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[S536]Skills Needed For Marketing

by Talis Man, Tal

Strategic sourcing in the automotive industry is crucial to the success of an individual company. This aspect of the automotive business involves determining the best use of a firm’s resources throughout the corporate structure. Strategic sourcing professionals need to find the best ways to schedule employees and machinery in order to maximise a plant’s potential. As well, strategic sourcing professionals need to work with dealerships and warehouses to determine the number of vehicles that need to be moved to specific locations. Strategic sourcing, in essence, ensures that the right materials and finished products are at the right place at the right time.

Strategic sourcing professionals have to deal with the stress of manipulating millions of pounds worth of equipment and goods on a daily basis. As such, strategic sourcing positions require a certain set of skills in order to ensure success. Graduates and experienced professionals alike need to build a dynamic skill set in order to succeed and advance within the strategic sourcing field. One of the most important skills that a strategic sourcing professional must have is knowledge of the automotive industry. This knowledge must include information on their employer, competitors, and trends within the automotive field. Without a comprehensive knowledge of the automotive industry, a strategic sourcing professional is left in the dark. An extensive understanding of the marketplace means that a sourcing worker can locate the best places to penetrate new markets and the best ways to shore up older markets.

In addition to an extensive knowledge of the industry, strategic sourcing requires an ability to assimilate complex ideas and thoughts into a coherent vision. In essence, these professionals need to be able to take a dozen actions and thoughts and place them into one cohesive structure. New model promotions, the current output of production plants, and current company specials on a certain vehicle are only a few of the considerations of a strategic sourcing professional. The ability to process this information quickly is vital to professional success.

The strategic sourcing field requires an immense amount of energy and enthusiasm on the part of its professionals. Long hours and stressful deadlines are a few of the hallmarks of the automotive industry. Strategic sourcing is even more stressful, as the professionals in these positions are tasked with ensuring that the financial bottom line remains strong. Only the most committed professionals can find success in the strategic sourcing field.

What does it take to be successful in the marketing & communications field in today's competitive marketplace? Marketing professionals should offer much more than the usual skills of writing and project management in order to maintain job security and a career with significant growth. There are new technologies and vast amounts of business knowledge which can all contribute to the overall value of the best marketing professionals, and even when they are not asked for outright by a potential employer, they will prove essential in the field.

Here's an example of what the average job description looks like:

Looking for a MarCom Manager:

Job Details

Write and maintain print and online sales collateral, including Website

Track, review and analyze marketing programs

Support PR activities

Job Qualifications

BA degree required, MBA preferred

5 - 10 years of marcom experience

Ability to develop strong relationships with the sales team and press

Excellent written [sic] and oral communications skills required [that should be excellent *writing* skills]

Ability to manage multiple projects on tight deadlines

This job description is great, but it is probably not quite adequate to really encompass the skills that one will need to succeed as a marketing and communications manager.

Below you will find a few additional ideas of what today's business to business marketing professional needs to bring to the table for best success:

1) A thorough knowledge of the complete sales lead process is an important priority, including knowing the difference between a sales cycle and a sales funnel.

2) Successful marketing communications pros see the overall big picture, and are well-versed in exactly how the company's products and product life cycles sync with the objectives of the business. Marketing professionals really need to have this info to fully understand the part their work will play in the overall scenario, going beyond focusing on just the next campaign or launch.

3) Marketing technology savvy is another important factor, including a familiarity with the current tools of the trade. Now that about fifty percent of the average marketing budget is spent on the Internet, better use of the software available to manage campaigns can offer improved results. A successful marcom professional can no longer get away with saying that they aren't technically-oriented.

4) A good grasp of mathematics is truly key in today's marketing, where managers require a calculation of the return on their marketing investment in moving the business forward.

5) The skills necessary to make a good presentation are also needed, including inter-personal, group, phone and email formats, among others. These skills will prove essential when persuasion is needed in order to compel the boss to increase the budget, provide more staff or grant a raise or promotion.

6) Of course 'business know-how' is a sweeping term which means a wide span of basics, including manufacturing, accounting, development, and marketing. The span of valuable business knowledge is endless, and it is all useful for a successful marketing professional.

Still, the good old-fashioned initiative to run with the ball and form positive relationships on the fly remains essential. If a marcom professional doesn't quite get how to manage the product and develop teams while speaking the business, they need a refresher course.

Article Source : Best Mlm Network Marketing

About Author

Both Talis Man & Mac H Mcintosh are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Talis Man has sinced written about articles on various topics from Information Technology, Careers and Job Hunting and Chief Executive Officer. Richard Taylor Edwards is the Managing Director of Talisman Executive, a specialist recruitment agency for and. Talis Man's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.

Mac H Mcintosh has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing, Business Promotion and Business Loans. Mac McIntosh is president of Mac McIntosh Inc., a sales and marketing consulting firm that helps companies get more high-quality and turn them into sal. Mac H Mcintosh's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.