Marketing automation is, in a nutshell, the merging of traditional sales process with technology in order to move or “nurture” preexisting sales leads down the sales funnel to become ready-to-buy. In today’s day and age, technology has become an intrinsic part of sales and marketing and, in order to become a successful marketing automation consultant or digital marketing consultant, being able to embrace technology and the benefits it brings will help you achieve much more than more archaic methods. However, technology is not the be all and end all, we’ve previously written about the pathways to becoming a marketing automation consultant (available here) and, in this article, we’ll discuss three essential soft skills you’ll need to not only get started, but thrive in this role.
Good Communication
As in any sales or marketing role, good communication is essential. Without it, you will almost certainly doom yourself to mediocrity, and that’s in the best case scenario. Active listening is a key skill to acquire when working as a digital marketing or marketing automation consultant. When conversations are had, many people won’t actively listen. A lot of the time, they’re either only partially listening while thinking about what they want to say next. By actively listening, you’re able to improve on the mutual understanding between the participants of a conversation as it enables you to fully absorb what is being said and thus respond in an informed manner.
Expectation Management
Managing expectation is also a crucial skill in many marketing roles, not least when acting as a marketing automation consultant. Being able to assess and manage what is and is not possible with the tools and skills available to you will help to manage client expectations so as not to over or understate the possible outcomes of a project or scenario. Different marketing automation platforms are capable of different things and thus telling your client to anticipate results they’d expect from Eloqua when you’re using Marketo isn’t a good tactic. Being able to manage conflict is also a useful talent to have as many clients will initially have objections they want dealt with before they become sale-ready. These will often require you to employ conflict management skills in order to best deal with whatever hurdles are thrown your way and produce the best outcome for the client and yourself.
Requirements Gathering
The final skill on our list is requirements gathering. If you’re able to recognise and differentiate the different marketing automation capabilities available and evaluate the ones best suited to your clients requirements, you’re also able to assist in the smooth running of their business. The same can be said for business development. If you’re able to acquire business that is not only well suited to your company’s capabilities, but can also stand you in good stead to be able to then go on to acquire more you will automatically become an asset to your employers. Another aspect to consider is how to gauge performance, and being able to recognise systems that will enable you to analyse processes and performance will, again, show you as competent in your role.
There are, of course, many other soft skills that will assist you in your role as a marketing automation consultant but these are the three key skills we believe should be the base point of your efforts. Once you’re able to check them off your list, the rest should come a lot easier.