“I do believe that anything that can help deliver sort of this predictability that we talked about is gonna be important. I think the emotional connection that people can make is gonna be even more important. ” 

Key Insights

 How can you manage client expectations in this new digital landscape?  

When we asked Ed about the fact that 72% of clients want more from their marketing, he was not surprised at all. But for him, marketing will always be about communication and connection —– the numbers aren’t everything. 

“I’m surprised 28% [feel satisfied]… I think it’s a hundred percent fair that people are transferring their perceptions, their experiences as a normal human being in their everyday life into their work world. So, one thing I like to say to our team is that a business never bought anything, right? People buy things. And if you’re not connecting with them in a compelling way [and], on an emotional level during their self-directed dirt journey, you’re are missing the boat. I think that translates somewhat into how a customer these days expects to get information… My challenge to our team and to myself is ‘how do we create that compelling moment that meets expectations, hopefully, exceeds expectations and speaks to them as an individual to create that ‘aha’ moment?”

How does one create a “predictability funnel?” 

The market moves fast. In order to keep up, it’s important to look at what Locher calls “early indicators.”. 

“What we’ve decided to focus on is really placing a lot of our bets from a perspective on what we consider to be early indicators, which would then translate into hopefully – and we’re not quite there yet – the funnel that allows us to understand what’s going to happen with enough time to do something about it.”

Empathy is Essential 

This is a cutthroat industry, but that doesn’t mean you should let things like empathy and curiosity fall by the wayside. In fact, they’re essential to success. 

“People are people first… Earlier in my career, when people would quit, I took it personally. I’m like, ‘Aare you out of your minds? Like, why, why would you leave?’ But for them at that point, it was the right decision. And so I’ve always tried to support them going forward. And you know, I’ve always been very clear that, ‘Look, ‘I understand., I, I love having you here. What could we do to make sure that there’s a nice growth path for you, if you feel that there is a better opportunity somewhere else, I would want you to come talk to me about it. If you have questions about it, is this a good path for me? What do you think?’’“

About the Guest:

“Ed is a global B2B marketing executive with over 20 years of experience helping public, private, and PE-backed organizations create value through revenue acceleration and organizational optimization.

Combining his experience in technology and process improvement with visionary leadership, he has led the transformation of marketing teams from good to great and has helped establish marketing as a competitive differentiator.

At HG Insights, Ed is responsible for strategy, tactics, and programs designed to create interest, demand, revenue, and recognition for HG Insights.”