Christina Del Villar - Sway: Implement the G.R.I.T. Marketing Method to Gain Influence and Drive Corporate Strategy

Praise for

SWAY

Rather than prattling on about products and obsessing over sales leads, Christina shows you how to build a powerful go-to-market approach. The G.R.I.T. Marketing Method is your ticket to joining the C-suite as the leader of company strategy.

DAVID MEERMAN SCOTT,Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of Fanocracy

Whether you are in marketing or sales, Sway provides a framework and practical guidance for gaining trust within your company, allowing for a more collaborative and successful implementation of the corporate strategy.

CHRISTOPHER SINNOTT, Business Development, Amazon Web Services

Sway has been one of the best marketing books Ive read in a while. Its a combination of outstanding depth, step-by-step concepts, advice, and, of course, Christinas incredible wit. Youll find yourself having aha moments throughout and laughing along the way.

MISTY MEGIA, CEO-Creative Producer, The Theater of Marketing, and former Global Head of ProAdvisor Program and Education, Intuit

Sway takes the mystery out of marketing, breaking it down into manageable concepts and clear to-do lists. Whether youve been grinding out demand-gen campaigns for years or just starting out, Christinas lighthearted vibe breathes new life into how marketers canand mustmarket themselves.

ABIGAIL TULLER, Director of Communications, Autodesk

This book is your golden ticket to understanding how to build influence for yourself and your organization. After reading Sway, I was able to better understand where I could make an impact in my company by delivering effective and efficient marketing strategies. All of a sudden, I was seen as the marketing superstar I knew I always was.

JENNIFER KLEIN, Marketing Consultant, Klein Marketing Consulting

Christina is inspiring and full of knowledge that can help all marketers. In Sway, she dives deep into the tactics, tools, and strategies that anyone can use to build influence in their organization and grow their careers.

SABRINA RICCI, Author and Podcaster, I Know Dino, and Publisher, Digital Pubbing

Christina Del Villar is the go-to expert on marketing that increases company revenue and grows brand impact. In Sway, she breaks down complicated marketing strategies into a clear, step-by-step method any marketer or CMO can implement for successall with whip-smart humor that would make even the most marketing-budget-averse CEO smile. Sway should be on every marketers bookshelf! Highly, highly recommend.

STACY ENNIS, Best-Selling Co-Author, Growing Influence: A Story of How to Lead withCharacter, Expertise, and Impact

Sway will empower you to take your marketing strategy, and your career, to the next level. Christinas G.R.I.T Marketing Method lays out all the steps needed, in a way thats easy to understand and execute.

JESSICA MCINTYRE, Demand Generation Manager, Clarify Health Solutions

Sway is both a practical and strategic guide for marketing professionals. Sway teaches you not only how to be great at marketing but also how to be a great marketing professional.

ROB MCGRORTY, Vice President of Product, OSARO, Inc.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher and author are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. Nothing herein shall create an attorney-client relationship, and nothing herein shall constitute legal advice or a solicitation to offer legal advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

An Inc. Original

New York, New York

www.anincoriginal.com

Copyright 2021 Christina Del Villar

All rights reserved.

Thank you for purchasing an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright law. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the copyright holder.

This work is being published under the An Inc. Original imprint by an exclusive arrangement with Inc. Magazine. Inc. Magazine and the Inc. logo are registered trademarks of Mansueto Ventures, LLC. The An Inc. Original logo is a wholly owned trademark of Mansueto Ventures, LLC.

Distributed by Greenleaf Book Group

For ordering information or special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Greenleaf Book Group at PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709, 512.891.6100.

Design and composition by Greenleaf Book Group Cover design by Greenleaf Book Group

Cover images used under license from

Shutterstock.com/Rob Hyrons

Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication data is available.

Print ISBN: 978-1-7360283-2-2

eBook ISBN: 978-1-7360283-3-9

Part of the Tree Neutral program, which offsets the number of trees consumed in the production and printing of this book by taking proactive steps, such as planting trees in direct proportion to the number of trees used: www.treeneutral.com

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Edition

For Ken, who brings humor, joy, love, and stability to our lives. And who, when I said, Im going to quit my day job and write a book, asked how he could help.

Over the past thirty years as a marketing professional, I have seen a lotin various stages of good, bad, and ugly. At this point, I have enough content to create a ten-season sitcom called SiliconValley: Marketlandia. Or, at minimum, a book or two.

Ive seen advances in technology that make it easier for marketing professionals to do their job and measure results. Ive seen new types of marketing programs and channels pop up out of our innovation and desire to provide value. Ive seen new areas of focus emergesuch as content marketing, customer marketing (what a novel concept), and growth marketingwhile entire channels become obsolete or shift to survive. And Ive seen marketing roles and professionals transform.

Its been a wild ride. But through it all, one thing has remained consistent: Marketing and marketing professionals are still misunderstood, undervalued, and considered nonessential instead of recognized as the backbone of the company we are. I sometimes feel as if were invisible. Marketing organizations are thought of as a cost center, not a revenue center, so their budgets are often the first to get cut when companies become concerned about hitting revenue targets and meeting goals. We as marketing professionals are often some of the first to get laid off when downturns occur.

Lets face it: In the words of P!nk, we are mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood. And frankly, its sad.

But it doesnt have to be this way. It is up to marketing professionals, mavens, and gurus to help sway the rest of the organizationthe executives, our managers, our managers manager, the board, the world at large, heck, even our own parentsinto understanding the value we bring to a company and its overall performance. We need to show the significance of our roles, our programs, and our organizations, as well as our impact. Marketing professionals need to make clear that the marketing organization not only is a revenue center but should be thought of as