It’s Always, Always, Always About the Customer
Job searching is a roller coaster—a ride filled with ups, downs, twists, turns, and moments that leave you hanging upside down. In the midst of that wild ride, there are also moments of real clarity.
As I’ve scrolled through countless job postings for heads of marketing, I noticed a pattern. Nearly all of them, no matter the industry, cover familiar ground: lead generation, sales enablement, brand awareness, PR, and media relations. And almost every one paints a picture of the ideal candidate—a “player-coach” who can both think strategically and roll up their sleeves in a “dynamic environment.”
These tactics and skills are critical, of course. But they made me pause and ask: What’s the purpose of marketing in the first place?
It’s Always, Always, Always About the Customer
Most companies talk about marketing in terms of what they need: more leads, higher quality leads, increased deal sizes, faster buying cycles, and so on. These are valid metrics, but they’re only part of the story.
IMNSHO, the true purpose of marketing is to make sure customers have the information they need to make the best decision about the products and services they use to achieve their goals. It’s not about pushing leads down the funnel; it’s about enabling customers to solve their problems with clarity and confidence.
Less About Us. More About Them
Do our customers understand how this feature fits into their workflow?
Have we communicated the practical value clearly and in their terms?
What content will give customers the confidence that our solution is the right solution for them?
If we’re not the right solution for them right now, how will they know when we are?
Marketing isn’t just about driving numbers—it’s about building trust and credibility in a crowded market. It’s about helping your customers navigate that market and knowing what you stand for. When they know what to expect from your product and your company, it makes everyone’s job easier.
Creating genuinely better solutions for our customers is why companies exist. How do you keep your marketing and organization focused on the customer? Which organizations are doing it well? Who deserves a pat on the back?