I think that newly appointed Marketing Managers and Directors need to consider their role as much as Change Managers as Marketeers.
This is my thought through assertion based on experience and reading! This is not to say that Change Managers are Marketers, but that to be effective in delivering Marketing transformation, those responsible need to adopt change management principles.
I’ve been involved in delivering marketing strategies that have required the company to change or even add something. Depending upon the business’s situation, I might implement websites and CRMs, create processes where there were none and build teams. This is based on that definition of Insanity, which some refer to as a cliché. It is considered that continuing to do the same thing as before, but expecting a different result is a pointless task. To make a change to the output of Marketing, something needs to change.
If you are looking to grow your business and are relying on the same people, tools and processes, growth isn’t ‘just’ going to happen. Unable to report on effective lead sources from your CRM? You need a new report to tell you were successful leads are coming from. Website doesn’t convert visitors to enquirers? You need to either change the website or the source of visitors.
In such situations, there is a need to make changes. And change can be hard. Really hard.
Understandably change creates fear.
Primarily there is the cost. A new CRM will cost. A new website, to be done well, will cost. Neither will cover their cost in the short term.
There is personal impact. In small businesses with only a handful of staff it is quite easy to adapt one’s way of working. Start adding layers of management, and long-term staff that have become comfortable with their way of working, any change becomes a greater challenge.
There is risk. If changing or even removing some assets, there a risk that the substitute is not going to deliver. Or that customers and prospects are going to not like the change. If business is built on these legacy attributes there is obviously a hesitation to lose them.
While these fears are natural, they need managing and alleviating through a clear understanding of the benefits.
Managers of Change
In several papers on Change Leadership (PWC among many), it is stated that for change to be a success, the process has to begin at the top. This means having the Owner, the MD, the CEO, whatever label they go by, not just agreeing to change, but actively living it. I believe that the smaller the organisation, the harder this is to achieve. Typically the leader of a small business has an autocratic management style. The company is their passion, their baby and has been their life for so long. To take something away that they perceive to be a part of their success, or even critical to it, can result in negativity. The fears mentioned above, are theirs.
The marketer needs to manage this process, acquiring the buy in from the leader at the initial stage and maintaining it throughout the programme. They need to have an unwavering understanding of the objectives and a clear plan to deliver them.
Incremental Vs Radical Change
As change hurts, there is a strong argument for getting it all out of the way in one go. But this creates significant insecurity as staff and customers adjust to a multitude of new things. However, taking small steps to get through the change, can prolong the process and delay the benefits achievable.
The key to resolving this is to understand what the appetite for change is; can the business and its leader cope with such a significant change? Is the budget available? What are the risks? Importantly, there is a need to identify the benefits of each feature of change.
Understanding Impact of Change
The Benefits Dependency Map is a useful tool to identify the impacts of change. The example map below illustrates the route from the ‘Enabler’, the entity that is the change, through to the ultimate objective for the implementation of a CRM. A full map would feature multiple paths linking Business Changes with multiple benefits.
| Enabler |  |
Business Change | |
Intermediate Benefit | |
End Benefit | |
Bounding Objective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Prospecting Using Web-based Tool | 24/7 access to business data from any device | Effective Sales Team Performance | ||||||
| CRM | Lead Management | Campaign Performance Reporting | Enhanced Strategic Marketing Decision Making | Business Growth | ||||
| Customer Service Workflow | Tracking and reporting of Service Actions | Customer Service Cost |
The exercise to detail out the features of a Benefits Dependency Map returns dividends by becoming a reminder of why there is a need for change. This map identifies where staff will need to take action (Business Change) and gives them the ‘why’ (the benefits), motivating them to adopt the change. For example, when introducing a new CRM, the business change is using the web-based tool for sales management. The immediate benefit to the sales team is shown as 24/7 access to data. This means that they can update the prospect status while out of the office, ensuring that info is added while still fresh, or without returning to the office saving them time and effort.
A further benefit is that management is able to report in real time on sales activity; this reduces chasing time, and gives accurate up to the minute forecasts. Consequently, the business is better able to realise its growth, its Bounding Objective.
If the whole company is able to buy in to achieving the Bounding Objective, adopting the Business Change becomes easier.
Summary
B2B Marketing in a high growth business is a challenging function that has very high expectations. To be truly effective, and achieve the goals a Marketing Strategy for growth aspires to, there needs to be an appreciation of the process of change.
Starting with addressing the innate fears that go hand-in-hand with change, the Marketing Director needs to support the business leader through the process adopting of some of the behaviours of Change Managers. This also means that the process of marketing transformation is a more challenging task than often given credit for. Headway Marketing now considers Change Management as a key part of delivering transformational marketing strategies.
If your business desires change but doesn’t know where to start, why not get in touch using the form for an informal discussion.