As each year ends and we plan for the next, we try to start with an idea - a belief, actually - that will inform our work going forward: Seller Forum discussions, The Drift, workshops, coaching conversations...everything. So with one of our final posts of 2018, I want to be clear about what we believe here at Upstream Group.
We believe that the future for publishers and agencies is diversified. Anybody relying on one product or one channel can start numbering their days.
We believe that marketers have finally chosen to believe their media agencies. You've been telling them media is a commodity for 15 years and now they're on board. Media is a cost center now...we know the rest.
We believe there is no silver bullet. Only more bullets.
We believe that it's all strategy now. Those who focus only on execution and tactics are the unskilled labor force of the next 20 years.
But we also believe that those who believe strategy is about a future that's months or years away will fail. We believe the immediate future will be won by those who can live well in the moment.
We believe that pivoting is not just for companies. It's one of the most critical personal skills any of us can possess.
We believe that success in our business is not a destination. It's an endless journey, a perpetual road trip. Stop building your dream home and start thinking about what you'll have room for in your car. Those who keep moving, changing and experiencing will define success.
We believe that any good road trip depends on knowing the terrain, packing the right cargo, keeping the right fuel in the tank and choosing your passengers well.
It's with these beliefs in mind that we are devoting our entire 2019 Seller Forum series to one single theme: "On the Road: Marketing Navigation in a World of Perpetual Change." Though we'll work to deliver a great standalone experience at each Forum, we're thinking in terms of stages in the same uninterrupted journey. Part One: Departure on March 6th... Part Two: Acceleration on June 5th... and Part Three: A New Gear on October 23rd.
Maybe you and your company have been part of the Seller Forum community in 2018 or for many years before that. Maybe you've never experienced it. But if you're a qualified sales leader who wants to invest in yourself and your most valuable team members - your most critical passengers - we'd love to have you in the car with us.
Reach out to us if you'd like to know more or go to www.thesellerforum.com.
We look forward to riding with you.
