Marketing Software and Walmart
by Drake Ballew, Owner-Operator
A lot of time when I am discussing projects with clients, I receive a request or brief similar to the following:
Hi Drake, I am using [someMarketingSoftware] to solve [someBusinessProblem] and running into issues. Do you have experience with [someMarketingSoftware]? If so, would you be free for a chat? Thanks, someBusinessOwner
There's nothing inherently wrong with this message, but it does reveal a bit of ignorance about the state and landscape that is Marketing Software as a Service.
The reality is that marketing software today is extremely commoditized - in any category, there are likely 5+ options for any problem you are trying to solve, and they are likely not well-differentiated. So when a business owner asks, "do you have experience with this software?" rather than "do you have experience solving this problem?" it reveals a potential for conflict were an engagement to be pursued, and I usually save us both the trouble by not trying to explain the reality that software-specific expertise is much less important than domain specific expertise and passing on the engagement.
If you want a really easy way to think about this, most marketing software is like Walmart: you don't need to know which Walmart you walk into to know how to find your way around once you're inside.