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In the military, a force multiplier is a capability that significantly increases the potential of a combat force, enhancing the probability of a successful mission. Many CEOs are looking to marketing to assume the role of force multiplier across their organizations, using customer insights to influence business strategy.

The ability to divine customer insights – and make them relevant to business people – is one of five key responsibilities CMOs must embrace to successfully transform marketing. Here are three ways to become a force multiplier:

Serve as a bonding agent: At LinkedIn, marketing and product development teams are highly integrated: product marketing managers are matched with product managers, who in turn work closely with the engineering teams. They share customer experience insights to determine what to build, how to deliver it, and how to communicate the brand value. Marketing has an equally strong partnership with the sales organization, collaborating not just on taking products to market but on strategy.

Combine c-suite roles: Technology services firm Cognizant took an increasingly common approach to ensuring that marketing lines up with business strategy: It put both functions under Executive VP Malcolm Frank, who serves as both chief strategy officer and chief marketing officer.

Break down your own walls. I’m not a fan of adjectives in front of marketing. Designations like “North America marketing” or “Web marketing” or “solution marketing” simply drives us further into our own internal silos. One small step we’ve taken internally is by using our social collaboration software, SAP Jam, to discuss marketing ideas, settle on best practices, and vote on the things that work best. We are also implementing cross-functional marketing metrics that focus on business outcomes instead of activities.

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Excerpt...

10 Principles of the Marketing Nerd Ethos

1. Marketing nerds are perpetually curious. We like to hear about new gadgets, cool websites, sweet mobile apps. Whether marketing campaigns succeed or fail, we like to understand why. “Root cause” are two of the sexiest words in marketing nerd-speak.

2. Marketing nerds are lifelong learners. We’re voracious readers of books and blogs. We love presentations from smart people who teach us new things. We’ll sign up for an intriguing webinar in a heartbeat — but just make sure that it’s got substance, not fluff.

3. Marketing nerds are tinkers. We like to try new techniques and technologies hands on. After all, the best way to learn is by doing. We love running experiments. A/B testing was probably the world’s second greatest invention, just behind the espresso machine.

4. Marketing nerds are always willing to help. If there’s an opportunity for us to apply what we know towards helping someone out, we get a real endorphin rush from contributing. No need to thank us, but a good coffee beverage is always appreciated.

5. Marketing nerds love to fix things that are broken. If there’s a weird technical mystery somewhere in the bowels of your marketing automation configuration, we’ll tackle it with the deductive tenacity of Sherlock Holmes.

6. Marketing nerds love to invent things. With a little deftly used software — the digital equivalent of duct tape — and some imagination, we believe that anything is possible. Telling a marketing nerd that “it can’t be done” is like throwing down the gauntlet.

7. Marketing nerds respect facts over opinions. It’s not that we don’t have opinions — we do. But we’re more interested in the truth than being right. If Jerry McGuire had been about marketing, Cuba Gooding, Jr., would have been a marketing nerd chanting, “Show me the data!”

8. Marketing nerds celebrate other people’s achievements. We love to recognize the contributions of others on our team. But we also respect the accomplishments of marketers at other companies. We admire great ideas from wherever they come, and give credit where it is due.

9. Marketing nerds eschew trophies and awards. Maybe it’s because, up until this contest by Lattice Engines, there haven’t actually been awards for marketing nerddom. But it’s also because we value the work itself and take pride in results. Trophies are for jocks.

10. Marketing nerds have a sense of humor. We can laugh at ourselves. We like to make others laugh. Puns are an art form. Self-deprecating quips fall effortlessly from our lips.

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