are you a marketer, what do you market, what is your position? sales officer/executive, sales manager, marketing manager, marketing director. let us meet here and share ideas and experience.

As for me i have been a marketing/sales executive for an oil company for 3 years and i have just been promoted to sales manager.

i would like to know the challenges embeded in this position.

experinces and ideas are welcome.

Ironically, I'm a marketing professional myself.
I work as a product manager. . . well, I lead a product management team, actually.
You sound more like a Sales practitioner to me. That's a whole different ball game entirely. You guys do all the grunt work, doing the actual selling, bringing in the potatoes. Marketing professionals just cook up the sometimes dubious strategies and send out the Sales guys to go and push the product.

I stumbled into Marketing almost by accident, cos I was fed up with my career as a business analyst in IT. I saw an internal ad for 'product manager' in my company, 5 years ago, and I applied, with little or no clue of what the job was about. Read up the 4 Ps from the Ten-Day MBA, and I was able to get the position, primarily because of the nature of my industry, and the fact that, as a business analyst and systems person, I seemed to understand much more about the workings of the business than most, if not all of the other chaps who applied.

In the early days we were not even part of marketing. We had a group filled with ex-IT people, known as the 'product development team' and we were primarily project-managing new product launches. we would generate product specifications, collate requirements on behalf of everybody, set and manage implementation timelines, supervise the definition of supporting processes, and what have you. It was later, when we had to work with other traditional 'marketing' people, like the brand people, media chaps, events and sponsorships, and even Sales, I realised I had to learn about what marketing really was about, and how we as product managers fit into the bigger picture.

So I downloaded as many marketing ebooks I could find, and now I can say I have a pretty good overview of what marketing is all about. After doing product management for 5 years, I am looking at moving into another area of marketing - analytics. Basically that is the part where you analyze market data and build models and performance dashboards for management decision-making. My thinking is, since we all know that management always favours the guys who can draw the prettiest pictures, I figured why not get into that particular game? Haven't switched roles yet though cos I am in a senior management position, but I am quietly upskilling myself in the meantime.

My view on marketing? Marketing is a lot of fun, Sales is a lot of work, in my view. I think the line is blurred, too blurred, here in Nigeria, as you can see bank salespeople referring to themselves as 'marketers'. In fact, the very word sends shivers down the spines of many a worker, as they associate marketing with hefty targets, and slapping the streets selling stuff nobody wants to buy. On the contrary, marketing is all about strategy, a combining of the 4 Ps to create the all-important value proposition, that fantastic tangible or intangible thing that will make gazillions for the company, and make us all great. It's a combination of social psychology, business analytics, technical know-how, and advertising (integrated marketing communications to you!).

I feel the real science of marketing is poorly understood in Nigeria, and you hardly find marketing professionals with a good overview of the end to end. You mostly find traditional jack-of-all-trades who have worked more in a specific area, such as advertising and sales, and they basically push the initiative according to their own point of view. Apart from the FMCGs, and even then I think they are lagging behind these days, not too many organizations offer solid training for their marketing team.

edited

Am into Marketing Communications. Presently undergoing personal training with 3 different Creative Directors in Top Ad agencies in the country and a Telecom coy. I need to equip myself with the nitty gritty of the career in order to have an edge when I finish my Nysc mid next year.

@ Ajanlekoko

I found your post quite interesting and thought I should contribute also. I am currently doing an MBA in International Business at Greenwich University, London. International Marketing and Operations is one of the core courses.

Initially, I thought it was going to be the usual boring marketing mix stuffs, but strange enough I have really found the course quite interesting. Although, there is an international dimension to the course becuase as you must be aware, prior to the current worlwide recession, there was so much going on for globalization.

As you rightly mention, the perception of marketing in Nigeria is quite narrow. Salesmen are also more or less doing marketing. As we all know they are the frontline people that customers come in contact with and whatever impression that is created by them in the mind of the clients would go a long way in either enhancing or damaging the marketing efforts of the marketing team.

There was this particular article from Haarvard Business Review that I read for my last semester exam and it was really wonderful and it expanded my view of marketing. The title is: The Service Profit Chain.

The main gist of the article is studying the relationships between a firm's profitability and customer's satisfaction.

And they found out, after analysing some top service company's in America - Airline firms, Restaurant chains, Banking and Insurance etc. that there's a relationship between employee's loyalty, customer's satisfaction and firm's profitability.

A firm with satisfied employees have a higher possibility of keeping them because they will be loyal. These employees would ultimately give quality service to the firm's customer's and hence end up having a satisfied customer.
A satisfied customer would be a loyal customer and therefore would likely generate repeat business for the firm. A loyal customer would also say a good word about the firm, hence there might be referral by that same customer. The resultant effect is increased growth and profitability of the firm.

Meanwhile, how does a firm end up with a loyal employees? I would leave that open for other interested contributors. And if anyone is interested in the article, I would gladly forward it to your email.

Take care guys.

@ Incisor, can i get a copy ? (jackobzn@yahoo.com) The article is just like what Philip Kotler said in his book " Principles of Marketing Management" " many employees yearn for job security without knowing that only the Customer can help secure your job. Keep the Customer happy, and he reciprocates by being a loyal one who comes back to patronize your org". David Ogilvy once said, "customers want value for their money; they prefer to pay less for higher value.we cant deceive them into buying. We need to handle them with care because they are our wives". Its time every employee learnt that his customer relationship management goes a long way in achieving the financial objective of the company and also in securing his job.

@ incisor, please kindly forward this article to me, frankdelis@yahoo.com. thank you.

happy to be here. . . . .

WOW!

ajanlekoko,

Your story is just like mine. Formally a systems/software developer, IT analyst, and suddenly leaped into a new world in Product development/management in a telecom company now. Imagine, from using software IDEs and writing codes to now using just Microsoft word, powerpoint, project, visio e.t.c

It's fun to be under the marketing umbrella though as you have to go into the minds of the target market inorder to be able to come up with sellable produce that the SALES people will run into the market with.
So much fun, though stressful.

ajanlekoko, lets hook up.
my email: lexfrosty@ yahoo.com

@ incisor

please can i have a copy of the material you made reference to .

am also running a programme M.Sc ( International Business) here in Nigeria, probably we can be exchanging ideas.

contact me on honeyj.baby@yahoo.com pls

@ Ajanlekoko and incisor : this is a mini tutorial some of us as gained something from. keep up the good work.

@incisor,
Would like to have the article as well. What's your email address?
@viperman, I go send you email now.

I don't know jo,

I am a marketer of some sort,  cos, so far so good, have been able to develop materials for the sales and deployment team of my young start up to become a major tool used, in fact the only tool used for sale.

The process is quite interesting, but I hope in a few months, my young company will grow to a point where I can employ professionals, or SO CALLED professionals to give more insightful thoughts into what marketing is,

I also like to learn, for me marketing is like knowing about something, like in the case of AjanleKoko there, he knew what the company was about, so when customers came asking, he knew the answer to their questions, that's why he was able to do well at it, so basically picking up everything from your large expanse of knowledge in a particular field, and brand it, so much so that, your people in sales can easily use it as a reference to finish up the sale,

wouldn't mind having someone as a mentor in marketing.

buzz me mentor sir, damola@damola.com

This topic is very interesting, am a Banker in one of the fast paced Banks in Nigeria. Though my core duty is not into main stream marketing or sales but the Bank's culture is that every employee is expected to market the bank's products. I don't have any problem with this but the outrageous targets and other sharp practices that go with this responsibility leaves little to be desired. The new CBN governor's defense of the Banks' aggressive deposit mobilisation drive during the Senate interview shows that this practice will still continue in the foreseeable future.

I believe that there is need to correct this impression about marketing because It's an interesting profession, one that anybody should desire to build a career. I also believe that the institute of marketing (NIMAK) is sleeping just like CIBN has been a toothless bulldog. They need to wake up and bring some sanity to the industry.

Please I will appreciate it, If you can forward a copy of the article to me. yinkflexee2004@yahoo.co.uk.

Would like to have a copy of the article too: damola@damola.com

@incisor, i will like to have the copy of the article.

@incisor, i will like to have the copy of the article. foakeem2005@yahoo.com

In reference to Ajanlekoko, really a thin line separates sales and marketing practise in Nigeria. Marketing are those thing done and or put in place to support sales and actual product or brand off-take.

Marketers in our banks are really sales people, its a mix-up, they dont market, but rather sell.

In order to have an overview of what marketing entails, a quick study of marketing communication will suffice. NIMAK does not exist any more but NIMN.

Thanks.

@ Ajanlekoko, pls is their any major difference between marketing communications and marketing? Would a strategist on the ad agency side have an edge if he wants to cross to the client's side? Am thinking of spending 2 years in the advertising agency world and later move on to marketing/brand department of corporate coys.

@ yicob,

marketing communication, is a subset of marketing. As a strategist on agency side, you stand a good chance of being a success on the client side.

Ad agency is a good training ground for marketing practitioners, check out the top guys in multinationals, they all have Ad agency background e.g Baba Bola Akingbade from NB Plc to MTN, Yinka Akande Etisalat, Sam Edoho Visafone, Okon Iyanam Globacom etc the list is endless.
Thanks.

thanks very much 3line. I guess u work in an ad agency .

Hello guys, I sent the article, I hope you got it. Glad to be of help.

@yicob, there is a huge difference between marketing communications and marketing.  
Marketing is an organizational function and sets of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and it's stakeholders.

In simple words marketing is what the firm does and how it does it, how it communicates it (how it announces it). And the ultimate thing is that there must be creation of value to customers. What this means is that the people buying the stuff should be ready and willing to pay for it. For example, I know some young graduates in Nigeria who are looking for job go to vendors and pay them just to read the paper for job vacancies. They are willing to pay for that service, so the vendor has created value with that service.

So guys, if you are looking to start a business the first step should be to think of creating value. If there is no value created, you are just wasting your time.

Marketing Communication is how you send the messasges out to customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Marketing communication tools includes, advertising-newspaper, radio and TV, others are direct marketing, internet. There are few articles that I can help you with on what are required to create value. If you need them let me know please.

@donipal

Nice course, Msc. International Business. I would definitely like to exchange materials and ideas with you. I have access to a huge database of articles from a number of top business schools, so if there's any material you seek, let me know. That applies to anyone interested.

I hope you got the article on service-profit chain from Harvard Business Review.

What I am actually looking for is some serious-minded young entrepreneurs who have dreams and ambition. I am looking at exchanging business ideas from top minds. I have read so much but just couldn't come up with any innovative ideas. And, as you must know, innovation is one of the ways that new entrepreneurs can use to create value.
For example, the guy that owns this site, I think Seun Osewa, created this site from nothing and I am really impressed with what he's done. I floated a similar website also but I had to go back to the drawing board because it just didn't hold any potential.

Presently in Nigeria, this is about the only forum-based site that has huge traffic; although the guy seemed to be relaxing, because currently there are no real competitors, but sooner than later if he doesn't up the stakes and create some form of barrier to entry (am sure you understand the term), he might be contending with some serious competition.

I know it will be difficult to create any serious barrier to internet forum like this one because anyone can just enter and float a webiste but still he must continue to think of new and innovative ways to bring people back.

Cheers.

@poster
T hanks so much, the article is really good.

thanks incisor, still going through the article. Will get back to you.

Hi Fellows
Am a Marketer, it nice to be on this tread

[b] Pls i need help in this TASK and will appreciate your individual write-up posted here or via email to me aanelsong@yahoo.com.
Pls attempt all or answer any you can with the guide line at the end.

(1)
Prepare a report for your senior management team (SMT) which covers the following:

(i)
In many organisations, sales and marketing are not integrated.

Briefly explain:
(a) the barriers to integrating the sales and marketing functions;
(b) the advantages of integrating the sales and marketing functions;
(c) the current level of integration of the sales and marketing functions in your organisation and what can be done to further integrate the sales and marketing functions



(iii)
The starting point for marketing planning is good information.
(a) Explain why it is important to have good information for sales and
marketing decision making.
(b) Outline the role of the sales force in gathering good information.


(iv)
Your SMT want to investigate your organisation’s pricing strategies and those of one key competitor for one key product/service.
Design an outline market research plan to investigate these pricing issues, using the following headings:
(a) A definition of the problem to be researched and your organisation’s information needs.
(b) Five objectives for the research.
(c) A description of the market research methods to be used.
(d) A description of how the market research data will be analysed.
(e) A description of how you would report the findings of the research to your SMT.



Quality of Written Communication
Appropriate title page
Use of an appropriate report format
Use of business English
Appropriate use of diagrams and/or graphics
Appropriate use of: paragraphs; white space; bullet points; font styles and sizes.[/b]

@GogoGee

Am putting up something together; hope to get back to you ASAP.

Cheers.

@ Incisor, bro u re great. Thanks for helping guys out. When it comes to feasible business ideas, i have got the river flowing. That article was great. T.Y

Dear Bros,I greet U 1 by 1, Pls kindly help,Advice,Guide and even partner with me, am a Naija like u and am face with a career in Sales/Marketing far in the Gulf Region (QATAR). Pls kindly come to my aid and SAVE my job. yuppy94@ yahoo.com


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