The CMO Council recently released the findings from a study which will interest business-to-business marketing pros. This study asked a thousand sales and marketing execs from around the globe about their businesses' 'go-to-market' capabilities as defined as: 'strategic and tactical aspects of delivering and supporting a product or service offering in the marketplace.' This definition encompasses pricing, specifications of products, marcom, distribution, customer experience management, and after-market support.

The mission of the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) Council is personal relationship-building between brand decision-makers and marketing leaders throughout a wide range of industries throughout the world. This relationship-building includes thought leadership and a high-level exchange of knowledge. The Council has 3,500 members who control over $100 billion in annual marketing expenditures, running distributed marketing and sales operations globally. The CMO and it's interest communities comprise over six thousand executives across fifty-seven countries in different markets and industries.

CMO services and programs are created to add to the intellectual capital of these top marketing minds. These programs include intimate peer networking events and programs, discussion groups, invention sessions, advocacy initiatives set around strategic agendas, peer networking events, internship placement, content archives, a knowledge bank, article sourcing, media commentary, thought leadership surveys, webcasts, web conferences, career opportunity referral, and a monthly eNewsletter with special eBulletins.

CMO membership is not open to consultants or agencies, but top corporate marketing decision-makers only. These members have a minimum of fifteen years of experience in marketing and have held an executive position at emerging growth, new venture, or established enterprise organizations. Those nominated need to demonstrate their marketing prowess by demonstrating a track records of success, including leadership in evangelical branding.

The study, called 'Driving the Bottom Line from the Front Line,' looked at a wide range of sales and marketing variables that are connected to businesses' processes, including their functional competency, customer knowledge, strategies, processes in operations, relationship management, levels of innovation, and budgeting. It seems there is still plenty of room for improvement in these areas.

This thought leadership program by the CMO addresses challenges which face global companies striving to develop world class capability to 'go to market,' The study is based on input from sales execs representing major brands and companies, including Motorola, Samsung, Eastman Kodak, Scottrade, Nortel, and Google.

The study shows a score card which highlights an alarming trend among multi-national companies - these marketing and sales executives give themselves low marks when determining their own 'go to market' effectiveness.

The study started me thinking that maybe marketers should tie a large portion of their compensation to success in meeting the businesses' revenue growth goals. Although many marketing professionals may complain that they do not actually have enough influence on the sales process to be held accountable for end results, in order to maximize their income and retain their jobs, these marketers would need to shift a greater percentage of their time, resources and marketing budgets away from brand awareness campaigns to taking prospects from initial awareness to inquires and on to purchases.

I certainly believe that brand awareness is in important factor in marketing, but I also think that there are other very important aspects to the most successful Business-to-Business marketing programs. Do you agree?