Here’s Why You Need a B2B Marketing Coach

Don’t make the same mistake as I did!

In the past, I didn’t like to ask for help. In fact, I still don’t. Because of that, I learned everything ‌the hard way. It took me a long time to understand the benefits of enlisting a good coach for guidance.

I personally use a variety of coaches; currently I have a writing coach who helps me to be a better writer, and I have a life coach that I go to when I have a hard time making personal or career decisions.

There are many different types of coaches out there: from coaches that help you grow your business growth to coaches that help you improve your C-suite communication, such as speaking or presentations.

Good coaches have typically done jobs similar to yours and know what you need to do to continue to advance.

I bring my professional experience to the table as a B2B marketing coach for marketers; because I’ve done jobs before in the corporate world.

I have a strong handle on what challenges marketing professionals face in the corporate world and can help them with B2B marketing strategy and career advancement in marketing.

Based on my experience of working with B2B marketers, senior marketing directors, CMOs (Chief Marketing Officers), and VPs of marketing in mid-size companies and enterprises, here are some of the most common challenges that they encounter that can be remedied via coaching.

If you have similar issues, you are not alone.

Can’t keep up with various digital marketing disciplines

This is probably the most common request based on my experience of coaching. Many marketers don’t feel that they are fully “equipped” to manage a team with a mix of marketing disciplines, such as SEO, paid search, sales enablement, social media, events, and paid media. They don’t feel that they know enough to ask the right questions.

I totally get it. I had to “learn” the meanings of digital marketing, SEO, websites, social media, and the whole nine yards.

Many experienced marketing managers reach out to me to grasp the overall digital marketing landscape. Many of them are very quick and need someone to help them connect different digital dots. That’s it.

DIY tip: Tag your agencies and freelancers. Ask them to educate you about specific marketing disciplines. Most of them are happy to share their insights. The more you understand, the better you can advocate for them.

Lack of time to “think” strategically

Another reason for marketing professionals to get a coach is to have time to discuss challenges, have a sounding board, or even just get some 1:1 marketing coaching time to think things through.

I have clients come to me with the sole intention of having me help them think through organizational issues, technical challenges within B2B marketing strategy, or key management questions.

DIY tip: Step away from your desk and go somewhere else to quiet your mind and THINK. Yes, you can do it.

Overwhelmed by the martech stack

Some clients tell me that they don’t comprehend the back-end and how things work. They get frustrated with IT or with themselves because they can’t decode the technical sides of marketing.

In this case, I worked with their IT to create workflows and help them understand how different martech works together.

Martech trips up all of us, myself included. Understanding your martech stack can help you elevate yourself and see the digital journey that your prospects experience. Martech is the backbone of any digital marketing transformation.

For example, martech stack is needed to build a webinar from paid promotion campaigns, as well as registration, webinar tools, and even down to post-webinar thank-you emails and subsequent drip campaigns.

You can quickly figure out journeys well once someone shows you workflows.

DIY tip: Have your IT or marketing operations team members who manage specific channels show you the workflows and how customer data flows from one step to another.

Need to re-balance ‌in-house vs. outsourced hiring

Occasionally, I have marketing managers reach out to me to determine the organizational structure of their marketing team. Full-time heads are getting harder to come by.

More companies opt to outsource specific marketing disciplines, such as SEO, or even website design or social media marketing.

Marketing managers need to determine what talent they want to keep in-house, and what to outsource – this requires effective budgeting and resourcing. Sometimes, it’s a hard call and results in a trade-off discussion.

DIY tip: Know your plan priorities, your budget allocation, and your management preference. Also articulate what you need to have total control over. These factors will help you determine your outsourcing recommendations.

Complicated marketing plan and strategies

Some enterprises are huge, so it’s very hard to build a solid marketing plan because there are many moving pieces and many cooks in the kitchen. I worked in a big corporation for a long time, so I know how overwhelming it can be.

Some marketing managers will reach out to me and ask me to help them make sense of the ambiguous  “big” plan, or to help them craft their own plans with the ever-changing expansion of marketing’s strategic scope.

DIY tip: It’s common for management to ask you to create a plan when they haven’t provided clear directions. Focus on what you think you should do. Adjust your plan as you go. Be flexible.

My next career move

The last common question that many marketers who work with coaches try to figure out has to do with what’s called the Personalized Growth Path.

Career transition, as well as career development and advancement, are on top of every marketer’s mind. What should we do when we grow up?

I’ve worked with several marketers and encouraged them to move to product marketing or even sales depending on their personalities and strengths.

DIY tip: Talk to as many people (inside and outside marketing department) as possible to understand what they do. You don’t need to stay in marketing. The world is your oyster. Just keep those strategic conversations going.

If you face these challenges, don’t fret‌.

Take your time to think things through, talk to your colleagues and your managers, and get help from your agencies and freelancers.

I’ve coached many marketers. Sometimes, what you need is 1-2 sessions; then, you know exactly what to do next. Our conversations range from strategic discussions and marketing pitching, right down to tactical know-how.

If you still need help, reach out to me anytime; I’d love to help you with your personal marketing development and business growth planning.