Don't Overlook Entrepreneurial Spirit
I'm being facetious. Kind of. But this fictional job posting illustrates a core belief: the importance of valuing the entrepreneurial spirit. This is true for our clients and suppliers as well as our employees. I don't care if you're a Fortune 100 company or a startup with five employees; I believe your marketing success is directly proportional to your entrepreneurial savvy.
Over the years, I've seen entrepreneurial marketers succeed against the odds time after time. A CMO decides to test television even though everyone advises him that a mass-market medium won't work for a niche product. An account executive convinces her client to take a chance on a longer-length spot, even though the client has never run anything but 30-second commercials in the past. A startup company trounces competitors many times its size by going direct to consumer rather than pursuing a traditional retail strategy.
The entrepreneurial spirit manifests itself in many different ways. It can mean thinking like a consumer rather than only relying on the marketing data. It can involve a willingness to test, test and test some more until you get it right. It can be about asking "What's next?" rather than "What's worked in the past?" — on anticipating an emerging trend rather than remaining mired in one that's already peaked. And without question, it takes a work ethic that's not afraid to dig in whenever necessary, even when it steps outside of their job description.
Entrepreneurs don't get hung up on how they are perceived. They don't worry about job titles — they know those will come if they keep their eye on the ball. Entrepreneurs aren't afraid to get knocked down. They are quick to dust themselves off and get back in there. Last but not least, they are not afraid to fail. The best ones learn from their mistakes quickly and move on.
Think about the most inspiring brands on the planet. They fight the status quo. They are constantly evolving. And they display that spirit with every move and execution they make — even if it means stumbling from time to time. Or take a hard look at any product or service that has flourished in recent years. They weren't magically conceived from focus groups or data sets. It took intuition, belief, and quite a bit of trial and error. As the entrepreneur-extraordinaire Richard Branson once said, "I rely far more on gut instinct than researching huge amounts of statistics."
Don't get me wrong: Capitalizing on tried-and-true strategies, known-to-work tactics and insightful analytics is absolutely necessary. But marketers need to mix this reliance with entrepreneurial thinking.
I am always curious to know what summer jobs prospective employees had, as well as the trials and tribulations the job presented. How prospects handled certain situations at a younger age can be insightful — and whether they would handle it differently now that they have more experience. Frankly, I am less interested in whether they handled it correctly or not — did they learn from it?
Calling out and rewarding entrepreneurial thinking is a must. It takes courage to color outside the lines, and it must be acknowledged quickly and powerfully. Employees must be encouraged to go against the grain, and they need to be incentivized to foster that attitude within their team.
Our agency was founded by an entrepreneur. We've always had more than our fair share of entrepreneurial clients. And, yes, we like to hire people who have a tolerance for risk, who embrace trying new approaches and who continuously think about what the future holds. In such a fast-changing, unpredictable world, these skills really do make a difference. So, in addition to your education and professional experience, don't overlook that lemonade stand.
