Mentor Interview: Rob Hall, Product Manager for IBM
Rob was an excellent resource for me to talk to. He is about 5 years ahead of me in his life plans and it was good to talk to a BYU-Idaho graduate. He offered me solid advice and I enjoyed learning from his story and experience.
What do you currently do?
I currently reside in Columbus, OH. I worked for Sterling Commerce which was acquired by IBM, which is who I currently work for. I own P&L (profit and loss) responsibilities for 2 software product lines. I’ve got to be involved in both finance and marketing.
Why did you choose business marketing?
In my undergrad, my emphasis was in finance. My idea of marketing at the time was advertising, which isn’t what I was really interested in. Would I go back and major in marketing rather than finance? I wouldn’t change a thing. I think it was easier for me to learn marketing out on the job rather than in undergrad. I love marketing though, and plan on furthering my marketing skills when I get my MBA.
How did you get to where you are at today?
Aside from wanting to play professional baseball, I wanted to go Pre-Med. Then I started taking the classes for Pre-Med and found out it wasn’t for me. My dad is an accountant and I have two uncles that have been very successful in business. And I’ve always had a knack for business. I did an internship at Wells Fargo in my undergrad doing foreign exchange. I graduated from BYU-I Spring 2008, which is when the Bear Stearns market tanked, so there wasn’t a lot of finance jobs out there. I ended up finding my job at the BYU Career Fair in Provo.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m currently trying to get into a program right now for an MBA, either in Chicago or in Cambridge (England). For my MBA, I’m going to focus on marketing and strategy. My uncle did accounting in undergrad and marketing at Harvard. He works for corporate Wal-Mart and manages an entire section of their stores.
Ultimately I want to do management consulting. After I get my MBA I want to work for a personal electronics company. So something like a T.V., cell phone, a mouse, or a computer. I feel like I relate better to the consumer than an engineer.
Any advice for me?
My advice for you would be to get involved in leadership positions. I can’t stress leadership enough. Get involved in something. Anything! They have a lot of opportunities for service and leadership on campus.
GMAT: 690 or above.
For me, I think it's easier to be taught marketing/sales on the job. I’m going back to school to get an MBA in marketing and strategy, but in undergrad, I would go finance or accounting. Supply chain is more analytical and if you’re planning on being a dentist, I don’t think you’ll want to go supply chain. I would get a good grasp on finance. But I’m biased, because I was a finance major.
If you’re thinking about an MBA, most top schools don’t accept recent graduates. They want you to have at least 3 to 5 years of experience in the business world. Most of what I’ve learned wasn’t at school. I got my foundation at BYU-Idaho which allowed me to enter the market, but most of what I’ve learned has been hands on since I’ve graduated.
What do you currently do?
I currently reside in Columbus, OH. I worked for Sterling Commerce which was acquired by IBM, which is who I currently work for. I own P&L (profit and loss) responsibilities for 2 software product lines. I’ve got to be involved in both finance and marketing.
Why did you choose business marketing?
In my undergrad, my emphasis was in finance. My idea of marketing at the time was advertising, which isn’t what I was really interested in. Would I go back and major in marketing rather than finance? I wouldn’t change a thing. I think it was easier for me to learn marketing out on the job rather than in undergrad. I love marketing though, and plan on furthering my marketing skills when I get my MBA.
How did you get to where you are at today?
Aside from wanting to play professional baseball, I wanted to go Pre-Med. Then I started taking the classes for Pre-Med and found out it wasn’t for me. My dad is an accountant and I have two uncles that have been very successful in business. And I’ve always had a knack for business. I did an internship at Wells Fargo in my undergrad doing foreign exchange. I graduated from BYU-I Spring 2008, which is when the Bear Stearns market tanked, so there wasn’t a lot of finance jobs out there. I ended up finding my job at the BYU Career Fair in Provo.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m currently trying to get into a program right now for an MBA, either in Chicago or in Cambridge (England). For my MBA, I’m going to focus on marketing and strategy. My uncle did accounting in undergrad and marketing at Harvard. He works for corporate Wal-Mart and manages an entire section of their stores.
Ultimately I want to do management consulting. After I get my MBA I want to work for a personal electronics company. So something like a T.V., cell phone, a mouse, or a computer. I feel like I relate better to the consumer than an engineer.
Any advice for me?
My advice for you would be to get involved in leadership positions. I can’t stress leadership enough. Get involved in something. Anything! They have a lot of opportunities for service and leadership on campus.
GMAT: 690 or above.
For me, I think it's easier to be taught marketing/sales on the job. I’m going back to school to get an MBA in marketing and strategy, but in undergrad, I would go finance or accounting. Supply chain is more analytical and if you’re planning on being a dentist, I don’t think you’ll want to go supply chain. I would get a good grasp on finance. But I’m biased, because I was a finance major.
If you’re thinking about an MBA, most top schools don’t accept recent graduates. They want you to have at least 3 to 5 years of experience in the business world. Most of what I’ve learned wasn’t at school. I got my foundation at BYU-Idaho which allowed me to enter the market, but most of what I’ve learned has been hands on since I’ve graduated.
Marketing Today
What is the role of marketing in a typical business?
Here's one of my favorite explanations: "The role of the marketer is to anticipate the public's needs and position the organization to satisfy those needs. In this way, marketing is the necessary link between an organization and its target audience. Marketing appeals to creative thinkers as well as numbers-minded statisticians. A career in marketing requires a sharp, analytical mind; strong oral and written communication skills, and a keen interest in business and consumer behavior." http://marriottschool.byu.edu/bsmgt/emphasis/marketing
Brother Eagar's explanation was good as well: "Here's what the customer wants, what are we going to do to meet the customer's wants, and how are we going to tell them about it?"
Marketing Careers
1. Corporate Marketing (Chief Marketing Officer)
2. Brand Manager
3. Market Research
4. Public Relations
5. Marketing Director
6. Sales
Key Marketing Terms
4 p's of marketing: Product, Price, Promotion, Place.
Target market: a group of customers that marketing efforts are aimed towards.
Product mix: The products your company offers to target markets.
Promotion mix: represents all of the methods of communication that a marketer may use to provide information to different parties about the product.
Segmentation: Breaking the consumers wants up on a measurable scale, such as high-technology, or low-price.
Positioning: Where a company positions it's product on a conceptual segment map.
Integrated Marketing Communication: an approach to brand communications where the different modes work together to create a seamless experience for the customer and are presented with a similar tone and style that reinforces the brand’s core message. Its goal is to make all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, personal selling, online communications and social media work together as a unified force, rather than permitting each to work in isolation, which maximizes their cost effectiveness.
Price Skimming: Marketing sets a high price for a product at first, then lowers it incrementally so everyone will buy the product at which they feel a good price is being offered. This helps maximize profits.
Brand Equity: Describes the value of having a well known brand name. A recognized brand name, with positive experiences associated with that brand name, helps sell products.
References
http://marriottschool.byu.edu/bsmgt/emphasis/marketing, http://marketing.about.com/od/careersinmarketing/u/marketingcareers.htm, www.wikipedia.org
Here's one of my favorite explanations: "The role of the marketer is to anticipate the public's needs and position the organization to satisfy those needs. In this way, marketing is the necessary link between an organization and its target audience. Marketing appeals to creative thinkers as well as numbers-minded statisticians. A career in marketing requires a sharp, analytical mind; strong oral and written communication skills, and a keen interest in business and consumer behavior." http://marriottschool.byu.edu/bsmgt/emphasis/marketing
Brother Eagar's explanation was good as well: "Here's what the customer wants, what are we going to do to meet the customer's wants, and how are we going to tell them about it?"
Marketing Careers
1. Corporate Marketing (Chief Marketing Officer)
2. Brand Manager
3. Market Research
4. Public Relations
5. Marketing Director
6. Sales
Key Marketing Terms
4 p's of marketing: Product, Price, Promotion, Place.
Target market: a group of customers that marketing efforts are aimed towards.
Product mix: The products your company offers to target markets.
Promotion mix: represents all of the methods of communication that a marketer may use to provide information to different parties about the product.
Segmentation: Breaking the consumers wants up on a measurable scale, such as high-technology, or low-price.
Positioning: Where a company positions it's product on a conceptual segment map.
Integrated Marketing Communication: an approach to brand communications where the different modes work together to create a seamless experience for the customer and are presented with a similar tone and style that reinforces the brand’s core message. Its goal is to make all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, personal selling, online communications and social media work together as a unified force, rather than permitting each to work in isolation, which maximizes their cost effectiveness.
Price Skimming: Marketing sets a high price for a product at first, then lowers it incrementally so everyone will buy the product at which they feel a good price is being offered. This helps maximize profits.
Brand Equity: Describes the value of having a well known brand name. A recognized brand name, with positive experiences associated with that brand name, helps sell products.
References
http://marriottschool.byu.edu/bsmgt/emphasis/marketing, http://marketing.about.com/od/careersinmarketing/u/marketingcareers.htm, www.wikipedia.org