Can a marketing consultancy last the distance, or will the novelty lose its shine? According to Dianne Davis, emotional maturity and an entrepreneurial spirit are the keys to a long and successful life for a marketing consultancy. Davis, 46, started her consultancy, Davis & Associates, in 1998 and says she is still powering along six years later. Davis was the Head of Marketing at the Australian Stock Exchange and, before that, Director of Marketing at Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers).
Davis says: "I always had a strong entrepreneurial flair and had wanted to run my own business. I had the emotional maturity to do it. Having that is crucial. Many marketers will know that you get to a level in your career where you are doing three things: getting embroiled in internal politics - whether you like it or not, managing and defending your budget and playing 'nanny' to your staff.
It becomes frustrating not to be able to get involved in key marketing initiatives, and you almost lose the skill of actually doing the work. A lot of marketing people I know agree with that. To be honest, there is a tendency among marketers not to want to move outside their discipline. But the reality is, if marketers want to get on boards and ascend to the chief executive position, then they need broader line management experience."
As a consultant running her own business, Davis finds it satisfying to meet clients face to face and to be listened to far more attentively than what is usually the experience of a marketing head in a big company. She says: "Your clients know they're paying for your time, and because you're a consultant you have the ability to make honest and candid observations about a client's business. You are not part of their politics. You have no fear of that and that is what clients want from you."
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