Now let’s write that Job Description for the required Marketing Consultant

by admin | Mar 22, 2011 | Blog, Promotion

Not the fluffy stuff that makes you or the applicant feel good, but a description that gets down to “task level” so that the right resources (not necessarily one individual) can be budgeted for and employed for your future marketing consultant.

Real Job Description Example:
(Real skills required and tasks to be done. Apologies in advance for intended sarcasm in the commentary!)

Job Description:
This is a rare opportunity (aren’t they all?) for the right person to expand their exceptional organisational, communication and customer service skills. This position requires an experienced and energetic (I don’t know many people who describe themselves as lethargic!) individual with a passion for coordinating Events and Communications on behalf of xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. There is an expectation of a high level of cooperation (does that mean people who the job applicant relies on to do their job may actually not co-operate?) with our xxxxxxxxxxxx

Event Management
Manage, coordinate and monitor all aspects of xxxxxx events.

What does this manage and co-ordinate actually mean? Here are some specific examples:

• Make sure the invitations go out on time to all the different market / audience segments. Make sure that the invitations are sent more than once and are part of an ongoing marketing campaign.
• Make sure that the venue is booked and all the necessary facilities are available
• Make sure there is adequate signage at the event
• Make sure catering is organised
• Make sure all of the suppliers are booked and paid for.

The next few points would become irrelevant in light of the more meaningful and straightforward description above!

• Provide management for all assigned events; maintain liaison with xxxxxxxx and venue management; ensure events are properly prepared; resolve problems before, during and after event.
• Coordinate operations with xxxxxxx, xxxxxxx and other managers to ensure operational readiness, efficiency in resource utilisation, and the prompt delivery of event services.
• Plan and schedule work for event resources; ensure adequate manning for events and equipment deliveries by sub-contracting additional resources as required; motivate and develop staff (you’ve got to be kidding – expecting this from a part timer) to ensure smooth operations of department and promote teamwork (tow the company line, don’t rock the boat, don’t talk about people behind their back?)

Budgeting

• Assist in determining fiscal requirements and preparation of budgetary recommendations.
• Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein. (Read “make coffee, fetch my dry cleaning, organise my personal life?)

Communication

• Manage XXXXXXX Media and Communication Presence
• That would be the job of a PR professional not a Marketing or Event Co-ordinator!
• Develop, maintain and deliver communications primarily through electronic newsletters and event invitations. Let’s break this one down:
• Write (copywriting is a skill, different to PR writing or novel writing or any other kind of writing!) the email newsletter
• To “copywrite” the newsletter one would have to have a deep understanding of the audience, have the authority to formulate an effective offer that will capture attention and interest and motivate the reader to take some desired actions. One would have to make a choice between long and short copy and decide on the number of times to send this one communication to the target audience. We all know “one offs don’t work” – this is called the Frequency Principle, right?! None of these are skills normally found in your “Event Manager”!

Then you would have to design the email itself, which means you would have to have reasonable design and art direction skills, not something many Event Managers would know much about.

• Coordinate XXXXX input into national marketing communications materials.
• Sit in on a meeting and take minutes!
• Effective and accurate budget management for all campaigns.
• If you spend more than the budgeted you will be sacrificed at the altar!
• Work with XXXXXXXX Support Centre and consultancies as required
• Other tactical media initiatives / projects as required

Skills Required

• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Exceptional customer service skills
• Proven experience in event management
• The ability to effectively manage resources while delivering the quality service expected from customers
• The experience and confidence to work with and for a diverse range of individuals
• This is an excellent opportunity to play a significant role in the further development of one of Australia’s leading xxxxxxxxxxxxx. (Does anyone ever say that they are a “lagging, behind the times” type of organisation?)

The above shows how the “supposed prestige” and “mystique” around this job quickly disappears! And so it should because your finally chosen employee, regardless of whether they are the dreaded Gen Y variety, will very quickly work out that the “job hasn’t cracked up what you built it up to be!”. Tell the truth, it will surface sooner rather than later, whether you like it or not!

Most importantly breaking the job into different and specific areas of expertise will allow you to better understand your own organisational needs and find the right people for every aspect of the job.

The above job description could be easily and professionally done with the following combination of resources:

• A senior marketing consultant to develop together with you, a strategy and a Marketing Action Plan together with the budget necessary to implement it, timelines and tasks with each responsibility assigned. The other “budgetary tasks” can be easily fulfilled by the resident bean counter – this is what they are good at!
  Time and Cost – 2-4 weeks@ approximately $4,000 – $7,000

• PR professional for 5 PR releases (traditional and online) during the year
  Approximately $10,000
• Copywriter and Designer for an annual Email / Direct mail campaign (example 10 communication pieces)
  2 different people your Marketing professional should have access to, either through established relationships or in house when they are part of a larger marketing or advertising agency. As they will be the pe
  Approximately $4,000-$6,000
• An Admin Resource that can follow a step by step process to co- ordinate the despatch of marketing communication (e.g.: E-Newsletter, Email Invitations, Direct Mail) , and print out the necessary reports on campaign success, deliverability, click throughs, etc. or paying an Email Marketing Specialist to do this for you.
  Approximately 4hrs -6 hrs per campaign, depending on size of database, number of segments, different versions of the email creative, etc, conservatively $2,000 – $3,000
• Finally Event management can also be done by the Admin Resource. At an allowance of 5-10 hours per event x 10 events x $40/hour = Maximum $4,000

Grand Maximum Total for the year = $30,000

versus

Approximate Cost of 20 hour Permanent Part time person (who most likely does not have the skills necessary to do 70% of the job description to the level of professionalism that it requires and deserves)

• 20 hours per week x 48 weeks x $40/hr = $38,400

Now obviously we have made many assumptions but the above illustrates the process necessary for the small and medium enterprise business owner to survive and thrive in the new lean and mean global economic climate.

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