It Takes One to Know One

By John Malmo

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkno/local-wkno-893008.mp3

It Takes One to Know One, by John Malmo.

Memphis, TN – Since the Chief Marketing Officer is the most important job in any company, it's shocking how few really effective ones there are. It's not that most people who possess these titles are bad people or lack intelligence, or capability, or don't work hard; many are all those things and work under a lot of stress.

The issue is that most marketing jobs aren't structured properly. Marketing directors end up working at two or three levels below what they should be doing because most CEOs have no concept of what the CMO's job should be. So when they try to hire a new marketing chief, they generally can't find a great one, because they don't know what a great one looks like; they don't know what to expect from their marketing chiefs; don't know how to learn if a candidate has ever solved serious marketing problems, identified important opportunities, created innovative concepts for new products or services, distribution, branding, selling, pricing, or promotions: all the critical factors that have impact on the market.

Remember the old expression, "it takes one to know one?" It probably takes a great marketing executive to know one. But if a CEO can learn to identify a great marketing officer, it'll be the most important hire she ever makes.

John Malmo is a Memphis marketing consultant with more than fifty years experience. He is former chairman of Archer Malmo Advertising and specializes today in helping small businesses grow. To reach Mr. Malmo - or to buy a copy of his book When on the Mountain There is no Tiger, Monkey Is King - go to http://www.johnmalmo.com.