Making a hire is always exciting; the process may be lengthy, and sometime arduous, but bringing on a new team member usually brings with it the expectation of growth and potential. On the other hand, when that new hire doesn’t work out, the result is usually dread and disappointment.
I was once told by a mentor that “You have to learn to fire your mistakes.” Too true…
Now, there’s no shortage of hiring tips to help determine the employability, and likely success of candidates in general, but I’d like to share one that has proven highly predictive of the effectiveness of a hire in marketing. It’s the ability to write effectively.
Yes, it’s that simple.
As marketers, our primary job is that of storyteller. We must be able to quickly and clearly explain 1.) That we understand our customers’ problems 2.) Exactly how we solve them along with examples of people just like them who did just that, and 3.) How easy it is to get it for themselves.
It doesn’t matter if your job is maintaining the website, setting up trade shows, or writing emails – you have to be singularly focused on the goal, which is to communicate THE STORY – THE STORY of your market, your customers, your company, your product, your advantage.
If you really want to know if someone can communicate THE STORY, ask your interviewees to communicate one story that maters to them. When we write, we have to first organize our thoughts, we must then assemble them into a narrative, and then compose them into something that will (hopefully) move the reader to take action.
If you know of a better definition of “marketing” than that, I’d like to know what it is.
If you can’t write, you didn’t work for me.
