Marketing communications and public relations are long-term strategies that impact your company's growth. Why—especially in a difficult economic environment—is the long-term effort worth making?

One reason is that most businesses are built on relationships with customers. Successful companies focus relentlessly on meeting their customers needs, and that--over time--builds long-term loyalties.  But this kind of understanding and interaction is not instant; it grows over time.  

One of our clients is a former IBM sales executive.  He was consistently one of the top 10 salespeople among a sales force 5,000 strong.  When we first started working with him, he said to us, "It's all about the customer"  "What is?" we asked him.  "Everything."

Years ago I read an article by Michael Fishler that helped crystallize the definition of marketing for me.  Simply put, marketing is listening to your clients or prospects explain what they want or need--and then letting them know that you understand them.  In other words, marketing is about listening.  Listening helps you develop messages that your buyers want to hear--in the words and phrases that your buyers use.  It helps you tailor your product or services to give your buyers what they've asked for.

In a previous life, we conceptualized and staged annual three-day conventions for a company's top 500 managers.  The first year, following a rollup of some 200 companies, the convention them was "The Power of I."  The I's included Integration, Innovation, Impact, Integrity and a couple of others, all focused on the top priorities of the newly merged company.