The industry feels the need for more passionate professionals.
We all know that marketing is a fancy name that could be used for pretty much anything, but only a few people know the real meaning of the word. Eventually, not even some of the marketing professionals will know it.
The first thing that we learn in a marketing course is the mix: product, price, place, and promotion. However, it is extremely common to see some professionals in B2B that are not aware of the product, they don’t know anything about the price composition and that they have never visited the client.
When we go to marketing and advertising school many of us are attracted by the ever-fascinating stream media. Some students also enjoy arts, drawing, selling and interacting with people. On the other hand, the industry doesn’t always provide the opportunity for all students to work in B2C companies and they need to go to B2B markets, such as commodity companies, service providers, manufacturers of all types, etc. These are “subjects” that are not attractive to many people, and the marketing and communications professional could lose interest in learning more about it.
For sure no one ever dreamed about advertising a random piece of some complex machine since he/she was young, but once you are working there, you need to be curious and passionate about it. After all, that complex piece of metal could be one of the gears that moves not only a machine but the whole economy of a country, or even the world. How much more interesting could something be?
Sometimes in a B2B company, it is necessary to face challenges, like understanding concepts of engineering, chemistry, medicine, economy, and others from the most diverse areas, in which we are not always experts. But maybe this is the big deal about B2B. Can you imagine how to captivate a client that holds knowledge that you don’t? How can you advertise a product to the customers? How can you work strategically in an industry that has so many variables and that explores the product benefits in a relevant context?
In a B2B company, it is very likely that instead of a marketing person, your boss will be an engineer, a veterinarian, or a doctor. If they can’t see that you have the skills to understand anything about the “product”, the “place” and the “price”, for sure they will not trust you to give you the “promotion” to handle it.
Dear B2B marketers and advertisers: yes, the stream media and market is charming in every single aspect, but maybe you can focus on adding more value to your own profession inside the company, to assure its continuity. Nothing against Business to Consumer, it is fascinating. But it is “easy” to sell yogurt. The ultimate challenge that will test your full capacity is to sell a complex product to a highly specialized target that sits between the company and the consumer.
Silvia Oshiro
Marketing Communications Manager
& BRains Co-Founder
