You are not IN where you’re FROM

I  was about two years into my marketing leadership role at my last company, when my perspective took a sudden mental shift. Up to that point, I had the perspective that I was working for a software company that sold safety solutions to trucking companies. From Edmonton, Canada. And then suddenly, everything shifted, and I realized that actually, I was In trucking, not In a software company, or From Edmonton.

That mental shift made me realize a few really important things:

1. Trucking is a fantastic industry, with great people, and a million problems that are ripe for technology to solve.

2. Safety is a mission and vision that can be shared with everyone.

3. You can't fake market sincerity and domain credibility.

That third one is really crucial. Time after time I see start ups racing to market with solutions that they think are revolutionary and can disrupt the industry they're serving. But they approach it as outsiders parachuting into an established market without any real domain expertise.

The resulting market messaging feels hollow, like a newbie interloper calling out for attention, or even worse, like an arrogant know it all explaining someone's own business to them. You can't fake being IN your market. Take the time to embed yourself in the industry that you're trying to make better. Become expert, hire and partner with seasoned guides to take you through it.

We did that, and it made a huge difference in the way we went to market, because now we were speaking from within the industry. Listen and learn -- your messaging dialect will sound genuine, because you will be genuine. No faking.