Marketing is not a department

Do you have a marketing department? If not, good. If you do, don't think these

are the only people responsible for marketing. Accounting is a department.

Marketing isn't. Marketing is something everyone in your company is doing

24/7/365.

Just as you cannot not communicate, you cannot not market:

Every time you answer the phone, it's marketing.

Every time you send an e-mail, it's marketing.

Every time someone uses your product, it's marketing.

Every word you write on your Web site is marketing.

If you build software, every error message is marketing.

If you're in the restaurant business, the after-dinner mint is marketing.

If you're in the retail business, the checkout counter is marketing.

If you're in a service business, your invoice is marketing.

Recognize that all of these little things are more important than choosing

which piece of swag to throw into a conference goodie bag. Marketing isn't just

a few individual events. It's the sum total of everything you do.