The marketing function in a business often develops and evolves in a silo. Sales messaging becomes the predominant communications to customers, and overall communications initiatives become tactical and short-term in nature. After a while, management begins to forget if they ever had a marketing strategy in the first place.
In order to market effectively, and focus on the ongoing communication needs of the customer, the entire marketing organization must be aware of the organization’s critical success factors (CSFs).
By defining these CSFs, the marketing team has much of the information it needs to create an effective long-term marketing strategy.
Below are a list of key questions that must be communicated within your management team. Best case scenario is if the answers to these questions come directly from the CEO.
- What are the organization’s top priority business goals, both short and long term?
- Critical Success Factors (CSFs) are the key elements that must go right for your organization to succeed. Which factors do you consider critical to accomplishing the goals of the business? Can you quantify any of these?
- What obstacles stand in the way of achieving the goals and CSFs you’ve noted above?
- What are the business implications if these obstacles are not overcome?
- What information is required for you to justify any solution that would assist you in meeting you goals and Critical Success Factors? (i.e., overcome your obstacles and avoid the implications?)
- In your opinion, how have your existing business systems changed the way you do business? For example, have they helped to improve productivity, increase revenues, or avoid costs?(adapted from IMC-The Next Generation by Don Schultz)
By completing and referencing the above, the business has the background it needs to understand the purpose behind traditional and content marketing initiatives, which leads to measurement.
