10 Lessons From Mom To Make You A Better B2B Marketer

B2B marketing can quickly become complicated. Scoring leads, establishing marketing automation, building thought leadership, creating demand… it isn’t easy.

Far too often, the complexity masks the important foundational elements. Remembering the things dear Mom taught you before you were old enough for school will make you an infinitely better marketer.

Here are ten lessons from Mom that B2B marketers (and really all marketers) would be wise to remember.

1. Don’t Stretch The Truth
Your product really does that? Your client really saw those results because of your services? Unfortunately, probably not.

Today, case studies, award submissions and product information are ripe with claims that stretch the truth to the breaking point.

2. Respect Others
Respect people’s time and opinions. Differences of opinion may be a reason to amicably agree to disagree or a starting point for a valuable discussion.

Both parties can come away wiser and with greater respect for each other when the situation is handled well. However, poor handling will burn bridges.

3. Do Your Homework
Research is critical for marketing. If you try winging it, one day your wings will spectacularly fail.

4. Keep Your Promises
If you fail to deliver on the promises you make to clients, you lose the opportunity for both repeat and referral business.

5. Clean Your Room
How many times have you seen polished outbound campaigns, nice landing pages and a hopelessly useless website?

Your website is your home and it leaves a far stronger impression on prospects that take the time to research your company or offerings than your advertising campaign will. Before building your inbound or outbound campaigns, make sure your website gives the right impression.

6. Think Before You Speak
Carefully consider what you say and where you say it. Do not be the next Kenneth Cole.

7. “MeMeMeMeMe!!” Is Never Appropriate
Marketers spend far too much time talking about themselves and far too little time listening to their audience and providing what they need.

8. Give Up Your Seat
Look for the opportunities that will make your prospect’s lives and jobs better. Help, don’t sell, in these situations. You are building goodwill for the future by putting their needs, not yours, first.

9. Don’t Believe Everything You Hear
It seems every vendor pitch or case study includes some outrageous claims. Even though you remember Point 1, Don’t Stretch the Truth, not everyone else will. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

10. Spend Your Time Wisely
You cannot get your time back. Productivity you have lost is lost for good. If you are not spending your time wisely, likely something else on this list is slipping too.

No, your Mom probably didn’t teach you how to develop a marketing strategy, build a landing page or implement a marketing automation system. However, if you pay attention to what she did teach, you will have the right focus to be better at the complicated things too.

Your Turn

What other lessons from Mom do you wish B2B marketers would remember? Share your additions in the comments below or with me on Twitter (@wittlake).

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