The Key Skill That Transforms Good Marketing into Great Marketing

"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant." –Max De Pree

So… why a quote on leadership? Well essentially at the core, great marketers are great leaders! They not only effectively lead themselves, but their target market as well. Leadership IS that key skill that transforms good marketing into great marketing.

Lead Yourself
For starters, great marketers have a vision; they know where they’re going, they have a rock-solid plan on how they’re going to get there, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes. They have a way with words and have the capacity to properly communicate their vision in such a way that magnetizes them – drawing their target market as well as the best of everything toward them.

Also, they understand exactly how they’re showing up for their target market. They purposely lead that effort – never leaving to chance how they’re perceived. Without having to actually say it, they make it crystal clear to their target market that they would have to be crazy to do business with anyone else but them. Essentially they take charge and lead their own destiny.

Lead Your Target Market
I am definitely of the opinion, and I’m sure I’m not alone here, that most people want to be led and spoon fed – they don’t just want you to tell them where the gold mine is or how to get there, they want you to hold their hand, walk them into it, mine the gold for them and give it to them.

So with that in mind, what do great marketers do? They make the most of that idea. They paint a before and after picture for their target market – clearly showing and glamorizing what’s possible if they follow the great marketers lead. They educate their target market in a way that empowers them to make great decisions – decision they can be proud of. Great marketers are careful not to over-promise and are confident that they can over-deliver enough to as author Tom Peters puts it, WOW their target market. They know marketing is all about persuasion, not manipulation. They confidently stand behind their product or service, offering iron clad no hassle guarantees. And we can go on, and on, and on here but I think you get the picture here.

So in closing, remember that great leaders make great marketers; great marketers create great marketing; and great marketing leads to great results. Additionally, always remember that it’s your responsibility to not only lead yourself, but your target market as well – both their success as well as yours, depends on it!


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Online entrepreneur Dean Mercado, "The Motivational Marketer", is creator of the acclaimed 'Pumped Up Networking' system geared to explode your business through professional relationships. To learn more about it and to sign up for his FREE eZine the 'Marketing Minute' – a weekly multimedia eZine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes, visit www.OnlineMarketingMuscle.com.


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