The Importance of Being Versatile as a Marketer

What is versatility?

The ability to adjust and react to the ever-changing demands and wants of the market is referred to as flexibility for marketers. Flexibility, readiness to adopt a growth mentality, and ultimately the willingness to leave your comfort zone are necessary for versatility. To meet the market’s ever-changing needs, marketers have had to adopt an attitude of versatility so that they can keep their abilities up to date and interesting. 

Why is versatility important?

According to a report from Leadership IQ, 46% of newly-hired employees fail within 18 months, with 26% of them failing due to an inability to incorporate feedback from their bosses and coworkers. These figures show that, in contrast to popular opinion, technical causes are not what are causing these failures. Instead, their attitudes and lack of social skills are the problem for 89% of them.

This report demonstrates the value and importance of being versatile as a successful employee and not just as a marketer. From these findings, neglecting versatility will only set you up for failure. Furthermore, employees who only just meet expectations will be returned in kind, with little hope of promotion and progression. That’s why versatility can serve you as a tool for progression. Adopting a mindset that is flexible and is willing to step out of comfort zones, will grant you the perspective that recognizes that there are demands from your company that need to be met that go beyond your simple job description. Once you show your leaders you are capable of exceeding expectations, you’ve demonstrated your worth to your team through action and that gives you bargaining power. 

So how do I become versatile? 

Versatility has 3 different components as mentioned before. It’s about being flexible, adopting a growth mindset and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone. The reason why I reiterate this is because of the importance of understanding your objectives. By acknowledging these are the qualities to adopt, you now have direction and can forge your own path towards these goals. 

However, there are a few suggestions for developing versatility as a trait:

Travel

Traveling is a great approach to become acclimated to unfamiliar surroundings. One must venture outside of their comfort zone and do new things to experience a new culture and visit new locations. This is a fundamental principle of adaptability—to be willing to take chances and learn from experiences outside of one's comfort zone. Having prior travel experience can help lessen this fear of the unknown and better prepare you for change in the workplace where you may encounter diverse teams and environments. One can use their travels as a springboard to introduce useful elements of other cultures to their employment. Adopting the Japanese aesthetic of minimalism for example favors a clean and uncluttered life and a love for natural beauty, all of which have a positive impact on your mental health.

Take a well-rounded approach

Not simply having marketing experience is necessary to be a dynamic marketer. Being well-rounded involves participating in and growing in activities that go beyond marketing, which includes changing up your surroundings and exposing yourself to new ones. A fantastic method to develop into a well-rounded professional is to engage in hobbies like physical sports like rock climbing or martial arts and mental sports like chess. This is because you may draw on several aspects of life and apply the knowledge and experience you've learned from each one to adopt a new viewpoint and find innovative solutions to issues.

Be a student 

In the end, flexibility necessitates an open and expansionary mindset. This is the main tenet of the learner who is there to advance. Despite the difficulties that come with any new opportunity, there are also numerous chances to learn and experience new things that will benefit your prospects. Being open to projects that play to your limitations and potential growth areas rather than your strengths will help you acquire this mindset.

It’s undeniable that the role of the marketer has undergone a significant transition into the digital age. With these changes have come new challenges and the growing need for the ability to be versatile. Adopting a mindset of growth, and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone coupled with the quality of flexibility will help you develop the skill of versatility and be a more successful marketer.