Indium Corporation Blogs

Indium Corporation recently received recognition for some Marcom results. I was asked to comment. Amongst my responses was this:

"I was once told that every job on Earth is merely a matter of problem solving of one sort or another. To me, that makes perfect sense. So, rather than stuff square pegs into round holes all day – hoping for bliss, set out to hire people who love solving the problems that your customer’s experience. Then, get out of their way; let them shine.

"Don’t attempt to engineer or construct it. Keep it organic, keep it genetic. Build your staff with people who CAN’T STOP solving your customers’ challenges. Hire maniacs, then turn your company inside out and let your team amaze your customers and truly intimidate your competition.”

We all seek simple answers (they're the best). But they're not always available. Sometimes there is only hard work - work that requires time, patience, investment - and talent. To build a truly effective B2B Marcom program, we can't "wack-a-mole" our way to success. Only excellent people, operating over time, can create a winning B2B Marcom program.

If someone demands that you work magic overnight, you may be in the wrong place. If you are expected to edit, tweak, and hand-hold your way to success, you may be in the wrong place.

Get the right (clear) goal, get the right (self-motivated) talent, then get out of the way. Spend your time keeping your talent happy.

Some B2B Marcom (and Product Management and Sales) people lament that their products are, shall we say, "dry" and not as sexy as B2C products. If you are falling into that rut, take a page from the book of Clippard. This company manufactures pneumatic actuators (yawn), also called, "solutions for pneumatic, motion and process control devices to the scientific, medical, dental and analytical markets" (double yawn). It's easy for us to imagine them simply going to market with some images, graphs, and a static product display. This is especially true when you consider that pneumatic devices typically move out, then in, then out, then in. Not too exciting, right?

WRONG!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So, EVERY product is sexy, to the right person. Clippard is fascinated by the realm of pneumatic possibilities, and surely they have several customers who, under the proper circumstances, care very deeply about not only high-performance pneumatic solutions, but a vendor who is a thought leader.

So, how does Clippard explode out of the rank and file of uninspired competition and earn a special part in their target audiences' minds? How do they prove their thought-leadership? How do they make their slogan, "Quality People, Quality Products" ring true? They go WAY beyond what others do and craft a pneumatic air guitar! This steps far outside what a customer typically expects to see at an exhibition. It inspired one blogger to write,

"... it was the ultra-cool, illuminated air guitar that really caught my attention at the Clippard booth."

 

Check out the passion:
 

 

Check out the interviewer's fascination in this clip and note her opening salvo of superlatives, followed by the look of fascination on her face, (beginning at 1:09):

 

Don't worry about getting too far away from the real business at hand. When you position your "ultra-cool" demonstration in a trade publication, an exhibition, a technical conference, a sales call, etc., it is within the context of what your target audience needs and desires. Your customers are smart enough to bring it home. Note how Rob Clippard helps his target audience relate the novelty to their work when he weaves a memorable tag line into his elevator speech, "We'd love to make your machinery sing, as well."

 

People like Rob Clippard just get it. Note, in the video captured at the trade show (immediately above), even without the air guitar, Rob's exhibit has things moving all over the place.

 

You can get it, too. Remember,

• "It" isn't boring, you are. If you aren't fascinated with what you are selling, your customers will never be.
• If "it" IS fascinating, then find a way to convey that to your customers. Make an air guitar!

I was on a roll with this one:

"Perhaps my analogy was a bit corny, but the kernel of my message should be pleasing to your ears."

 

Visit here to learn what the heck I was talking about.

B2B Marcom practitioners are keenly aware of the admonition, "Believe Half Of What You See And Nothing That You Hear." Famous words from Edgar Allan Poe ... or was it Benjamin Franklin? Hmmm ... I've seen it attributed to both men - not sure WHAT to believe.

And THAT is the problem. Virtually ANYTHING can now be manipulated, twisted, or simply misstated. The effect ranges from this example of a quote, to the photoshopping of fashion models, to alleged blatant reconstruction of the facts to create news.

This condition places an extreme value on integrity. Never before has it been easier to fabricate the "truth", and never have trust and honesty been more meaningful.

While trust can be eroded in an instant, it takes an entire career to build it.

Never compromise your integrity in B2B Marcom. Ever.

I hate being “bought”. I feel both devalued and trivialized when that sort of thing is proposed. It actually turns me off when I am offered $5 to complete a survey. When I read opinion survey results, I often wonder how tainted the results are. How many of the responders were compensated? Do they always tell us that the results are derived via compensation?

Bottom line, true referrers, people that really CARE about your product, don’t want, or need, to be bought. When bought, referrals are neither heartfelt nor meaningful.

When you are seeking B2B Marcom referrals, testimonials, and references for your products and/or services:

• Aim for much less quantity and much higher (meaningful, useable, specific) quality.
• Seek individuals who you’ve really moved.
• Seek people to whom you truly matter.
• Seek people who are ALREADY talking about you.
• Seek referrals with huge amounts of traction.
• Seek sales leads that will be pitched to by a passionate 3^rd party (the person recommending you).

Go that route and you will chase fewer leads, score more repeatedly, and proceed more dependably.

BONUS: You'll also learn the TRUTH about yourself.

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B2B Marcom involves a lot of projects.

We're always working on an event that needs literature, or a conference that requires a presentation and some collateral material, or an exhibition that requires a trade show booth, graphics, and more. All of these items become their own projects (getting the three posters in the same format, the same size, and installed in the exhibit; or making sure the PowerPoint presentation matches the accompanying printed technical paper). Pretty soon, completing the project means completing the job.

When we think and act this way, we end up having no “plan to sell”. In the worst case we can end up with no thought at all as to what we will do after our target audience sees our project. In other words, it can become all about the project and not about the process. That's wrong.

We are here to advance our business, to sell our products and/or services - to complete the process. Therefore, we must always "plan to sell" by developing a complete series of projects that take us right through the process to the end - to the sale.

 

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Brad Smith (@BradleyESmith) writes:

There are only three ways social media can help your business:

1. Increase brand awareness by growing your reach
2. Build customer loyalty by engaging more and providing support
3. Increase sales by getting more people to purchase, more frequently

Now pick one goal, and prioritize your tactics to solve that piece.

If you're nodding your B2B Marcom head in agreement (like I did), read his article,

5 Social Media Lessons 'Small' Business Can Learn From Big Business.

Be prepared to continue nodding your head - and to increase your engagement.

Nice work, Brad.

I walked into my office and there it was: a purple bag. THE purple bag!

I knew exactly what it was - and it brought a smile to my face. In fact, it caused me to put down the things I had in my hands and pick it up to examine its eagerly-awaited contents.

We have several vendors here at The Indium Corporation. They're all important to us, but many simply blend in. Their invoices look the same, their packaging looks the same. Heck, even their sales people look and act the same. Blending in, being average, can be beneficial at times, but being unique, being recognized, and standing out can also offer tremendous advantages - especially if you're good.

Bottom line: be good, be iconic. Stand out and be recognized. Step away from the pack. Be the purple bag.

In my previous post, "Will Your Marcom Be Knee-High By The Fourth Of July?" I predicted that the corn that grows across the road from Indium Corporation HQ would be knee-high by June 20th. I snapped this shot yesterday - proving that the corn is above knee-high on June 18th. The tallest plants are up to my hip!

So what?

The point of my previous post was to plan ahead, and to take advantage of any vision that you may have. This is a great way to create a highly powerful B2B Marcom project. I said, "Remember, we don't get paid to be average. We've got to OUTPERFORM our competitors if we are to grow, thrive, and distinguish ourselves."

The farmers that dogmatically planted their corn on schedule this year will see their corn ready for harvest all at the same time, causing a time crunch (they need to get it all in at the same time). But those farmers that had the vision to take advantage of an early Spring spaced out their planting times - and their harvest times. They'll be able to take in their harvest more comfortably, and may be able to take a larger than average harvest, as well.

In farming, as in B2B Marcom, that isn't the end. That's just the next step in an endless race. The question then becomes what do we do with our project after we've enabled ourselves to take advantage of our vision and insight? Well, projects combine to create programs. And programs are always about what we do NEXT.  Frankly, it gets really tiring hustling like mad, trying to figure out the next insightful move. That's just not productive, nor professional. To avoid this kind of fatigue and burnout, it is imperative to have a comprehensive Marcom program, complete with contingency planning.

When you encourage and inspire your team to see the big picture, to craft a big plan, you foresee MANY opportunities and challenges. When you cultivate contingencies for various possibilities, you enable confident and fast decision making and actions.  Your progress, confidence, and achievements go up, and your worries and fatigue go down.

Average farmers planted, and will harvest, on the traditional schedule. Good farmers took advantage of the early Spring and staggered their planting and harvests, making their lives easier. Great farmers staggered their plantings AND made plans for what to do with their time during this summer's harvest and beyond.

Perhaps my analogy was a bit corny, but the kernel of my message should be pleasing to your ears.

I grew up around farming. My family didn't own a farm, but we were surrounded by them.  I spent MANY hours working on farms as a boy - starting at the age of 12 (when no one else would, or could, hire me). Between repairing buildings and fences, milking cows, and "haying", believe me - I've got stories! It was HARD work, but it made me appreciate many things in life. After my first season of working on a local farm I was able to buy a brand new 10-speed bicycle - all the rage in 1972!

Living in Central New York, I remain surrounded by farming. Did you know that New York State is the USA's 3rd-largest dairy producing state? I really enjoy this lifestyle and appreciate what our farmers do for us. Bottom line, I like to eat. Therefore, I LOVE farmers! I hope your logic leads you to the same conclusion.

Here is a photo of yours truly in a cornfield, right across the road from Indium Corporation HQ in Clinton, NY. (Sorry about the serious look - I was watching a ton of ants scaling my camera.) It was taken today - June 1st, 2012. Notice anything unusual? This corn is TALL! About one-foot tall already. And there is something else that you can't see - it is growing really fast.

The slogan, "knee high by the fourth of July," is more than just a saying, it is a guide - a benchmark to help farmers gauge whether or not they are on the proper timeline. I predict that this corn will be knee high by June 20th. Way ahead of schedule.

In my area there are a few corn fields that are this tall, but most are "average". When I asked a farmer about their "average" corn she told me she had planted at the usual time. I know that the farmer across the road from my office planted early. He was enabled by two things:

• our unusually warm and early Spring
• his being prepared to go as soon as possible

If a farmer plants too early she risks the chance of the entire crop being damaged by frost. So, these early birds take a risk. But, if it works out, they are rewarded with flexibility and a little more control over their busy harvest schedule later in the season. This is highly valuable at a time when many crops are ready for harvest at the same time.

Bringing me to B2B Marcom. We've got to constantly survey our situations for opportunities. While it is important to maintain schedules and to know what is "normal" in our worlds, we can make magic happen if we are vigilant about seeking opportunities.  We've all got "routines", such as editorial calendars, trade show timelines, and advertising schedules - but it is precisely their very regimentation that lulls us into complacency - and into "normalcy" - and into being average.  Remember, we don't get paid to be average. We've got to OUTPERFORM our competitors if we are to grow, thrive, and distinguish ourselves.

So, look for routines. Seek their value and their beauty. But, also look them over for opportunities to break patterns, to change things up to your advantage when possible. Your average competitor's corn will likely always be knee high by the fourth of July. Yours might just be different - in just the way you want it to be different - if you are prepared and seize the moment when it presents itself.

The Indium Corporation hosts many high school and college job shadow students, interns, and the like. We enjoy every aspect of it. We gain valuable insight into these people (generationally, technologically, sociologically, etc.), we're forced to explain ourselves to someone exploring the basics (always a learning experience - in both directions), and we love supporting these tremendously bright and curious students - and our community. Also, it's just plain fun!

Today a high school junior sat in my office, looked at a poster of my rock band, looked at posters of two magazine articles of a custom motorcycle that I designed and crafted, then looked at my business card and asked (with total innocent sincerity), "Why are you here?"

I knew this was going to be a special moment, and that I was talking to a special person. How many 16-year olds would put all that together so quickly, then risk asking this question?

My response, "Please expand on your question."  I wanted to be sure I understood exactly where she was, and what kind of answer she needed.

She went on to ask that, if I am so enthusiastic about motorcycle design and building, and song writing/guitar playing/performing, why aren't I doing those things for a living. Ahh, to be so innocent.

My answer: "I AM doing those things."

I then went on to explain how every element associated with writing a song, conceiving of a bike design, crafting custom motorcycle parts, arranging a funk song, putting together a band, cutting and welding steel, and entering a bike in a show or performing at a concert are EXACTLY the same elements associated with B2B Marcom.

My musical audience has needs, wants, options, and desires:  just like my B2B customers. My band is a collection of personalities with various skills, capabilities, and interests: just like my Marcom, Sales, and Technical Support teams.

Conceiving, cultivating, and developing ANY truly successful Marcom project requires a visceral understanding of the target audience, working with teams, drawing upon creativity (as well as tried and true tools), taking risks, getting hurt, being surprised, respecting constraints, focusing on the goal, and more. These exact words can be applied to forming a band and taking the stage or drawing up a bike design and breaking out the torches.

Don't, for a second, believe that B2B Marcom can't rock. Because it's not about the subject, it's about YOU! Everything you do can rock.

You just gotta' rock it!

I just bought a Marc Ecko shirt. As I detagged it in preparation for its maiden voyage, I noticed what seemed to be an "extra" tag mixed in with the pricing and branding stuff. The tag told a story.

The story goes like this:

"My grandfather was a tailor. It never provided him great wealth, but he was rich in skill and love for his craft. I chose the symbol of the garment shear as a reminder of a time when craftsmanship wasn't mechanically engineered, but rather measured by the skill of the maker.

"I'm pleased to have the opportunity to offer this garment to you. Its workmanship would have made my grandfather proud."

Mark Ecko

I love a good story. Seth Godin does, too. He wrote: "If what you’re doing matters, really matters, then I hope you’ll take the time to tell a story. A story that resonates and a story that can become true."

Before I even put that shirt on, I felt like I owed something to Marc, and to his grandfather. I felt a thread of connection to Marc's grandfather. I felt like I had to wear this shirt just a little "better", with more dignity and respect. That's how a good story works.

Seth also shared this cartoon, sent to him by a reader who saw it in the Denver Post. It addresses the issue of honesty head-on. Yes, we can fabricate stories and hoodwink our audience, but not for too long.

A B2B Marcom professional HAS stories, real stories - but, like a precious gem, they need to be sought, extracted, polished, and presented. When we start seeking our stories, we often discover that we have too many to tell. So, how do we determine which few stories to take to market? We need to determine which messages resonate with our target audience. The personas and motivations differ, sometimes greatly, between groups as diverse as buyers, specifying engineers, R&D scientists, etc.

If you don't truly know your target audience, you can't present a compelling story to them.

I'd like every single one of my B2B industrial customers to feel the same affinity and sense of responsibility for my products that I do for my new shirt. I've got my work (ahem) cut out for me.

I just attended the 2012 International CES in Las Vegas last week.  While the show was overwhelming and exhausting, the comprehension and implementation of these technologies and products was even more so!

A total of five Indium Corporation executives attended the event, along with 150,000 other people. We witnessed many new products, services, and concepts that ranged widely, from furniture, to kitchen electronics, to microprocessors, to monitors, to iPad covers.

When we regrouped to review what we had all learned, there were five different stories, experiences, and opinions. Each was valuable, as well as wildly incomplete and non comprehensive, and filtered through a unique lens - reflecting the person's personal background and perspective. After we all testified to our experiences, integrated each other's observations and conclusions, and synthesized the whole thing into one big story, were we able to get a good handle on what had occurred.

To me, what it all boiled down to is that:

1. unlike in "the old days" none of us will ever be an "expert" in any one field. I define "expert" to mean a person who is THE resource for info on a topic. These days, no matter how much a person knows about anything, another person can simply turn to the internet and gain much more information on any topic.
2. so many things are changing on so many fronts that, in order to maintain a respectable level of awareness and competence, a person can NEVER stop learning at a furious pace. Even WITH such an investment, a person can never become an "expert".

This felt quite a bit like the last several years in B2B Marcom. There is so much to become aware of, to experiment with and understand. To integrate. To measure. To evaluate. To change.

As B2B marketers, we need to become ultramarathoners – capable of a long, grueling, seemingly never-ending, experience. And we must be SMART! Our journey is doomed if we aren’t always learning, growing, well informed, making excellent decisions, and aren’t capable of making critical decisions on the fly.

Most importantly, no one person is capable of knowing it all, being able to take it all in, and become "the expert".  These days, it takes a team - it is the era of "we".  We need to learn together, we need to observe and experience things, we need to make decisions, and we need to review the feedback so that we make the best decisions.

CONCLUSION: Hand-select an incredibly bright and capable team, keep everyone in constant learning mode, and always work as one unit. If you don't, then expect another B2B Marcom team to beat you.

Congratulations B2B Marcom leaders! You had a great 2011, filled with many achievements. You are now preparing to settle into 2012 and enjoy the fruits of your labors. Not so fast!

I posted it before, and I'll post it again, "We expect that the competition will react to our market entry, and we want to leapfrog ourselves before they do."

Image: dkimages.com

"12 Ways To Become A Recognized Expert" is the title of a valuable new article from Entrepreneur Magazine. The article was shared with me by a recognized industry expert, Indium Corporation's Dr. Andy C. Mackie. He shared this with me because, a couple of years ago, he and I set out to achieve this very status for him.

Why would we do this? To increase sales!

Countless articles, studies, and editorials have been published regarding how people prefer doing business with people they trust. There are few better ways to earn trust than to be considered a recognized industry expert.

When Andy turned to me for help I did some cursory exploration into what I had to work with. Turned out that my job was easy. Andy is very accomplished, he has a large amount of industry experience, frequently authors technical papers, enjoys public speaking, travels the world routinely, and really knows his stuff. What Andy was lacking, at the time, was widespread recognition, in his target industry, for all the resources that he offers. I turned Andy on to social media, particularly blogging, and helped him gain several editorial invitations. He earned the rest himself.

Andy established his Semiconductor/Power Semiconductor Assembly blog (note the tightly-specific focus) and dove in head first. His posts, combined with his editorials, articles, and technical presentations quickly earned him positions on editorial boards, as well as more invitations to speak and write. The increased exposure to his defined target audience, including many tacit 3rd-party endorsements, is compelling. When a trade magazine names you to their editorial board, their readers assume they respect you. Same for being invited to address trade organizations. Andy's target audience quickly learned that he is the real deal. Trust me when I tell you that this effort paid off handsomely.

This article can help you, the B2B Marcom practitioner, understand the principles behind establishing personalities at your organization as recognized industry experts. It can also help you convince your talent that they should become recognized. Often people, especially (in my case) engineers, feel that "going Hollywood" is just an ego trip. Showing them that there are practical, sales-, market share-, and profit-related reasons for doing so helps convince them. Developing irrefutable metrics is another way to get them moving in the right direction.

Let me know if you'd like any support in getting YOUR staff recognized as an industry expert. Glad to help!

Ultimately, our business-to-business marcom skills, capabilities, execution, and growth boil down to people. When we're vibrant, progressive, and in tune, we rock! When we're complacent, bloated, lazy, and unimaginative, we fall to the middle, or back, of the pack. Remember, we don't get paid to be average!

Travis Stanton gets it! He is the editor of EXHIBITOR MAGAZINE, a publication that EVERY B2B Marcom professional reads, or ignores at their own peril. The message in his editorial (November 2011) is critical for us all to internalize: Invest in fresh, bright talent - then let them change you for the better.

What I love most about Travis' position, and message, is that he calls himself out on certain weaknesses, and takes action to address them. I love it when he says, "All you need to do is follow my initially clumsy lead and be truly open to new ideas and fresh perspectives." EXCELLENT! Admitting that you need to change, accepting that your transitions will not be smooth and perfect is the first step. Accepting, embracing, and dealing with the issues follows. At Indium Corporation we always talk about "failing forward" - same idea.

It is scary revealing our failures, weaknesses, past errors, confusion, uncertainties, fears, and thoughts to others. But, if we are not open with ourselves, and our marcom team, we can only hope to blend in with every other weak competitor we know. And we will be doomed to become a follower. To me, THAT is scary!

Honesty, bravery, self-confidence, self-respect, and wisdom are necessary to be comfortable following Travis' advice. The good news is that you don't need to score a 100% in each of these categories to launch. You just need to have enough - and a plan to get more.

When Travis' editorial is published online I will make the link here. Meanwhile, subscribe to EXHIBITOR MAGAZINE and learn.

I say this nearly every day: "Always begin at the end."

It's my way of reminding people to perform their B2B marketing communications projects from a goal-oriented perspective.  By starting with a goal, and by keeping that goal highly visible, resources can be easily aligned toward reaching that goal.

Interestingly, this technique even helps smooth over potential personnel friction. When one person drifts from the goal, it is easier to draw them back when you have a clearly stated, previously agreed upon goal to point to.

TECHNIQUES:
A goal is not nearly as powerful as a WRITTEN GOAL. I'm no psychologist, but I can tell you that something almost palpable happens when we put pen to paper, finger to keyboard, etc. and capture a goal in writing. Having it in your head isn't good enough. When a goal manifests itself, at our own hand, in a place outside of our bodies, it becomes more serious, and we change in the process. Try it and you'll see.

Work backward from the written goal. Once you know your goal, ask yourself this simple question: "What must be in place such that I can reach my goal?" Then, list all the things that have to happen, be in place, to enable the final step to the goal. Notice that you might also ask yourself, "Why can't I reach my goal?" It's sort of the same question as the one I suggest, only in a pessimistic form. Be an optimist.

Once you determine everything that must be so, ask yourself the very same question, to enable you to understand what you need so that you can make any preliminary steps. Keep asking the question until you back up to your present situation.

EXAMPLE: 
Real life (in the Marcom world) is not quite this simple, but the procedure is the same. It's best to perform this process with the people involved in the goal.

MISSION CREEP:
Mission creep is an insidious enemy. Somewhere between starting a project and our initial goal
lie many temptations and distractions.  Having an agreed upon written goal helps remind us of why we are doing what we are doing, and what we should do next. Of course, don't be dogmatic. Occasionally intentional mission creep is desired. Allow yourself what I call "mid-course considerations" to check yourself. Sometimes reality makes, or allows, things to change.

ART PROJECTS:
The antithesis of goal-oriented B2B Marcom project management is what I call the "art project". It sounds like this:


Yes, it is DOABLE, but WHY would you do it? Because you can? Guess what? You CAN! And, after blowing through $X,000 you will have an ill-conceived, unthought-out brochure that no one asked for and that has no application. Been there? Done that? It's ugly!

Share your thoughts on goal-oriented B2B marketing communications. I 'd love to read your comment.

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If you've been in business to business marketing communications for any length of time you've heard parts of this. If you are a newbie, this might freak you out. Trust me on this one: seasoned pros stay very sharp on this topic, beginners MUST ramp up and get really good with this, fast.

I'm talking about what we do when something hits the fan.

Scan the media and it is no secret that employees get seriously injured, facilities suffer catastrophes, leaders behave in unsavory ways, products fail, and that severe acts of nature disrupt our ability to supply.

For a B2B Marcom professional, these situations present numerous extreme challenges simultaneously. First off, we (personally) are shocked/devastated/affected; secondly, we know that we are under the microscope and bright lights where even our slightest nuance is studied by our customers, our community, our neighbors, our families, our co-suppliers, etc.; thirdly, our own team may be confused,even vacillating, on positions, responses, and terms. Trust me, I am only hitting the tip of the iceberg. It can get really hairy!

So, why would anyone choose to "wing it" under such circumstances? Your best bet is to prepare for as many situations as you can imagine today - while you are unemotional, while you are calm, and while your team mates and professionals are able to help you develop scenarios and styles.

"Winging it" can produce incredibly damaging moments, like the one captured here during the BP oil spill. None of us want an "I'd like my life back" moment.






One of my favorite marcom advisers, Eric Mower and Associates,  has just published a strategic guide containing 12 critical principles that should be followed during any crisis. They even go beyond that by also offering special reports on issues such as pandemics, online media management, and crisis management.

I've received training on this topic throughout my career and can assure you that it is rich and complex. If you think it is all about developing a statement, then taking the podium and reading your message, you need help. There are so many nuances involved with these scenarios - and with reality.

Start by reviewing EMA's 12 Critical Principles. Then move on to their special reports page and dive deeper, into their links offering guidance on topics such as "How To Identify A Crisis" and "Can You Afford Unpreparedness?" (on the special reports page).

One of the best consequences of developing crisis plans for B2B Marcom is that you have the opportunity to craft a plan and program that everyone on your team helps create - and buys into. Therefore, when you execute the plan well, there is little second guessing and criticism from your own team. You are, in essence, executing everyone's plan.

The next move is yours. Make it preemptory.

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Listen up!

I just participated in a podcast that covers some meaningful B2B Marketing Communications topics. Click the image →
to listen.

Topics covered include:

• LinkedIn launches crowdsourced news aggregation service
• Forrester predicts B2B spending to rise 6.7% in 2011
• Chrysler’s reaction to a mistaken tweet

I was a guest panelist, along with Jeff Cohen (@jeffreylcohen) of SocialMediaB2B.com .

I was billed as, "Rick Short (@rickshort21) of @IndiumCorp and its constellation of bloggers." Pretty cool.

The discussion was lead by two extremely qualified, experienced, and engaged Marcom professionals:

• Eric Schwartzman @EricSchwartzman who has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage.

• Paul Gillin (@pgillin) of Paul Gillin Communications.  Paul was founding editor-in-chief of TechTarget, one of the most successful technology media entities to emerge on the Internet. Before that, he was editor-in-chief and executive editor of the technology weekly Computerworld for 15 years.

These great guys co-authored an exciting new book, titled:

Social Marketing to the Business Customer: Listen to Your B2B Market, Generate Major Account Leads, and Build Client Relationships

An analogy. Follow me on this one.

RESIDENCE "A":
This Saskatchewan sod house was built in 1907 with the tools and technology of the day – for that region. The people did what they could with what they had.

While they may have wished for enhanced materials and tools, what they were focused on is shelter, safety, and security. Their goal was NOT to wield tools, it was to survive, cook, sleep, and recharge so they could tackle another day. You can bet each person had a role to play and a set of duties to perform. Each function carefully addressed the situation.

RESIDENCE "B":
Here is another example of a residence. This time it exists in modern times, was designed with modern technologies, built with modern tools - to address a modern goal.

The people who live here are no doubt focused on issues far beyond survival. They are concerned with making the proper impression, hosting appropriately-sized and -appointed parties.

The roles the residents play in this situation are not at all like the roles we imagine for the sod house.

Two homes, two goals, two situations, two very different sets of duties. It is preposterous to imagine living a 1907 sod house lifestyle in a modern mansion. The "organizational design" and "job descriptions" are wildly different.

So, ask yourself this ... are your 2011 B2B Marcom job descriptions a lot like traditional 1965 job descriptions, or are they uniquely suited to modern conditions?

Do you have only the traditional "Marcom Manager", "Product Line Manager", "Communications Specialist", etc? Or, do you have titles like "Owner Of The Space", "Industry Go To Girl", "Process Rock Star", "Content Curator", etc?

Sounds crazy, right? Not as crazy as designating a 2011 mansion dweller as the "shepherd", "plowboy", and "water girl".

No, you wouldn't be average with these job titles in your 2011 B2B Marcom department, but ... are you paid to be, and achieve, "average"?

COMMENT and tell me the titles we need today.

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