LESSONS LEARNED AT THE ART OF MARKETING (VANCOUVER)

Hosting the Art of Marketing (+ Art of Sales, Art of Leadership, and Art of Management) is a ton of fun. They’re well produced events, I’ve met some wonderful people, and I get a front row seat to some of the best business thinkers on the planet even though it’s not technically front row and truthfully, I rarely get a chance to sit.

It’s not just a gig though. I’m genuinely interested in the content. I have a business to run and I welcome any insight from any speaker that will improve the bottom line. Plus, as someone who does 40-50 speaking engagements a year, I learn a lot from those who have been doing it longer and better than I have.

If I was into business cliches, I’d call it a win-win. But I’m not.
So I’ll just say that I get just as much out of it as I put into it.

Throughout the day, I actually take notes. I’m curious to see what themes emerge and I try to thread the 4-5 uniquely different speakers together so that the day feels like a day and not a series of random thoughts from random people.

The recent Art of Marketing in Vancouver featured Seth Godin, Nancy Duarte, Mitch Joel, John Jantsch, Brian Wong and Keith Ferrazzi. Here’s what I presented at the end of the day to summarize what I thought the key takeaways were.

Please note: While I edited and curated these words, most of the content below was written and spoken by the talented speakers who graced the stage. For more brilliance, check them out directly.

Ahem….

Like pornography, nobody ever chooses to be in marketing. You just end up there. But now that you’re here, I hope we inspired and informed you to be the best damn marketer you can be. A marketing hero, if you will.

Consumers used to vote with their wallets. Now they vote with their time. But trust me, nobody has time for you. Buck up. You’re competing in the expression economy. Clarity. Culture. Context. THAT’S marketing. We just all have to make it better. Who’s going to do it? Sheep aren’t good marketers. You are.

We came here to exchange ideas. And the exchange of ideas creates enormous value.
So share them. Speak from your heart. Tell Stories.

Build direct relationships with your customers. Just remember that no one wants to connect to the selfish or the boring. So make your own STAR moment and give them something they’ll always remember.

The best brands are human. So are the best humans.

Be the one and only. Have no substitute. Don’t race to the bottom. Have the grit to say no. Choose the right customers and you’ll build loyalty. Choose the wrong ones and you’ll build inefficiencies, complexity and frustration.

Don’t try to stand out in the crowd. Try to avoid it.
Think and act like an owner.
Be weird. Be transparent. Be authentic. Be yourself.
Make art. Add value. Have sex with data. Reward moments. Facilitate serendipity.
Show you care. Invite people in. Say “follow me” and remember to breathe… you’ll sound smarter.

Innovation is just failing until you get it right. And it has never been cheaper to fail.
So go. Fly closer to the sun. Start doing shit. Don’t worry, you can decide whether you sit or squat.

All of us are smarter than one of us. It’s the game of life. Will you opt-in or opt out?
Don’t be prepared. Be ready.
Go. Make something happen.