When leadership isn't on the same page about why you need marketing

"Why do you all need this stuff?" I asked.

I was looking at a LONG list of deliverables in an email from a potential client and talking with them on the phone. The person had asked how much it would cost and how long it would take. But I wanted to take a step back.

"Good question," he said. "I'm not really sure. Some partners want us to be thought leaders."

"Why do they want that? Attracting new clients?" I asked.

"No, we are actually on a waiting list."

"Talent attraction?" I asked.

"We have a few positions open, but not really."

At this point, I am getting a little confused and grasping.

"To expand partnerships?" I asked.

I'll spare you the rest of the dialogue. But not that either. Some partners thought they had a client concentration problem. And that if they showed thought leadership, it would help surface their expertise on LLMs, resulting in more eventual business.

And it might, but some partners didn't think they had a problem at all, and didn't think it was worth the time to work on such a hypothetical, long-term problem. And the employees had no idea what to do.

Client concentration can put you in a vulnerable position. But leadership giving different cues on core business functions is graver.

Our Brand Warm-Up has been called a brand therapy experience because it creates space for people to talk and to listen. If something feels off but you can't put your finger on the problem, if your leadership disagrees on the solution, the Brand Warm-Up is a low-stakes, high-powered option.