Let’s just start by stating a few facts: we live in a super-connected, yet totally disconnected world. Nobody wants to go back into the office (yes, I’m going here two sentences into this blog post, so hang on to your seats!), but everybody wants to be virtually plugged in 24/7. Nobody wants to actually drive to the store, but everybody wants the stuff they order from their phones to arrive the same day.
How in the world do we actually reach and keep up with our consumers?! It’s a funky time for marketers to market!
People to power the tech strategies
We’re forced to rely on the creme de la creme of marketing products and strategies to keep up with the completely crazy consumer lifestyle. At this point, you’ve been living under a rock if you aren’t aware that Salesforce marketing tools have been a top choice for companies both big and small for eons. Just last month alone, Salesforce was yet again announced as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant — both for B2B Marketing Automation and Multichannel Marketing Hubs. Thank goodness for solutions!!
So we’ve got this huge marketing opportunity, and we’ve got amazing tools from our friends over at Salesforce, but what happens next? NOTHING is more irritating than being told a product, appliance — really, anything — will solve all of our woes. And right after we sell the farm to pay for the golden solution, we realize we actually have no clue how to use it.
That’s when frustration and immediate buyer’s remorse starts to sink in. We so desperately need people to implement the technology [CORRECTLY] and teach us how to “do all the things.” We need an advocate, a guide, a mentor, a technical wiz — someone who has walked in our shoes and will tell us exactly how the solution will make our lives much easier, as it was promised, once our sales rep is long gone chasing other deals down to meet their quota. The question is: what trees do these people grow on and how do we even know what to look for?
Key differentiators in MarTech talent
Candidates are flying off the shelves. Offers are being extended left and right. Employees aren’t settling for “mediocre” in the name of loyalty as their parents and grandparents did and are now choosing to leave if they don’t feel a work environment, team, or job meets their expectations. Everyone is working fast to scoop up the top talent and retain them.
Speaking of….What exactly defines “top talent” in MarTech?
To set the record straight: I hate despise strongly dislike the phrase “top talent.” It reminds me of old school staffing industry terminology where any candidate you wanted to pitch to a client is “top talent” <insert eyeroll and puke emojis>.
But in reality, there are differentiators we look for here at Sercante when hiring that set candidates who could probably do the job apart from candidates we know our clients are going to be over the moon to work with.
What exactly are these attributes, might you ask? Well dear reader, keep on reading.
A technology lovin’ kinda person
Yes, you may have your certs, that Coursera course on coding under your belt, and know your way around the backend of the system. But do you actually think it’s cool? Do you geek out on reworking the puzzle pieces to better serve the environment in which the technology will be used? Do you tinker with other related Salesforce marketing tools just because you like to? This is what sets apart someone who does it because they have to from someone who does it because they WANT to.
I’ve told nearly every candidate I’ve hired in technology that the job will get boring very fast if you don’t actually think it’s cool and interesting. And I stand by that. You’ve gotta love the product for your excitement and knowledge to shine through to a customer. The passion for the technology in a candidate unlocks the keys to the kingdom for our clients.
The project manager hat
Every job has some flavor of project management. Even in recruiting, we have hiring deadlines to meet. Hiring managers to chase down to make sure we stay on track. A budget to be mindful of, and an approval process if we need to go outside of the budget. Standing updates to give so they know we’re actually working and are aware of the wins and challenges. The list goes on!
If you’re actually PMP certified, you’re probably rolling your eyes at this point because being a project manager means so much more than this — and, you’re right. We get it.
BUT, there is truth that even if you’re the guru for Marketing Cloud implementations, if you can’t wrangle a bunch of other people who have competing deadlines and projects and drive them together towards a collective goal — you just ain’t gunna be successful (sorry not sorry for southern grammar to hit home the emphasis). That project management mindset and experience is crucial to make sure we do what we say we are going to do, the way we say we’ll do it, and nothing slips through the cracks.
Mother Goose Instincts. I mean, a consultative approach.
Being able to check off the to-do list is great and feels like an accomplishment. We did what we were asked to do — hooray! But, there’s more to it than a list.
Knowing how to anticipate and recommend what even needs to be on the to-do list is what elevates a MarTech candidate. Leading with empathy. Anticipating what’s around the corner and planning ahead. Thinking big picture of how the project/implementation/audit/etc. impacts the rest of the business. Digging into the other pain points not mentioned in the original scope that we also may actually be able to help with in the future.
These are all beautiful phrases that sound easy and natural, but in reality, take time and courage to develop. They are the difference between a “they can get the job done” kinda hire and a “our CSAT is 5/5 because Client XYZ can’t live without our consultant” kinda hire.
Sercante + MarTech Talent = Success
The Secret Sauce
One question we often get from candidates interviewing with us is what sets us apart from the hundreds of other Salesforce partners in the ecosystem. We LOVE this question. It gives us an opportunity to show how we’ve been successful and in turn, why a lot of our customers choose us.
In short, we’re marketers at heart. We truly love what we do. A lot of us started on the client side and have walked in a version of our customers’ shoes before. We want to empathize with you and make it easy (hello Sercante core value: Simplifying Complexity). It. Just. Shouldn’t. Be. That. Hard! We weren’t founded off of trying to be the world’s best or biggest consultancy. We were founded off of trying to help marketers and salespeople be wildly successful on the Salesforce platform.
Landing this plane
If you are a partner in the Salesforce ecosystem reading this, I hope it encourages you to lift the pen-to-paper bullet points off the job description and think more about the customer and how much of an impact each hire has on customer success, happiness, and truly the long-term success of your own organization.
If you’re a Sercante client or prospective client who wants a peek behind the curtain as to how we deliver, I hope it’s reemphasized the amount of thought and quality that goes into staffing here at Sercante. If hiring in MarTech is still fuzzy, reach out — we’d love to hear from you and give the gift of knowledge that we’ve gratefully received over the years.
