9 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 non-Marketing execs and Board members make in marketing discussions (based on my last 4 years of 💯s of conversations):

1️⃣ Not having a clear understanding of marketing terminology, KPIs, metrics, and objectives

2️⃣ Viewing marketing solely as a cost center rather than a revenue driver

3️⃣ Focusing too much on short-term tactics vs long-term strategy

4️⃣ Lacking patience and unrealistic expectations around marketing impact

5️⃣ Not appreciating the time needed to build effective marketing programs

6️⃣ Overemphasis on lead volume vs quality of leads/accounts/pipeline (OMG may write a book on this one)

7️⃣ Disconnected from customer needs and target audiences

8️⃣ Unclear on marketing’s role in the buyer’s journey and sales process

9️⃣ Expecting marketing to drive immediate pipeline vs fueling long sales cycles

TLDR; common mistakes include lack of marketing fluency, short-term thinking, unrealistic expectations, and disconnect from the customer.

It’s not all their fault though! Marketing needs to meet their stakeholders where they are at. How?

Building shared understanding of marketing’s role, setting proper expectations, communicating ongoing impact (eg a Unified Funnel dashboard), and keeping the end customer in mind can help avoid these pitfalls.

What did I miss in this list?