Hey there, fellow marketers. I am going to share some insights that have been brewing in my mind as I’ve worked alongside some truly talented individuals in this dynamic field over the last 18 or so years (don’t try to calculate my age, how dare you). I want to explore in particular this trait that we have all encountered in our cross-functional teams – the eagerness to please, or people-pleaser (yup, that’s a double P to add to the marketing mix). These insights have been then used to contact a bunch of professionals to share their true views.

So, I have become a journalist for a few days and have talked to people who constitute a cross-functional team in the FMCG world to enquire about what it’s like to work with a people-pleaser marketer. My aim is for people-pleaser or leaders of teams which includes people-pleasers to widen our perspective and include the points of view of crucial member of the overall cross-functional team and beyond.

Brace yourself, here it goes:

The NAM.

As a NAM, I’ve had the privilege of working with diverse individuals in cross-functional teams. When a people-pleaser marketer joins the group, their eagerness to accommodate everyone’s ideas and preferences may initially seem like an asset. However, over time, it becomes evident that this approach can slow down decision-making and water down the team’s vision.

👉🏻A people-pleaser marketer often hesitates to express their own viewpoint, fearing it may not align with others’ opinions. This tendency can result in missed opportunities for innovation and market differentiation.

The Marketing Director.

The presence of a marketer with people-pleasing tendencies can be both a blessing and a curse. While it’s great to have a team member who strives to keep harmony within the team, it can also be frustrating when their reluctance to challenge the status quo leads to stagnation.

👉🏻Innovation thrives when team members feel comfortable expressing diverse viewpoints, even if they differ from the majority. A people-pleaser marketer may unintentionally stifle this creative energy, hindering the team’s potential.

The Digital Agency

We are often tasked with bringing marketing campaigns to life. When collaborating with a people-pleaser marketer, we appreciate their willingness to accommodate various opinions. However, it can also lead to confusion and inconsistency in the campaign’s messaging and direction. Decisions appear to be even more difficult to make when they have go through a number of stakeholders. It’s as many diverging opinions to manage and take into account…

👉🏻Clarity and consistency are critical in marketing campaigns, and a people-pleaser marketer’s tendency to please everyone can dilute the campaign’s impact. It’s essential for marketers to balance collaboration with maintaining a clear and coherent message. Their stress levels may even go through the roof when they have to make up their own mind about the direction to take.

The Finance Business Partner

Ok, so I think that in the case of a marketing professional who tends to people-please, their approach can impact the budget and ROI. Their reluctance to challenge ideas or prioritize based on data can lead to inefficient spending and suboptimal results.

👉🏻In the marketing, making data-driven decisions is essential for maximizing resources. A people-pleaser marketer should learn to strike a balance between accommodating input and making decisions that are financially sound.

The Supply Chain Manager

In our fast-paced world, timing is everything. I have worked with people-pleasing marketers before and whilst they really display a passion for accommodating most of us, there can be unintended consequences to the supply chain which adds more stress on our end: delayed decisions, constant revisions (the worst!), and trying to please everyone often creates logistical nightmares!

👉🏻The SC manager is tasked with ensuring that the marketing campaigns seamlessly transition into real-world products. So to maintain efficiency and meet deadlines, it’s essential for marketing decisions to align with the practical aspects of supply chain management. This balance between collaboration and practicality is a crucial ingredient in the recipe for success.

The CEO

As a senior stakeholder in the organization, I have the privilege of witnessing first hand the presentation of the annual brand plan by our marketing team. This annual event is crucial for setting the strategic direction for our brand, and it’s a moment of great anticipation. I usually can spot a marketer with a people-pleaser profile: with their dedication to accommodating everyone’s input, they often craft a presentation that attempts to meet the expectations of all stakeholders. While this approach may seem admirable on the surface, it can result in a lack of clarity and focus. The core message becomes diluted, and the strategic priorities can become muddled. That frustrates everyone involved, in the end.

👉🏻Senior stakeholders value presentations that are clear, concise, and reflect a well-defined strategic vision. It’s essential for people-pleasing marketers to learn the art of balancing stakeholder input with the need for a clear, compelling, and actionable annual brand plan.

If you are a marketer with people-pleasing tendencies, or lead a team which may include some, the dynamics of working with a people-pleasing marketer extend beyond the marketing team and impacts key functions. Striking a balance between accommodating input and maintaining practicalities, clarity and strategic focus in the challenge. And it can be tackled.

If you find yourself identifying with these experiences and wish to enhance your collaborative skills in marketing, please reach out. If this is not a wake-up call, I don’t know what it.

Check this link here with lots of resources to build more natural confidence in your leadership including insights streams (egs podcast episodes about people-pleasing), free downloadables (egs learning how to say no), and a free quiz with a personalised report to assess your confidence levels.

Speak soon,

Mags

Magali Leroux • Marketing Leaders’ Coach

The Marketer Whisperer • Building natural confidence to your leadership without sacrificing who you are • 1:1 coaching | Corp & group workshop | Digital course | Speaker