Segue – on marketing

When I first got into running my own business, I thought my biggest barrier was marketing.   I’ve never studied it and – before I worked for AlphaTrade.com – didn’t have a lot of exposure to “in the field” marketing.   I was actually fairly certain that I was incompetent at it.   (turns out that’s sales.  I shouldn’t ever do sales.  They are two separate fields.  Amongst other things I have a very strong desire to answer questions and in sales that’s not always wise).  I should note that I haven’t tried running my own business for the last few years.   I’m not sure what I’d do with that for now.   I want to work as part of a team!

At AlphaTrade.com, I got exposed to marketing.   It’s a very neat field.   I can’t in good faith describe anything we did there but I can say that what we did was part networking, part presentation and part “being really good at some key things”.   I still miss that job from time to time.    I think that given the chance, I’d work with marketing again – providing it didn’t involve “unsolicited email”.   I really don’t mind “solicited” but the “unsolicited” is a problem.   Sports, television, radio, online – these are all a lot of fun to work with.

In terms of “how to” – am not sure what to offer, beyond listening.   Listen to the company and figure out where things are going, and where people want to go.  Listen to the customers and figure out what they’re asking for.  Listen at network meetings and see trends in where they want to go, too.   As to whose voice is most important?   Customers of course – but if you want to leap beyond and try to create trends, it helps more to listen to coworkers and managers and figure out what directions entice the company.  Your contacts may be customers or you may be there customers – that’s important too but a lot more like “reinforcing the desire to work together”.   I guess I don’t have much to add except listen.  Listen a lot.   I don’t really have anything in marketing that I want to do, so listening (for me) is easier – I’m not drowned out by my own voices.     I’m thinking though I would have lasted at that company if I were better at listening.

A random aside: toxic coworkers happen.   All I can think of to respond is that people who are toxic need to be kept separated as much as possible.   This doesn’t mean that either is problematic to anyone else, just that they should be kept apart.    (if it’s workplace/employee, they need to be kept apart too.   That can happen).   If one is caught on one side of a toxic relationship it’s a really good idea to review one’s own place in such an environment and can see what can be changed.   It’s rarely one-sided.  For the record: I have seen one-sided toxic relationships.  I’ve also seen where it was actually a third “party” that was the problem – and any of the “parties” can be environmental.  My “worst case” actually ended up being a very toxic building  (mold exposures can be very bad, and can take years to heal).

Last: a quick update on the last post: http://www.academicearth.org/courses/the-fourier-transform-and-its-applications looks like it might help.   Am checking that out (and other online courses).    For a person with limited financial means, studying is kind of a luxury so for now, I’m restricted to sources that don’t cost me anything.

Advertisement