Do you know that in your marketing department you only have about 15 to 20 percent of employees that you could consider as your IT marketing superheroes? Yes, they are your elite group. They are much like the Jedi of the Star Wars galaxy – a selected number of people who can harness the Force.
In the film “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones”, the Republic faced an impending war against the separatist movement led by Count Dooku and his army of droids. However, there were not enough Jedi to maintain peace and justice in the galaxy. When the battle finally erupted, it was the Republic’s new clone army who saved the day. In relation to your marketing team, your A-team employees are only a small part of the organization and they cannot make the company succeed on their own; you need an army of united employees you can really rely on. It is time that you start to build your own MSP clone army. How? The following points will help you:
Develop the basic process
It is important to stop counting on your power players all the time and focus on your processes and the people operating those processes. Come up with a marketing system that can be run by an average person. Once you have a good system in place, you need to train every member of the team to be familiar with the roles each employee plays, the channels you use, and the different strategies and methods in your IT marketing plan. Operate as well with a culture of openness in the office where employees, regardless of rank are encouraged to share their opinions, suggestions, and observations about how to make the department better and the campaigns more successful.
Cultivate the B players
If the 20 percent of your employees are the A players or the Jedi of your company, the remaining 80 percent are the B and C players. Majority of your team are B players. They are most of the time under the radar, but they get the job done efficiently. They are also committed to the goals of the company and they have great potentials within them. All they need is an investment of guidance, training, and encouragement. They will be the next generation of leaders in your marketing department or even your organization. And just like the Jedi Master teaches his Padawan, you need to develop mentorship in the office. Ask the team leaders and successful key workers to give guidance and wisdom to other employees. This might take some time and so you better start early. The clone army was commissioned ten years earlier before they were needed in the war against the droids. And for sure, your B players will be ready to step up when the opportunity arises.
Work with the big picture in mind
Your IT business will not work unless everyone in the organization is walking in the same direction. Stick to the vision of your company with the understanding that the vision requires everyone’s effort no matter how small or big their task is. Place value on the roles of your team members and plan not only the future of your business but also for the workers keeping your business running.
Fin
When the galaxy could not rely on the Jedi alone to save the Republic, they decided they needed to use an army of clones to do some good. We can learn from this movie that a well-oiled system of trained and motivated individuals is better than having a few A players. When you value your other employees and take time to nurture them, then you have a greater success rate in your IT marketing efforts. And when your top employees decide to leave, you have many people who are ready to fill in the gap. This is not a Jedi mind trick but simple management system your MSP company can live by.
