What the hell is marketing anyways? It’s certainly perceived as an expendable cost center by the current crop of finance whizzes masquerading as CEO’s. To sales people it’s just a source of collateral and leave behinds that don’t have much impact compared to their sophisticated sales tactics and carefully practiced closes. To engineers like Dilbert, it’s the home of dopes where there is a two drink minimum to get into events. But to Peter Drucker, the renowned consultant and “Father of Modern Management”, marketing is crucial to the success of the corporation. The following definition of marketing that has been attributed to Drucker says it all: “The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. [It]…is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself. Ideally, marketing should result in a customer who is ready to buy.” [Ital. added] You can’t say it any better than that. Too bad more CEO’s aren’t listening. (Source: The Definitive Drucker by Elizabeth Haas Edersheim)