. Share your energy with everyone and you’ll find it’s contagious, benefiting everyone around you and bringing your projects ever-greater success.

4. Master the Corporate Balancing Act

As a manager you have to satisfy both the executive echelon and the end customers. The upper floors want you to hit certain financial objectives, while the customers want to be satisfied by whatever it is you’re promoting. Sometimes the demands conflict — but mastering this balance is key to excelling in this position.

5. It’s About Results, Not About You

You don’t have to be a ‘Grey man’ but being able to work with others in a way that inspires them to do their best is key. You’ll be working with clients, business executives, creative staff, sales reps, production managers, and many more, all of them having their own personalities and principles. Therefore you must adapt and see your ultimate validation in the results you achieve, rather than personal gratification. Maintain strong cooperation and communication, always!

6. Make Everyone Else’s Life Easy

It goes without saying that one of the best ways of ensuring people are receptive to your marketing message is by making their lives easier. The most effective marketing programs, in many cases, are those that are focused, simple, and clear, and your message will often go further when delivered in a simple and easy to digest form. Clean and simple work emanating from your department will be easier for everyone else to work with — which means they in turn produce better results. Therefore, go the ‘extra mile’ to ensure you make life easier for everyone around you. They will reward you handsomely for it.

7. Engage Your Customers (On Every Level) First

The best marketing managers understand and follow the market better than the competition. An innovative and forward-thinking approach helps you promote and develop products and services your customers — and your competitors — never saw coming. This applies to both your customers in the marketplace and your customers in the executive level also. To the executive team, a trendsetter is indispensable.

8. Understand The Data, And How To Present It

Modern marketing is full of data and analytics, therefore effective marketing management depends on not being overwhelmed or falling victim to ‘data addiction.’ Data can provide an effective map, but the map is not the territory. Understand this when you go to present the results of your work and you will have your ‘executive customers’ eating out of your hand. As Chris Thomas of market research company puts it, “Unless you specifically ask for a mind-numbering 200-page report written in Power-point 2003, there’s a snow-flake’s chance in hell you’ll get it”.

9. Understand Your Domains — All Of Them

Ultimately, no customer cares about your product or your services. They care only about their own problems. Therefore, effectively creating a bridge between your products and the customer’s cares requires knowing both realms intimately. The same applies to your ‘customers’ in your organization.

Banking in Ghana-viable or visible

The banking sector over the decade has seen tremendous expansion in Ghana. This has brought some high level of competition in the sector making it possible for easy access to banking products.

Currently, there are about 32 universal/commercial banks in Ghana and still counting. These banks are scattered all over the country offering different banking products and services to customers. 

My question is; is banking in Ghana all about branch visibility or viability, as we have seen in recent times.

Surprisingly, with over 32 banks in Ghana, the percentage of the ‘Nobanked’ population is still about 70% of the total population of the country. Does this simply means that the banks are not doing something right or the people are just not comfortable dealing with the banks?

Recent Update in the Banking Sector

The banking sector is facing stiff competition from the mobile money philosophy which allows everyone to transact business without a bank account. Currently, there is close to 30.1 million mobile money subscribers in the country which is more than the total population of Ghana. 

This is a clear indication that there is potential viable cash available for the banks and government if only they can develop innovative and smart ways to get them on board. A survey conducted indicates that people prefer the mobile money platform to a bank or having bank account. 

These are some of the reasons they gave;

1. Banks are too rigid in their operations and procedures.

2. difficult in accessing funds/loans.

3. cumbersome & long account opening requirement.

4. high and hidden charges on accounts. 

5. flamboyant/intimidating banking halls. 

Most people said, they will only open bank account if they are doing business with government, or for salaries and for sending remittances.

Now is banking in Ghana a Visibility or Viability

Branch network transformation has become the new strategy for retail banking in recent years and all the banks in the country are massively expanding their branch network. Banks are putting up huge expensive branches with flamboyant branding across the length and breadth of the country. Most CEOs and retail banking managers have said that branch visibility is the way to go, taking banking to the doorstep of the customer. 

Unfortunately, customer habits are changing rapidly with the explosive growth in mobile money platform & mobile banking, and fewer people visiting the branches as a result. A survey revealed that most of the customers who visit these branches are the very low income earners who do so just because they need a bank account to receive their salaries.

In spite of all these new trending development, banks are still on an aggressive branch expansion. They end up panting on their Profit and Loss, with the huge cost of rent and the branding cost over a period. Then I ask how can a bank post good profit when you open unprofitable branches. Is it a question of branch visibility that banks are interested in or they should be much more focused on viability and best customer service to their customers to grow their business?

Viability of a business is measured by its long-term survival, and its ability to have sustainable profits over a period of time. If a bank is viable, it is able to survive for many years, because it continues to make a profit year after year. The longer a company can stay profitable, the better its viability. A business demonstrates its viability by making a profit every year of its existence, Viability is like trust. Once someone's trust in someone is taken for granted, it's almost impossible to get it back.

In Conclusion, Banking cannot be better if customers are not offered great service & products, since this is what ignite growth and profitability. Viability must be preferred to Visibility; banks should resource their research and financial intelligence team to conduct detailed feasibility before opening branches.

credit;peter yawson