For years I’ve been drawing this “demand-gen engine” diagram on white boards across America’s FinTech companies. It always makes perfect sense to the viewers — they say, “Exactly, we should be doing that!” But I’ve rarely seen a company that does it all. Some are good at inbound content marketing, but don’t get the leads into the sales process well. Others are focused on selling their latest product upgrade rather than serving clients throughout their lifecycles. Some are still stuck in “arts and crafts” tactical production mode. What do all these companies have in common? They are filled with smart Marketers who understand the concept, but lack the bandwidth to move it forward.

To achieve the vision, it’s critical that a Marketing leader is dedicated to integration. So whether I’m employed or consulting, I keep this model in mind. I focus on socializing and synthesizing across Marketing, Sales, and Business Unit Sales Enablement teams. Assessment, roadmaps, retooling, content strategies, and analysis all require relentless attention. Someone needs to keep their eyes on the prize. That’s me…that’s my story…and I’m sticking to it!