Marketing Management For Non-Marketing Managers

PREFACE

Shortly after the AICPA asked me to write this book, I asked a friend, who is a CFO, to read the draft outline.

‘Very interesting,’ he said with a rather unconvincing nod, and he slid the outline back toward me.

‘What’s wrong?’ I asked. You don’t like it.’

‘It’s not that I don’t like it,’ he said. ‘It’s just that I’m not sure I’d read it. What does marketing have to do with me? I’m the CFO, not the marketing director.’

It’s a reasonable question, and if someone else put this book in your hands, as I did with my CFO friend, you may be asking yourself the same question. In that case, let me explain what this book can do for you—and then provide the simple suggestion that turned my CFO friend from a sceptic into an enthusiastic fan.

Does your company do these things?

• Work continually to improve the company’s ability to serve its customers?

• Cultivate a culture of curiosity that gives exceptional insight into the market’s needs?

• Align everything the company does with the goal of meeting the needs of the market?

• Execute unwaveringly on plans to improve performance?

• Consistently outperform its competition?

If it does, this book is for you.

If this describes your company, you are probably working within a company that is a leader in the market. This book is about how your company got there, and what you need to do to stay there.

If it doesn’t, you should still read this book.

If this description doesn’t match your company, this book will share the secrets of companies that do ...