Prioritize people and process over technology
The people-process-tech model, which puts technology at the end of the decision-making process, has been around for decades. Still, companies often rush into marketing-technology decisions before they understand their current processes or lack of processes.
Monitor and document your processes until you fully uncover the way your teams do things today, Peg says. Find out where you lack processes and where you need to do things differently. Improve your processes as much as possible before you buy.
In many cases, the changes companies need to make don’t even require new technology.
Seek as simple a solution as possible
When you’re considering new technology, look for ways to keep things simple. As Peg suggests:
- Plan no more than one year ahead. No one knows what martech tools will be capable of three years from now. Get comfortable with planning quarterly and annually, and choose your tools accordingly.
- Look for tools that require minimal central administration. The beauty of these technologies is that they simplify complex processes. Don’t get yourself tangled up with a tool that makes it seem you’re going to need an administrator and you’re going to have to do all this work to make the tool perfect. That’s a big red flag, especially if you are trying to be a nimble organization.
- Find tools that work for the biggest naysayers on your team. You might have designers, copywriters, content creators, and people working with social media and analytics. Some may shy away from tools that strike them as overly complex. They may say, “I am not working in this or that tool because it keeps me from doing my job.” Look for tools that the biggest naysayers on your team find helpful in some way. Your early adopters will fall in line.
