That Marketing Personality

A usual comment I often hear about me: "She really is a marketing person."

What do you men? It's raining men, alleluia.

She's really a marketing person, ergo, not human. She's really a marketing person so expect horns to sprout out of her skull at any moment.

What, pray tell, is "really a marketing person"?

My friend, Grace, a marketing consultant herself, was once described as having an equally abrasive personality. Babalatan ka muna ng buhay before she decides to like you. (She will peel you alive first before she decides to like you.) The description was quickly followed by, "Marketing people are like that."

What "like dat"? Again, what do you men? It's raining men, alleluia.

Often, I am "politely" told that I have a very "strong" personality. Read: annoying. "That's probably why you're in marketing, Sun." Okay, I'm confused. What does "strong" personality mean? And what does that have to do with my marketing career?

I think a lot of people have preconceived notions of what marketing people are like and should be like. And marketing people, a rather sorry lot themselves, seem to revel in all those preconceived notions by not doing anything about it. Albeit, they seem to encourage that kind of misconception by shrugging their shoulders and excusing themselves as "we're in marketing." It actually seems like a badge of honor to be described as having a strong, aggressive and, frequently, abrasive personality.

Why is that? How did we get to that? Is it not remotely possible to be meek and docile and still be in marketing? Is it so impossible to be a nice girl and still be in marketing?

Yes, ladies and gents, it's one of those days where yours truly will subject you to a lot of psycho babble b.s. This is what happens to marketing consultants who have watched too many Boston Legal reruns after a string of marathon business trips.

I got to thinking about myself, a rather dangerous past time to do before breakfast.

I think the strong personality was already there when I was still a pathetic zygote. I come from the school of thought that believes that brilliant marketing strategists are born with marketing talent. True, marketing skills can be honed and sharpened to make one a decent marketing strategist. But brilliant ones? It's in their DNA.

Well, of course, I think I'm brilliant. This is my blog, you know.

This "strong personality" thing gets more enhanced and becomes blindingly obvious as you establish your marketing career. For me, it's because I always have to hold my ground against equally strong personalities.

Do you know of a CEO or COO without personality issues? Exactly. So if you do not want to be eaten alive, you better have a personality that can hold its own against those with personalities bigger than yours. And may I just say - whose voices thunder even while they whisper.

Somehow, along the way, your ego gets the better of you. As with most power jobs, you will eventually trip over your own self and start believing your own press releases.

Having been a victim of my own ego, I now take the position that, really, marketing people should try harder to be likeable. Every day doesn't always have to be spent in a war zone, you know. Not everyone is the enemy. Certainly, not all who disagree with you should be beheaded by the knave of hearts.

We take ourselves way too seriously simply because we’re marketing experts. In the words of a client, "Sunny, relax." Having observed how many fine lines I now have on my forehead, I totally agree with Client. I should relax.

So someone made a stupid suggestion. Let it go. What can you do? The poor fool is in operations, purchasing, logistics or finance. Take your pick.

So someone thinks he's better than you. Let him. Have you not heard? The truth shall prevail. He can only pretend so much before people around both of you realize he's really a complete moron. Thus, the herd shall return to you, their marketing expert, for sound advice after an oaf gave them one. Meanwhile, use this time to take that much needed vacation. Return when Rome is burning and do a Maximus. "Are you entertaaaaiiiined now, Roooome?"

We marketing experts should learn to choose our battles wisely. We should do so with as much fervor as we choose our industry niches and target markets.

It is not a bad thing to be the bigger person by letting someone else have the glory and thunder. Besides, shouldn't we be used to this by now? That everyone else gets the glory and thunder while we get all the blame?

Arrogance is never a badge of honor. The ability to rise above one's self in humility is. And, now, I need to go watch more Boston Legal reruns. I must channel Shirley Schmidt.

Photo credit: Cinescene.com

Labels: marketer, marketers, marketing, marketing career tips

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