<span style="color: #000000;">Have you ever been to a job interview where you are not encouraged to ask questions? Have you been offered a job where you don't ask about benefits, salary or vacation/sick day policy? I would bet that if you went to a job interview and you did not meet who you would be working for, and where, and if the interviewer did not tell you a bit about the hiring organization, you would be a bit hesitant about it being a good fit for you.
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<span style="color: #000000;">Some organizations seem to believe that if they are deigning to hire someone--be it an employee or a consultant or an agency or any type of service--they don't need to market themselves. Potential hires should just be excited that someone is offering to consider them or their services. </span>

<span style="color: #000000;">Companies that care about providing a good work environment are proud to let the world know about it. They even use it as a differentiator. You have probably seen organizations that tout that they were selected as a top employer for working moms, or most socially responsible organization and so forth. </span>

<span style="color: #000000;">There are many organizations out there, and if you are in marketing, you must differentiate yourself from everyone else. Even if you are "just hiring."</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">Yesterday, I got the following email (identity is concealed):</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">Subject: What type of work do you do?</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">Body: Just starting the process to see if we want to bring in a firm as a consultant on several projects. What type of work does your firm do? Who/what are your clients?</span>

<span style="color: #000000;">[name] </span>

<span style="color: #000000;">Marketing Manager</span>
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong></strong>[COMPANY NAME]</span>
<span style="color: #000000;">[phone/fax/email/address]</span>

This marketing manager is not managing to market herself at all. What does her company do? What types of projects is she interested in? Why would I want to answer her? (Not to mention that you can find answers to all these questions right here on my website.)

Marketing is about making an impression. Even if you are doing the hiring does not mean you don't have to impress your potential hiree about what a good/special/professional company you are. Perhaps you are known for paying well, or paying on time, or being responsive, or having employees that have been there for decades. Whatever it is, it is what makes your organization special and different from other organizations.

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