Life Lessons: What B2B Marketers Can Learn From Marathon Running
By Lane Ellis
What can B2B marketers learn from marathon running?
Even if you’ve never run a step and have no plans to, there are powerful lessons we can all learn from marathon running that significantly align with successful B2B marketing.
I’ve been running marathons since 1998 and working in online communications and marketing since 1984 — two pursuits that may initially seem quite dissimilar, but which have much in common when you get down to it.
The eleven marathons and ultra-marathons I’ve run — and the training to prepare for them — have taught me life lessons that have continued on long after any particular race has finished. Let’s take a look at a handful of the many take-aways that B2B marketers can learn from marathon running.
1 — The Power of Proper Pacing
In B2B marketing and in marathoning, always keep your goal in mind and map out the steps you need to take along the way to achieve it.
Pacing is knowing when to take each of the actions that will make your goal possible, whether it’s running a sub-three-hour marathon or forming a business relationship with a Fortune 50 company.
Pacing in B2B marketing is still more of a marathon than the sprint of the B2C marketer, even with buying cycles that have changed during the pandemic.
Being as precise as possible when it comes to segmenting your goal into bite-sized and achievable parts is a trait that successful marathon runners and B2B marketers share.
Map out all of those segments in a way that makes sense to you — whether it’s in the form of a timeline or another organizational technique — with an eye for keeping a pace that you can sustain throughout the entire effort.
[bctt tweet=”“If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.” — Emil Zatopek ” username=”toprank”]
2 — Putting In The Training
In running, knowing your own sustainable pace comes from miles and miles of training. In B2B marketing, deep knowledge of potential client pain points and an understanding of the route their buying journey is likely to take combine to get results.
Every runner will ultimately train differently, and those who don’t allow themselves flexibility when working with a prescribed running training plan will likely pay the price in the form of setbacks such as injuries or frustration.
Successful B2B marketers also each train and work in differing ways using varied tactics — so trying to stick too stringently to somebody else’s playbook without customizing it to create your own unique approach can ultimately dampen opportunities.
Part of the joy of running marathons and B2B marketing is finding your own best training plan, and then seeing it come to life on race day or when the big deal is finally signed.
[bctt tweet=”“If the marathon if a part-time interest, you will only get part-time results.” — Bill Rodgers @BillRodgersRACE ” username=”toprank”]
3 — Going The Distance With Endurance
When it comes to …read more
Source:: Top Rank Blog
