Feature in January 2013 edition of B2B Marketing Magazine (www.b2bmarketing.net), written by Lucy Fisher and containing a "Top 10 tips to drive professional development" contribution from Steve Revill.

1. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
“You need two things
to be successful: you
need to be fabulous
and you need to be
visibly fabulous”
CAROLINE TAYLOR
VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING
IBM UK AND IRELAND
GAME
Own your goals
Successful marketing leaders all agree
on one thing: managing your career is
your own responsibility, and progression
shouldn’t be dependent on a one-off annual
meeting with your line manager, which may
or may not go your way.
PLAN
This is something Claire Macland, VP,
EMEA go-to-market at Avaya feels strongly
about. It’s all too easy to grumble, she says,
“There’s a big difference between those
who own their careers and those who think
the company owes them a career.” Macland
also advises if it’s your ultimate aim to rise
through the ranks, it’s essential you can see
the alignment of your personal tasks with
wider business goals. In addition, she warns
how some job descriptions are out of date.
“It may be some of your tasks are
inherited from someone who thought at the
time they were important. Don’t let your
goals be something that’s done to you. Own
them.” She also cautions against becoming
too specialist, too early. “If your job is
internally focused and not customer-facing
Ambitious B2B marketers can drive their careers forward in 2013 by
then you probably won’t end up in board
to marketing will add fuel to your personal case in point, she reveals getting ‘glowing’ marketing management,” she suggests.
implementing a powerful personal action plan. Lucy Fisher finds out how
review and show a deeper understanding of feedback from her own CFO really shifted It might, however, be the case that a
A
business-wide issues. her manager’s impression of her. “It’s sideways move is what is needed in order
especially powerful to get positive feedback to get your career on the right track. Many
t the start of a new year, Leaders Report. Among the key findings, Diez-Aguirre stresses the importance Increase your visibility from those you may expect to be your advise confidential discussions, within
most of us will feel the report revealed getting senior level of ‘SMART’ objectives – those that Caroline Taylor, vice president of marketing adversary,” she says. mentorship schemes for instance, as a
motivated to break bad buy-in is B2B marketing leaders’ biggest are strategic, memorable, achievable, for IBM UK and Ireland, reiterates Diez- With responsibility for signing off the way to uncover where your passions and
habits and start new, more priority, after keeping on top of marketing realistic and timescaled. And while many Aguirre’s argument about marketers always promotions within the marcomms function capabilities align.
productive ones. It’s also trends and technology. Whether it’s buy-in organisations focus on professional being ‘on show’. She advises that if you at IBM, Taylor says she’s well aware of Wherever your heart leads, don’t be afraid
the classic time at many to specific marketing activity or simply development reviews typically in January or want to get noticed, you should ensure the need for individuals to stand up and of being seen as career-hungry. It may not
large organisations for buy-in to you as an individual, this task February, Diez-Aguirre advises marketers you know who your key stakeholders are, be counted, to be enthusiastic, and build be a very British trait, but open ambition is
staff to start thinking about their personal is key at every stage of your career if you to consider their professional development volunteer yourself for initiatives and don’t networks both internally and externally. no bad thing, according to Julie Downing,
reviews, ahead of professional development want to progress. and objectives regularly, rather than on an be afraid of speaking out. IBM performance reviews used to take EVP HR and marketing at IT consultancy
reviews with their line managers. These “To have marketing activity championed annual basis. He also encourages marketers “You need two things to be successful,” place in January, with career development NTT Data. Grow your network and your own
reviews are the perfect platform for by a non-marketer is powerful,” points out to “manage by influence,” which of course she says. “You need to be fabulous and meetings following in March. Taylor personal brand she says, using all avenues
marketers to showcase their ambitions in Javier Diez-Aguirre, director of corporate takes pro-activity and sometimes humility, you need to be visibly fabulous. It’s all reveals, however, that now a ‘career smart’ open to you, and that includes online
a strategic way and ensure their role is a marketing EMEA at Ricoh Europe. too. “Very often we are not necessarily too easy to do the first but forget about framework has been implemented, whereby marketing forums, blogs and social media.
valued one across the wider business. “It’s show-time all the time. Make sure subject matter experts,” he admits. “It’s the second.” managers are strongly encouraged to LinkedIn’s corporate communications
In September 2012, B2B Marketing everybody knows about what you’re doing important to work with other teams during Taylor advises seeking feedback from maintain discussions on an ongoing basis manager for EMEA, Richard George, says
surveyed more than 100 marketing and explain why it’s added value. And focus the planning process so goals are aligned.” stakeholders across the business; not just and to have conversations at least once the professional networking site is being
leaders for its B2B Marketing on the facts, not just the qualitative stuff.” Providing evidence of this kind of approach those who you suspect will flatter you. As a a quarter. increasingly used as part of hiring decisions.
34 B2B MARKETING MAGAZINE JANUARY 2013 b2bmarketing.net/professional-development b2bmarketing.net/professional-development JANUARY 2013 B2B MARKETING MAGAZINE 35

2. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
10 TOP TIPS to drive
professional development
Follow these proactive steps to strengthen your professional
development by Steve Revill, consulting partner at
Positive Momentum
1. Think of 10-15 people that have sales funnel. Teams are rarely structured
the biggest impact on your ability to that way, so you have to bridge the gaps.
succeed in your job – peers, subordinates Think in terms of lead numbers, quality
and superiors. Mark those relationships out and revenue.
of 10 and set about improving them. 7. Ask for feedback in an ongoing and
2. Initiate new projects that have a structured way – not just as an annual
wide impact on business performance. tick-box exercise. It will help you do your
Take on additional responsibilities that will job better.
help solve your boss’ problems. 8. Don’t be afraid to be stand out
3. Map out your boss’ relationships and and challenge convention. In big
see where they overlap with yours. organisations, there can be silos that are
How can they ‘accidentally’ hear good hard to challenge, but if you do, the end
things about the work you do and how result might well be increased efficiency.
you’ve done it? 9. Fix broken relationships. Ask
4. Know your market and ensure you yourself why a working relationship is
are monitoring competitor activity. not productive. Be humble. Look at the
“We’ve got three lines of revenue – premium Apply this market knowledge to every stronger relationships you do have and
subscriptions, marketing solutions and campaign or project meeting. think about whether you can replicate
talent solutions,” he says. “Talent solutions 5. Stay close to your customers. Larger elements of these elsewhere.
is the biggest and fastest growing. More corporate marketing functions can be 10. Remember, it’s your job to manage
than 13,000 companies are using our disconnected from the customer. Listen in your career. Use your external marketing
network for this now.” on the call centre. Go out with sales and skills (segmentation, targeting and
He adds, “There are more than two account managers. positioning) to create a personal brand
million companies with pages and 6. View marketing and sales as one communications campaign of your own
information regarding their products, continuous process throughout the throughout the year.
services and ethos, so you can find
somebody working at a company you’re
interested in and ask them how they got their function,” she says. Increasingly, she to work closely with the customer service
their job, or for an introduction.” adds, IT and operations are key departments team. People are having conversations daily
If indeed you are happy to stay at your to collaborate with too, given that marketing about your brand. It’s up to marketing to
current employer, ensure you leverage technologies are exploding. drive and support this alignment.”
personal and professional development James Lawton-Hill, head of marketing at Lawton-Hill says during his career he’s
reviews fully. Downing stresses the Brother UK, highlights the customer service learnt how important it is to show business-
importance of thorough preparation team as another department for marketers wide understanding and demonstrate
and says this has become even more to focus on collaboration. “It’s important strategic thinking. It can be all too easy
important in the current climate of reduced to get bogged down in day-to-day tasks
headcounts. “Having something in writing and see things only from the perspective
will help you to structure the discussion,” “Think of 10-15 people of the marketing department. By actively
that have the biggest
she says. “Set half a day aside to draft it collaborating with other departments,
and then go back to it. It’s very easy in this you will have demonstrable evidence for
fast-moving world for things to get forgotten
and, in this economy, people’s roles have impact on your ability your personal review about how you are
supporting the wider organisation.
probably grown.” to succeed in your job. For Rob Morrice, managing director at
agency IAS B2B, a wider perspective is key.
Break down boundaries Mark those Morrice pays for his staff to buy books,
One area marketers can focus on when
looking to drive a personal action plan is relationships out of watch films, subscribe to professional
magazines or attend events that will add to
thinking about a proactive approach to
understanding wider business functions.
10 and set about their pool of knowledge. “If you want to be
good at ideas and at marketing, then you
Debbie Williams, chair of the Institute of
Direct Marketing’s (IDM) B2B Council and
improving them” need both specific knowledge and general
knowledge,” he says.
an independent consultant, found going out STEVE REVILL Regardless of what your ultimate career
with sales teams a valuable experience in CONSULTING PARTNER game plan is, a well constructed personal
her career. “Sales always think marketing POSITIVE MOMENTUM review that considers just some of these
don’t understand them. It shows personal issues will help drive your professional
initiative if you set out to understand development in 2013, and beyond.
36 B2B MARKETING MAGAZINE JANUARY 2013 b2bmarketing.net/professional-development