Building a marketing technology company takes more than just a great product and a ready market. What’s needed is a person who can inspire potential end-users about how the platform will positively impact their working lives.
Speaking to Steve McGowan, Brandworkz head of business development, his wisdom, knowledge and experience of digital asset management (DAM) technology as well as his enthusiasm for Brandworkz shine through.
Steve is passionate about DAM because he has seen many times how putting a system in place can genuinely affect a customer’s business in a positive way.
In a multi-channel, customer-driven world, brand experience is a major differentiator for brands and a good digital asset management system can provide the tools to drive that experience for customers. Steve believes a DAM should not simply be a repository of marketing materials, but can enable every internal team within a business to understand how to deliver the right brand experience to customers, whatever their job role. This focus on brand experience is taking DAM to the heart of every organisation’s strategy.
Many people assume that Steve’s role as head of business development is about talking and making sales. That’s not the case, he says. At Brandworkz, we think differently. “It starts with listening; whether you are having a C-level conversation with business leaders or shop floor brand workers. Listen carefully to what prospects are telling you, what they are struggling with, what they are actually asking for before you leap in with a pitch” he shares.
His success comes from a genuine interest in his client’s business problems because in the world of business technology, every client is different. “Everything starts with a prospect and how they are doing things, what isn’t working well for them right now. It all starts with an understanding of what the current situation is and what their objectives are.”
In the Brandworkz customer buying cycle, Steve is the first person our prospects will speak to in depth, so it is critical for him to set expectations from day one. “We have to be very transparent in the conversation with prospects so we can oversee the journey in a correct way and people will understand what is going to happen, when it going to happen.”
Part of that process is making sure every part of the Brandworkz team – from marketing, or client services to software development – are able to draw a positive but realistic picture of what the client wants.
Delivering a business technology system is a result of teamwork. A large part of Steve’s job is to communicate with other internal departments in Brandworkz to share new approaches that may be needed to solve business problems. The team he’s probably closest to is Marketing. They see themselves as two ends of the same process. But his close relationships with every other team is crucial too.
“I have a lot of discussions with the product team about what’s coming, what the limitations are, etc. The key is that we’ve all got one point of truth, we all have one message and one understanding of where we are now, what our direction is. So when we go out and talk to prospects, we communicate things that are real.”
“We have a strong brand proposition at Brandworkz, and we don’t pretend to be anything else which I think is key. Management of your brand experience and your customer journey is a big focus for every company now and we are at the forefront of that technology. I like that we have a very clear definition of what we do and how we are going to do it.”
“The internal culture at Brandworkz is very much about creating a team environment where everybody is close to the product because we all use it ourselves, every day. We have our own Brandworkz brand portal. Everybody in the company can bring ideas and innovation to the table and get a hearing.”
“You can feel a vibe around Brandworkz that there is a real enthusiasm for doing good stuff. We have a lot of specialists in this place who really enjoy what they do and are really good at what they do. Whenever we have to find a solution, people come together in a quick group to brainstorm and workout the process. It is a very tight team. It is the people; we keep each other motivated.”
