Fire the CEO

By John Jantsch
Posted Saturday, November 6, 2004

If you are the boss and you think your job is to run the business, you are dead wrong. Your job, the most important job in any business, is to market the business.

Peter Drucker, way back in 1956, said, "Since the purpose of a business is to find and keep a customer, then the only two things that matter are marketing and innovation...everything else is a cost."

I love it when I get a business card from a small business owner and the title on the card says something like President or CEO. Think about it, how much time do you really spend each day doing the strategic work that name implies. Fat chance.

You can't really be the President because you're too busy making it, fixing it, and shipping it...as my friend Michael Gerber loves to say.

So why not make a bold move for the good of your company and just go ahead and fire the President or CEO of your outfit.

That's right, starting tomorrow morning fire yourself as the so-called President and rehire yourself as the Director of Marketing, because that's what will make your business come to life. That's what your firm desperately needs.

From this day forward you should think of yourself as the CMO or Chief Marketing Officer of your business. (And get some business cards with that title too.)

So how do you do that? You must become a marketing evangelist for your firm. You must preach to your customers, your suppliers, your bankers, and (perhaps most importantly) your employees.

And the gospel is this.

• Here's who makes a great client (Your Target Market)

• Here's what you do that makes a difference in their life (Your Unique Positioning)

• and...Here's how they can help you get to where you are going (Referrals and Strategic Partnerships)

Create a short statement for each of the above, plaster it on the walls, and teach it word-for-word to everyone who works for you.

That's it...that's your new job description. The difference this point of view can make for your business is staggering.

Now, just make sure you do a proper exit interview for the CEO in you so you don't get in any hot water with the folks down in HR.

About the Author
John Jantsch is a marketing consultant and creator of (http://www.DuctTapeMarketing.com), a small business marketing system. You can reach him at John@DuctTapeMarketing.com or by visiting (http://www.JohnJantsch.com)