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Marketing people love change because it means opportunity. Markets, the competition and technology never stand still, and you must embrace this culture of constant change. Those businesses that didn’t have been forgotten.

Can you name any company that used to make slide rules or steam cars? The crossbow was destroyed by the musket, the musket by the rifle, and the rifle by who knows what.

The best marketing people understand that they can’t stand still because the world does not stand still. Their philosophy is one that embraces change with open arms. If you want to be successful in marketing, you’ll need to do the same. That means never being satisfied with the way things are, but instead constantly looking at how things could be improved, particularly in relation to the competition.

one minute wonder See what happens when you buy your main competitor’s product. Was it easy? How was their service compared to yours? If you’re not ahead, you need to change.

“Marketing takes a day to learn. Unfortunately it takes a lifetime to master” Philip Kotler, marketing guru

 Always keep an eye on your competition. Regularly look at what your competitors are up to. Analyse what they’re good at and what they’re not. Adjust your own approach and play to their weak spots.

 Buy your competitors’ products. You must buy their products and give them to your design people. Ask them what’s good and what’s bad about them. Try to understand what they’re doing now and predict what they’re going to do next year and the year after.

 See what’s happening in your industry in other countries. Some countries are way ahead of others. See what they’re up to because it’s where your market might be in two, three or five years’ time.

 Look at other industries and see how they do things. Adapt their successful ways to your business. Most companies in the same industry do things in a similar way. So a different approach may give you a unique advantage over your competitors.

 Attend seminars and workshops. Go to at least two workshops a year on sales and marketing. Network with the audience and find out what works well for them. Even if you don’t learn anything, you’ll remember something good that you’d forgotten.

 Regularly review your own performance. Don’t be afraid to admit that something didn’t work as well as you’d hoped. Remember, it’s always better to do something, than regret doing nothing.

The secret of success in marketing is to keep learning and evolving the way that you do things.

Change means opportunity. Embrace it and try new things.