What do you do if your boss disagrees with your marketing strategy?

If our boss doesn't agree with your marketing strategy it's often a sign that they don't feel they have been heard, seen or acknowledged. While most bosses want to empower their team and allow them to work independently, most marketing directors have a stake in the overall marketing strategy. Their reputation is on the line when it comes to the overall marketing strategy when key internal stakeholders and clients assess the value the marketing team is adding to the organisation and/or clients. It's important to at least invite your boss to take part in an initial marketing strategy brainstorm. You want to capture your boss's perspective, goals, insights and ideas upfront, and ensure you incorporate these in the marketing strategy.

Having a candid conversation with your manager would help. May be the boss is not as close to the business as you are and missing the benefits that you are seeing. Remember that your boss' job is much more complex than yours. Hence he might not have the mental bandwidth to dive deep for understanding the marketing challenges faced by your business. Remember how good you are strategy are, it may not give you the desired benefit without getting it evangelized by your manager. Try to understand the reasons, beliefs, reservations that your manager has with respect to your planning. Sometimes hearing out patiently is all that it takes as it would make your manager feel appreciated in the team.

Probability tell them accordingly. Take them to the pub, buy them a few sherberts and discuss the options. Get them completely hammered and then using the silky powers of persistence and seduction, bring them back into line. Manage your manager other wise be a fish.

One thing I have found helpful is that to understand the objective of the initiative & to understand the core reason behind the thought process differences. In accordance with that if the proposition is beneficial for all the relevant stakeholders, try to demonstrate the value & benefits via a data backed story telling approach and show the potential long term outcomes along with the opportunity cost. This might definitely increase the chances of approval.

I am silent when I disagree. My reaction is to start pivoting to understand their perspective. if their logic is sound, I stay open and if appropriate I ask if we have an environment that supports and propels keeping an open dialogue? If yes, I ask if we can run a hypothesis. being right/wrong is a matter of opinion so I don't go there. Instead address the situation with a hypothesis. Agree to test the hypothesis. If their logic is not based on evidence or if I detect bias/assumptions, I instinctively know the likelihood of constructive dialogue is unlikely; I request a team meeting to address as a group, if differences impacts reputation, relationships, or revenue. Not every disagreement or difference needs to be brought to light.

The best way to prove your recommended Unique Value Proposition is compelling and relevant is to back it up with real market research insights. In fact, you want to do in-depth qualitative market research prior to developing the value proposition to ensure it's anchored in real insights into your ideal target market's problems, motivations, pain points and emotional needs. It's also recommended you conduct secondary research to understand market dynamics, drivers, trends as well as competitor research to identify the real opportunity in your market.

Put down your thoughts on paper. For me personally, writing gives clarity of thought to me as well as to my target audience, when presented right. Present the strategy in detail to your manager via a presentation, white paper in a 1:1 discussion. Showcase both the pros and cons of the plan. Wherever possible, quantify the impact X effort to showcase RoI of your efforts. Bringing in numbers helps remove the subjectivity and biases in marketing. Otherwise, it always stays my opinion vs your opinion. And whether we like it or not, but the highest paid opinion counts. Hence its in your best interest to bring in data, customer insights to the discussion. Do not forget to discuss the risks and headwinds as well with your manager.

As a marketing leader, getting alignment from other functional/business stakeholders is half the battle won. Remaining half is to get it executed. Present the strategy to your manager before going in a larger forum. Thrash out the plan to bits with him, listen to his ideas, get his feedback and make those adjustments, if needed, before presenting the plan to the larger team. Having your immediate supervisor and other leaders on your side, gives you the confidence as well as helps drive top down alignment with other functional teams.

Marketing + Sales = Growth So important to align the marketing + sales strategy. I would ask for feedback and agree on the weaknesses and strengths. Without stakeholder buy in it will be difficult to implement the vision for the company.

My boss doesn't agree? Then I change the strategy! There's not much to discuss. If I don't like being given directives, I start my own company and do what I want. If not, I follow management's orders. Basic management principles and hierarchies

One important professional skill to have is 'Disagree and Commit'. Whether the final decision is not in your favor or even if it is diametrically opposite to your original recommendation, respect it as a professional. Do not bring emotions into the discussion. Think of your boss as a sounding board with whom you can discuss your ideas and get a larger perspective before implementing. In case things go south, you know that your manager has got your back and will support you. Even if the output metrics are not meeting the goals, your boss will appreciate the input process put in place by you.

Try to be open minded, there will always be disagreements and it's especially difficult to navigate if the other person is someone you report to. As marketers, understand the importance of metrics, experimentation, and that there are many paths to success. Give it a try and the results can speak for themselves - you might be pleasantly surprised either way

En mi experiencia como gerente comercial (que incluye el área de marketing), en primer lugar tengo objetivos que cumplir, y la estrategia de marketing debería apuntar a ello. Si la dirección no está de acuerdo con la estrategia o bien no consideran que ayude a cumplir los objetivos (porque esa debería ser razón suficiente) o incluso le con alguna otra cuestión política o presupuestaria. En cualquier caso la estrategia debe ser aprobada por el directorio y si esto no sucede, pues a cambiar la estrategia

Estoy de acuerdo. El marketing es un área funcional más que la empresa tiene para cumplir sus metas. Visto así la estrategia debe estar en función de los objetivos de la dirección y ser retroalimentada en todo momento para medir cual es el rumbo que sigue.