Managing Marketing vs. “Doing” Marketing

I read an excellent article by Bruce Marcus in this week’s Law.com small firm newsletter about the difference between doing and managing marketing. While the article talks in large part about managing others, it is also good reading for solos. I highly recommend that you read the entire article, but here are some highlights:

Marcus relates a “favorite story: about “the lawyer who once said to me that if you’re smart enough to be a lawyer, you’re smart enough to do your own advertising. True, I said. And if you’re smart enough to be a lawyer, you’re smart enough to be a nuclear physicist — but it doesn’t make you one.” Point well taken – sometimes it’s much more efficient – and more cost-effective in the long run – to hire a professional to perform the tasks that aren’t within your area of expertise.

Although Marcus’s article talks about ‘managing,’ he’s talking as much, if not more, about leadership. Marcus says that managing “boils down to three major things:

• Having a vision for the firm or the department;
• Being able to communicate that vision to the people who have to make it a reality; and
• Being able to inspire staff to make that vision a reality.”

I would argue that the above is a definition of leadership, rather than management and that the real job of the manager is the nitty gritty of managing the staff and activities in order to do the work to make the vision a reality. Leaders establish the vision and managers carry it out. While there are times that the two skills can be found in one person, more often than not, those with the vision do not have the skill set to carry out the tasks or to manage others.

Marcus also give a checklist of ‘musts’ for the managing partner in charge of marketing, including ensuring that the partner responsible for managing the firm’s marketing:

• Understands both the firm’s overall objectives and marketing objectives,
• Has the ability to work with the marketing professional to create a marketing plan and marketing activities that are in line with those objectives;
• Knows how to motivate and assess the performance of the marketing professional;
• Understand how to measure the results of the marketing professional’s performance and how to express either satisfaction or dissatisfaction with performance, without attacking the individual;
• Is familiar with the basic skills of marketing and how they relate to the overall marketing program, even if the partner doesn’t have those basic marketing skills;
• Communincate effectively with marketing professionals, partners and staff so that the marketing professional understands and incorporates the firm’s culture and objectives into the firm’s marketing efforts and the firm’s partners and staff understand the marketing plan and can carry it out.

Finally, Marcus reminds us that the partner in charge of marketing shouldn’t second guess the marketing professional – it is the marketing professional’s job to create a marketing program that reflects the firm’s objectives and culture, and if they are unable to do so, they should be fired. He also reminds marketing professionals that if they are asked by the firm to perform non-productive tasks, or if they are second-guessed by the firm, they should quit because the results are likely to be substandard if not worse.

Even if you’re not working with a marketing professional and you don’t have staff, these checklists are a good reminder of what to think about when you’re thinking about your marketing plan and marketing activities. Too often, lawyers choose marketing activities without strategic thinking about the firm’s culture, overall objectives, and marketing objectives. Or they forget that one lone marketing activity isn’t likely to bring results if it isn’t part of a well thought out campaign.