CMO’s latest in a series of livestream broadcasts, dubbed “Confessions,” featured Esco Media CEO & chief editor, Joe Escobedo, and Salesforce VP and CEO for APAC, Leandro Perez, share their insights on the marketing industry and took on a difficult Q&A from the audience.
Escobedo, hosted the presentation, introduced Perez to the viewers as a person with great experience in his field. The two men went on to discuss how businesses need to adjust to this new, post-pandemic era and appeal to wider audiences.
More specifically, the host pointed out that companies need to be proactive in reaching out to their customers and learning their needs, while Perez added that they should be taking advantage of all the latest innovations in technology, integrating them in a way which makes sense to their organisation.
He went on to add that when trying to dive into a new market, businesses shouldn’t be afraid to search for different avenues to get the word out, such as press releases, webinars, or even focus groups. Local agencies can also help relieve a great amount of stress when a company is trying to establish its presence within a different area by hosting an event.
In regards to that aspect, Perez explained that while bad things, such as terrible weather or even a pandemic, can occur to anyone, agencies need to stay flexible when providing assistance to new businesses. He provided a perfect example of this by mentioning hybrid events, promotional campaigns which took place both in-person and online during the time that COVID was at its peak, in an attempt to keep the industry going.
Escobedo added that what came out of those events was the creation of exclusive content, which has turned out to be an incredibly exciting area for marketers.
Perez then went on to answer more of the digital audience’s questions, with one viewer asking what it is that makes a successful CMO. Perez replied that it isn’t strictly about the marketing itself, but it is also about understanding the needs of those around you and building good relationships with people.
Additionally, he said that it’s not a matter of being subservient and just listening to what others have to say, but you also need to inspire confidence by coming up with ideas and not being afraid to ask difficult questions.
Finally, he stated that since there’s always someone out there who can do things better than you in different fields, it’s always a good idea to keep a keen eye out there so you can bring them on board.
When asked about what the key ingredients were to have a successful agency, the Salesforce CMO pointed out that it’s never good to make way too many promises and end up under-delivering on them – doing the opposite would be the better way to go.
He then said that a good agency will have ideas which will help push the business forward, with Escobedo jumping in to use a saying that was once told to him by one of his former employers: “one of your primary KPIs should be to get your client promoted.”
Perez was also asked about what keeps him motivated in his role, stating that he never feels satisfied or that he’s done enough and that this isn’t a role in which you should be feeling that way.
“There’s always more work to be done and you can always get inspired to do new things if you’re open to it”, he said.
Before signing off, the Salesforce VP said he was reading a book called ‘The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team,’ which points out the ways in which a group can break down if not quickly touched upon.
