I had the opportunity last week to sit in a 4 hour workshop with Bob Prosen, author of Kiss Theory Good Bye, hosted by Austin’s Entrepreneurial Organization (EO). When the topic turned to marketing, Prosen mentioned that CEO’s want two things from their marketing manager: client retention and acquisition.

As marketers, we quickly get into the weeds when it comes to branding our company, how we are viewed externally, and the latest technology. So often we fail to get budget approval on our ideas because CEOs fail to see how these ideas lead directly to increasing the bottom line.

We no longer have the luxury of hiding under the umbrella of perception; without metrics in place to validate a return on our investments, we are perceived as a corporate luxury rather than a vital organ to it’s success.

Prosen went on to say that there only two things our clients want: to keep their bosses and clients happy. As marketers, everything we do should illustrate our company’s ability to do these two things.

Clients buy 70% of the time because they have a problem/issue, and 30% of the time because they have a need. With that in mind, it is crucial that our websites, collateral, direct mail pieces and email marketing discuss our client’s issues and our company’s solutions to those issues.

So in this new age of marketing, is branding still important? Of course. Your company has to look the part, be socially responsible, and it must provide high quality, great customer service, quick turn around, and competitive pricing.

These are minimum requirements; they won’t win deals, but you can’t win deals without them. We all have to be brand managers, but we also have to learn to speak both our CEO’s and our client’s language.

What are you currently doing to meet both your boss’s and client’s needs? Would love to hear your thoughts…you can comment below!