Melissa Blanken Of GridPoint On How to Lead a Successful Marketing Management Team

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share your personal backstory with us?

Fresh out of college, the University of Washington, I found myself stepping quickly into a telecommunications startup. This is where my long and rewarding profession in wireless telecom took off, working with industry giants such as Nextel, Sprint, Clearwire and Best Buy. As I navigated through my career, I became an intrinsic part of multiple product launches and initiatives, venturing into roles that few in my position have the chance to explore. I was constantly surprised by the exciting opportunities that came my way from working within these large companies.

Throughout my career, I’ve moved cross-country for various roles, ultimately settling down on the East Coast. At first, I had my sights set on becoming a financial analyst, due to a love of number crunching and crafting stories from data. Instead, this passion took me down a path toward Marketing.

Over time, my perspective shifted. I realized I wanted my work to be more than just boosting a company’s bottom line. I wanted to make a real difference and be part of a bigger mission. My last three roles have been with mission-driven companies, but I identify most with GridPoint as it aligns with my values on a personal level. GridPoint’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to a sustainable energy future, and I’ve always been the eco-conscious one in my family, even driving a 100% electric car for over a decade now! Landing at GridPoint feels like coming home in a way, a place where my job aligns perfectly with a part of my personal values.

Can you share with us three strengths, skills, or characteristics that helped you to reach this place in your career? How can others actively build these areas within themselves?

The most notable characteristics I’d like to highlight based on my experience would be adaptability, curiosity, and not being afraid to fail. I’d encourage all professionals, whether they’re just starting out or are going on 10+ years in their journey, to be willing to volunteer to do hard things and test the boundaries of their comfort zones. Don’t be afraid to spend time on something to fully understand it rather than rushing through to get the task crossed off your to-do list. It all comes down to quality, not quantity.

Fantastic. Let’s now shift to the main part of our interview. What are some strategies you use to identify and attract top talent to your marketing team, and how do you ensure they are a good fit for your organization?

During interviews, I make it a point to listen for instances where candidates have proactively taken steps to address issues or achieve major milestones without being prompted. I want to see fundamental decision-making skills, but also drive an intrinsic passion for their field.

I try to engage candidates in conversation by asking them to describe their “perfect” job in terms of roles and responsibilities. This dialogue helps to understand their preferences in terms of company and culture. It’s not just about evaluating a potential hire but also identifying a synergy between the individual and our organization.

I want to draw in diverse candidates who want more than just a standard 9–5 job. Those who want to learn and grow and have fun doing it, while bringing extraordinary skills and experiences to the table. Personally, my management style is hands-off. I start by laying a strong foundation, imparting the necessary strategies and direction, or lending support when needed. Then I give my team the space they need to succeed and hone their skills with the knowledge that I am always able to help prioritize tasks or remove roadblocks.

What specific backgrounds, qualities, or credentials do you look for when hiring for management and senior positions?

As frustrating as it can be, one of the qualifications that is essential to new hires is experience. Most of the time, senior roles require the “been there, done that” understanding. To clarify, this doesn’t mean we are not all learning new things, as we should strive to do so every day. I also look for the ability to problem solve, be flexible and embrace change. I look for examples of real situations that highlight these qualities. A resume doesn’t always capture the full story, so I seek to read between the lines of the experience and accomplishments.

For marketers just starting out in the industry, work to get your foot in the door and don’t be too picky about the opportunities that present themselves. It’s important to be open to new opportunities, experience new training and expand your knowledge without the confines of your job description.

When it comes to managing large teams, WFH, and different time zones, how do you prioritize communication and collaboration to ensure a cohesive marketing strategy?

I make it a point to host a weekly team meeting that serves as a vital forum to provide updates from the previous week and how we, as a team, can adjust and strategize for the following week. These meetings highlight immediate priorities and identify areas where support is needed to achieve tasks and goals. This approach promotes seamless collaboration between the different functional areas within marketing, providing transparency on where we need to keep going, monitor and improve.

It’s also helpful to produce a weekly Marketing Scorecard to enable full transparency in performance. This helps you establish what is working, what’s not working, and how you might need to shift priorities as a team or implement a budget adjustment to ensure you remain on track with your goals for the week, month, quarter or year.

How do you stay on top of the latest trends, technologies, and AI to ensure your team is implementing the most effective marketing strategies?

Ideally, devoting at least 45 minutes a day to reading up on the latest industry trends provides ample insight into what’s happening today in marketing and what’s to come in the near future. Not to say all trends will stick, but it’s good to be aware of where your industry is headed, nonetheless.

Research and pay attention to what your company’s competitors are doing. It’s ok to trend-jack or adopt the operations you see to better your company or industry. I also believe it’s extremely important to find time to explore new technology. Be open to opportunities when they present themselves. For example, accept the meeting when a vendor offers a demo. The product or technology may not be the right fit for your company, but you never know what new ideas it could spark.

In an industry that is often focused on data and metrics, how do you balance the importance of quantitative data with the qualitative insights and instincts needed for success?

The role of marketing has evolved quite significantly from “making things look pretty” to a data-driven proven return on investment function. Marketers must prove the worth of the marketing dollars spent by measuring functional KPIs that are right for your company and marketing stage of growth. Investments in the brand are particularly difficult to quantify and prove a return on the investment. I believe brand marketing and performance marketing can, and need to, work together.

One strategy I implement to measure GridPoint’s brand effectiveness is by conducting an annual brand awareness study. A brand awareness study can help your brand determine relevant competitors and get a read on respondent-aided and unaided awareness. In this survey, you can also outline and inquire about purchase drivers, marketing messages, and important factors to help support your brand spend. These quantitative questions seek to capture opinions, views and attributes that complement the performance marketing results

Interviews — either virtual or in-person (e.g. focus groups) — can also be incredibly effective at answering these questions. This is achievable for all kinds of budgets whether you have the marketing dollars to hire a research firm or perform these interviews yourself. The last area is your gut feeling — pay attention to it, and experience will guide you.

What tips do you have to motivate and inspire your team to consistently meet and exceed their goals?

Make sure you’re providing a strategic direction so that your team can identify and set appropriate goals. Ensure those goals are measurable. Then get out of the way and let your team do their jobs! That being said, you also need to be there for your team when they need direction or help remove barriers.

Use these preset goals to establish expectations and track progress across the team. By establishing regular communication and consistently measuring marketing activities, you set the cadence to keep projects moving and ultimately meet your goals as a team. It’s important to set short- and long-term goals and schedule recurring meetings to continually monitor progress. It’s up to you as a leader to keep everyone accountable for their areas of responsibility and ensure the team is on the same page. Don’t wait for annual review time to provide feedback on areas of improvement, and be sure to celebrate the wins.

How do you handle underperforming team members?

I believe it’s imperative to understand what other factors, if any, are at play that could be impacting the work product. If there are outside factors, give your team some grace to handle personal challenges then come back stronger. If it’s simply an underperformance issue, be very specific about what needs to be improved and what measures will be in place to monitor improvements. Is there training or are additional tools needed? Formality is required, do have the hard conversations and follow up with written summaries of discussions and areas of focus that include a timeline of expected outcomes. Sometimes it’s simply not the right fit. If that’s the case, you can help team members find the right role either inside or outside of marketing, or even perhaps outside of your company.

What would you say is the most valuable marketing software in your tech stack?

Marketo is my go-to for a CRM when laying down a solid marketing foundation. It has an impressive suite of features, from ABM and lead scoring to ROI tracking and campaign management. It’s rare to find another CRM that offers such a holistic package.

Can you please share your “Five Things You Need To Lead a Successful Marketing Management Team.”

1 . A strategic direction is the compass for a marketing team. It provides focus, clarity and a unified purpose. It sets a framework that channels resources efficiently and aligns the team to avoid being swayed by every new trend or challenge. A solid strategic direction also instills confidence among stakeholders.

2 . Goals by functional area that are specific, measurable, and time bound ensures that every team member has a clear understanding of their responsibilities, priorities, and the metrics by which success will be gauged. Setting these goals eliminates ambiguity and fosters a culture of accountability.

3 . A Weekly Marketing Dashboard that gives an at-a-glance view of the team’s activities helps me and the marketing management team understand real-time progress and ensures we are aligned on projects and the overall marketing strategy and priorities. With weekly metrics, we can gauge the impact of our efforts and pivot as necessary for course correction.

4 . Support from the c-suite or leadership team is indispensable for the success of marketing. Backing from the other executive leaders ensures that the marketing department is allocated the necessary resources — be it budget, manpower, or technology resources. It also underscores the importance of marketing within the broader organizational framework.

5 . I always set up a work management tool when I start building my marketing foundation. A tool that helps marketing track multiple campaigns, projects, and ensures the team’s initiatives run smoothly and efficiently.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I would like to start a movement that champions sustainable businesses, bridging the gap between them and eco-conscious consumers. By spotlighting their success stories, helping them brand and market their stores, restaurants, and sites with sustainable and genuine messaging, we can marry economic growth with responsibility. Imagine the ripple effect. As more consumers buy from sustainable businesses, it sends a clear message to industries everywhere: sustainability is the future.

GridPoint is on a journey to make this happen today. GridPoint’s grid-responsive platform monitors buildings energy consumption, increases savings and helps businesses become more efficient to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future. As we move into the small-to-medium business space, we will begin to offer customers onsite materials to amplify their commitment to decarbonizing their buildings and reducing their energy consumption. These commitments contribute to a more grid-stable community. Other items we will add to that package include video testimonials and pledges, social graphics kits, and joint press releases — to name a few!