My Best Marketing Tips #19: HSBC / Paul Szumilewicz / Global Head of Agile, Global Marketing
Being in the marketing industry for over 20 years has taught Paul that remaining a “Jack of all trades, master of none” is one of the best ways to keep an edge and bring value into new environments on a continuous basis.
Paul thinks that specialising – at least in his case – is an example of bad marketing advice. By taking the opposite approach, he’s always been able to challenge himself, put himself out of his comfort zone, and learn to ask questions from everyone around him.
What would be your best marketing tip?
“Create ways to stay close to the customer.” (Leanne Cutts, Group Chief Marketing Officer, HSBC)
The single best way to ensure we’re delivering for our customer is to be creative in getting to know them but, most importantly, speaking to them and knowing who they are.
How have you put this marketing tip to good use?
When I was in charge of a digital marketing team within HSBC, I quickly realised that, although the team was made up of experts in their field, not one of them had spoken directly to a customer of HSBC, other than their family or friends. So I arranged to take them all into branches to interact with customers and with the branch staff for a few days. They all came back filled with ideas and inspiration about what we could improve.
Another thing we do often in HSBC is something called “customer in the room” – we get three different customers’ files with a short script and have to ring them up to see what their experience with HSBC is like. I don’t do it all the time but, when I do, it’s always worth it.
What marketing tips does the industry need most right now?
We all need to be more inclusive and challenge our unconscious bias when it comes to the people we speak to and the media we consume. It’s too easy to be in a media bubble. Over the past 2-3 years in particular, I’ve been on a real journey with diversity, being more mindful of who I mentor, who I have in my decision-making meetings… you need to spend more time with people who don’t look like you and don’t think like you. So, look at who you’re spending time with, first.
What is the marketing tip you give most often?
Not just marketing, but a life tip, is to get better at saying no and prioritise and organise. Ask yourself, what are your personal rocks, your non-negotiable things that you have to have in your day? For me, it’s exercise and family. Over the years I’ve discovered that I can be more effective if I have these items in, rather than overworking myself with 16 hours of meetings back to back every day.
Listen to Paul talk about his top marketing tips, his increased attention to diversity and inclusion, and his favourite new beliefs and commitments, on the latest episode of our Shiny New Object podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03SUtq4qPFOhz0MYTAdOTX
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