What To Do When Your Marketing Advice Is Ignored

There have been a number of instances recently where I've seen a high profile person's advisors criticised: "can't believe their PR team signed this off", "their comms team must be rubbish" etc.

This might be true. But there is always the possibility that the PR team is giving top-quality and their advice just wasn't being listened to when it really mattered.

Most marketers (at some point in their careers) will give their best professional advice and find out later that it has been ignored by the client/CEO/stakeholder. It can be frustrating, and you might even find yourself wondering if you're not trusted by your colleagues or clients. In the worst case scenario, not taking your advice has resulted in a bad outcome for the organisation, or perhaps even repetitional harm.

Developing your influencing skills can help to prevent this from happening. But you won't be successful in getting your view across every time, and your clients may choose another path.

Help! My marketing advice has been ignored!

So what should you do if your advice is ignored?

Accept, respect, move on

Not all advice, no matter how well-founded, will be taken. There might be a whole range of information that you're not party to (for valid reasons) which mean that your suggestions can't be progressed. Try not to take this personally and, even if you think it's crazy to move forward with the chosen approach, stay professional; don't damage the relationships you've built. Keep a note of your recommendations though, as these could become relevant again in future if the situation changes.

Use it as a learning opportunity

Ask yourself if there was a disconnect between the advice you gave and the context. Ask for feedback on why your proposals aren't being taken forward. Use this info to refine how you'd approach a similar situation in future. What could you do differently next time?

Keep an open mind

It can be a real ego dent if your suggestions are not followed up on, and the alternative then does really well. But rather than get huffy about it, analyse why it's worked and how you could incorporate similar ideas into your own plans in future. Also make sure to acknowledge that, while you didn't recommend this approach initially, you're now seeing the value. Give credit where it's due.

Don't give up

Continue offering insights and support. A client who ignores your advice on one occasion may be more receptive in the future, especially if market conditions evolve or if the approach they've chosen doesn't deliver.

Use a sounding board

Having an impartial place to air your frustrations and reflect on what to do next can be really helpful. If you’re looking for guidance on making your advice heard, developing your influencing skills, or building your resilience, I can help. Get in touch for a chat.