Professional golfer Jimmy Walker's interview after the PGA Championship about what it takes to be good at golf caught my attention. Walker expressed the importance of being proficient with every club in the bag.

That idea strikes me as being particularly relevant to marketers. Marketers, too, need to be proficient with all the marketing "clubs in our bag."

What Being Proficient Means

Being proficient as a marketer means to be thoroughly competent. It's more than being just capable. "Proficient" suggests skillful expertise.

The amount of time it takes to reach an expert level of proficiency depends on several factors.

One factor is how fast you can come up the learning curve. The length of your learning curve plays a key role in determining how fast you'll become successful when you embark on acquiring a new skill. In marketing, new skills must be learned regularly. For example, only a short time ago, we were learning about digital marketing. Now, it's a fundamental skill, a standard club in the bag.

Moreover, the focus on customer insights and performance management are forcing many marketers to learn more about data, analytics, and metrics. Those, too, have become standard clubs in the bag.

Successful people do the following to to shorten the length of their learning curve.

  • They seek out a coach. Coaches provide honest feedback, help you measure your progress, and bring proven techniques and processes to learning.
  • They know learning takes practice—a lot of practice. German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus found that learning is more effective when it is spread out over time rather than jammed into one intense session.
  • Successful people hold themselves accountable. As part of being accountable, they establish objectives, set deadlines, and define measurable milestones.

12 Must-Have Marketing 'Clubs'

Enter your email address to continue reading

Marketing Proficiency: A Golf Metaphor

Don't worry...it's free!

Already a member? Sign in now.

Sign in with your preferred account, below.

Did you like this article?
Know someone who would enjoy it too? Share with your friends, free of charge, no sign up required! Simply share this link, and they will get instant access…
  • Copy Link

  • Email

  • Twitter

  • Facebook

  • Pinterest

  • Linkedin


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Laura Patterson

Laura Patterson is the president of VisionEdge Marketing. A pioneer in Marketing Performance Management, Laura has published four books and she has been recognized for her thought leadership, winning numerous industry awards.