--- title: "McKinsey: We Are All Marketers Now" description: A recent McKinsey Quarterly article claims that “we’re all marketers now” - and with good reason. Here's how B2B marketing needs to evolve... --- This is a search field with an autosuggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # McKinsey: We Are All Marketers Now ![Bob Apollo](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/78fa41976d534cacbb0e22e151bc6816) Post by [Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo) July 12, 2011 A recent **McKinsey Quarterly** article claims that “we’re all marketers now” - and with good reason. Customer preferences are no longer shaped through traditional marketing channels - they are formed by the accumulated experience of every interaction they undertake with a vendor. In fact, according to McKinsey, in an era of engagement, marketing is the company... ![McKinsey Q](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Portals/41408/images/McKinsey%20Q.jpg?width=60&height=60&name=McKinsey%20Q.jpg)And it’s not just consumer markets (the primary focus of [McKinsey’s research](http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Were_all_marketers_now_2834)) that are affected. Repeated studies have shown that **B2B buyers** are influenced far more strongly by their **interactions** with vendor staff than they are by the traditional marketing channels of advertising or direct marketing. ## Dialogue is Replacing Broadcast Broadcast has given way to dialogue, with every touch-point contributing to the customer’s perception of a vendor. Reputations and brand images that have been steadily built over years can be ruined through one thoughtless or careless interaction. And in today’s socially networked world, bad experiences are not confined to a few acquaintances - they can be shared in real time with millions. In a very real sense, every company employee is now responsible for the quality of customer experience. But - as McKinsey point out - in a world where everyone is responsible, who is to be held accountable? ## A Broader Role for Marketing In my opinion, the only practical answer to that question is marketing - but this implies a **reinvention of the marketing function**, and a recognition that traditional marketing techniques and skill sets may prove to be inadequate to the task in hand. Marketing needs to emerge as the company-wide orchestrator of the quality of the customer experience through every available touch point. ## Patterns and Voices [Voice of the Customer interviews](https://www.inflexion-point.com/the-methods-we-use/voice-of-the-customer/) and [win-loss analyses](https://www.inflexion-point.com/the-methods-we-use/win-loss-analysis/) can help to understand what’s important to today’s customers and prospects, and to understand how and why they choose to buy. But this research needs to be complemented by studies that analyse and interpret patterns of customer behaviour throughout their [buying decision journey](https://www.inflexion-point.com/the-methods-we-use/the-process-of-buying/). ## Facilitating the Buying Process One way of thinking about the new realities is to organise around the buying decision process rather than internal sales or marketing processes. Every marketing and sales action and interaction needs to serve the purpose of facilitating the buying process. Every new sales tool or collateral piece must be thoughtfully designed to address the prospect’s motivations or concerns. Just as important, organisations must recognise that the buying process does not end when the prospect places their order - it continues throughout the life of their use of the product or service. Every interaction with the vendor will either serve to reinforce their decision to select them or cause them to regret it. ## Coordinating the Customer Experience As McKinsey point out, no function is better placed to coordinate the customer experience than marketing.  But I believe it’s going to require some critically important new skills: - Marketing going to have to change its relationship with customer and prospects from traditional broadcast tactics to **socially networked dialogue** - Marketing is going to have to learn to **interact more effectively** with other departments, and to coordinate their customer-facing activities - Marketing is going to have to collect better information about **customer behaviour** and share it more effectively throughout the organisation - Marketing is going to have to equip employees to **articulate the company’s core values** whilst listening carefully and sensitively to customer feedback - Marketing is going to have to establish **measures and metrics** that enable the organisation to determine how they are doing and where they need to improve - It may well require a **new level of leadership** for the marketing organisation - one that someone versed primarily in the traditional disciplines of marketing communications may be unable to transcend ## Are all of YOUR Employees in Marketing? It’s an interesting challenge, but I believe an essential one for any B2B organisation. How far has your company gone in making the transition? How far are you prepared to go in order to realise the potential for your own organisation? Is your current marketing leadership up to the challenge? And do all of your employees recognise the vital role that they are going to have to play?   ###### Tags: [B2B Marketing, ](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/b2b-marketing) [McKinsey](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/mckinsey) ![Bob Apollo](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/78fa41976d534cacbb0e22e151bc6816) Post by [Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo) July 12, 2011 Bob Apollo is a Fellow of the Institute of Sales Professionals, a regular contributor to the International Journal of Sales Transformation and Top Sales World Magazine, and the driving force behind Inflexion-Point Strategy Partners, the leading proponents of outcome-centric selling. Following a successful corporate career spanning start-ups, scale-ups and market leaders, Bob now works as a strategic advisor, mentor, trainer and coach to ambitious B2B sales organisations - teaching them how to differentiate themselves through their provably superior approach to achieving their customer's desired outcomes. [Follow me on my website](https://www.inflexion-point.com) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/bobapollo) [Follow me on Twitter ](https://twitter.com/bobapollo) ### Comments ###### Related Articles ### [Should B2B marketing be employing more scientists than artists?](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Blog/bid/94420/Should-B2B-marketing-be-employing-more-scientists-than-artists) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **Feb 21, 2013** That’s the question implied by one of IDC’s recently published “Top 10 predictions for 2013”. Driven by a number of profound ... ### [Time for B2B Marketing to Reorganise](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Blog/bid/61539/Time-for-B2B-Marketing-to-Reorganise) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **May 09, 2011** B2B marketing budgets took a hit during the recession. Most still haven’t recovered. Many don’t need to, because smarter ... ### [12 Key Questions Your Go-to-Market Model Needs to Address](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Blog/bid/62864/12-Key-Questions-Your-Go-to-Market-Model-Needs-to-Address) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **May 31, 2011** What does "go-to-market" mean to you? Many companies react to new challenges in their business environment by declaring that ... 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