Undertake and Inspire: Clara Franco rocked AmplificaCast!
In this episode number 43, we delve into the world of entrepreneurship and female leadership with Clara Franco. Our interviewee is a respected leader in B2B marketing and shared valuable insights into her journey and successful strategies.
Clara has been a professor at Fundação Getúlio Vargas for 15 years and marketing director at Engine Brasil, which is a business management consultancy, an SAP partner, specialized in solutions that combine technology, business and innovation to transform its clients into intelligent companies using management practices world-class solutions that enable better maturity in management, competitiveness and governance.
Furthermore, Clara is an entrepreneurial woman, founder of Business Concièrge, a marketing consultancy company in planning, developing and executing strategies, positioning your brands in the market and inserting B2B businesses in the digital world.
During the interview, Clara spoke about the importance of objectivity and agility in the corporate world. She emphasized that being objective is a challenge, but crucial to standing out in a competitive market.
Clara is also a member of a group of more than 1000 women counselors, led by Andreia Manzano. This group provides an environment for exchanging experiences and developing effective presentation skills, something that Clara highlighted as essential for networking and professional meetings.
One of the highlights of the conversation was his ability to introduce himself in 30 seconds. Clara shared practical tips for creating an effective presentation, focusing on key points and keeping the message clear and concise.
Another point addressed was the importance of customer experience. Clara highlighted how responding quickly to customer needs can increase brand trust and strengthen customer relationships.
Career in Communication and Marketing
When talking about her early career, Clara shared how she chose communications and marketing as her path. She emphasized the importance of her initial experience at a five-star hotel in Goiânia, where she learned the importance of objectivity and excellence in customer service.
Clara Franco is an entrepreneur who has followed a path marked by changes and challenges. Her journey began in São Paulo, passed through Goiânia, Fortaleza and returned to São Paulo, where she established herself as a respected leader in B2B marketing.
During her professional career, Clara accumulated diverse experiences, from working on television to working in marketing. In a professional turnaround, she found herself faced with the opportunity to move to São Paulo, something she was initially reluctant to do, but which turned out to be a crucial decision for her growth.
With a clear career plan in mind, Clara invested in her education, completing a master's degree while working. She highlights the importance of developing not only technical skills, but also interpersonal skills, so-called soft skills, which are essential to stand out in a competitive market.
Furthermore, Clara shares how she balanced professional demands with her personal life, highlighting the importance of having a partner who shares the same goals and supports your ambitions.
The importance of Soft Skills in the modern job market
In today's world, the job market values not only technical skills, but also interpersonal skills known as soft skills. These skills are essential for professional success, as they complement technical skills and allow professionals to stand out in an increasingly competitive environment.
Previously, technical skills were the main focus in the selection of professionals. However, with the evolution of the market and the demands of companies, soft skills have gained prominence. Nowadays, companies are looking for professionals who not only have technical knowledge, but who are also able to communicate effectively, work as a team, solve problems creatively and adapt to changes quickly.
Soft skills are important because they help build solid relationships in the workplace, facilitating collaboration and problem-solving as a team. Furthermore, these skills are essential for dealing with stress and pressure situations, maintaining productivity and quality of work.
To acquire soft skills, it is important to practice empathy, effective communication, conflict resolution and creative thinking. Participating in extracurricular activities, such as volunteering, team sports, or study groups, can help develop these skills. Furthermore, seeking constant feedback and being open to learning from others are also useful practices for developing soft skills.
Overall, soft skills are fundamental to success in today's job market. Professionals who invest in developing these skills have a significant competitive advantage, as they are able to adapt to market changes, collaborate effectively with co-workers and clients, and face challenges with confidence and resilience. Therefore, dedicating time and effort to developing your soft skills is a valuable investment in your professional career.
Work-life balance and the challenges of structuring marketing departments
Clara Franco addresses a crucial aspect of work-life balance: managing time and priorities. She highlights the importance of setting clear goals and dedicating yourself to achieving them, even in the face of challenges and exhaustion that may arise. Clara emphasizes that finding balance is an individual journey, as each person has different demands and responsibilities.
For her, the issue goes beyond simply managing time; It’s also about taking care of your mental and physical health. Clara mentions that, although she works long hours a day, she tries to balance her schedule to reserve moments of relaxation and disconnection. She recognizes the challenge of disconnecting in a world where technology allows for instant communication, but highlights the importance of setting healthy boundaries.
Throughout her career, Clara dedicated herself to structuring marketing departments in several companies. She highlights the importance of understanding not only soft skills, but also technology and market trends. Clara emphasizes that marketing is a medium and long-term construction, and that it is essential to have a qualified team and a business culture that values the work of the marketing department.
The challenges faced by Clara when structuring marketing departments are diverse. It highlights the need for infrastructure, budget and trained personnel, in addition to the importance of facing internal resistance and promoting an organizational culture that values marketing as an essential part of the business.
Throughout her career, Clara has always taken responsibility for what she needed to deliver, showing herself committed to the established objectives. She highlights the importance of always searching for knowledge and improvement, highlighting the need to constantly adapt to market changes and challenges.
Fundamental strategies for success in Marketing and Sales
Clara Franco highlights the importance of solid strategic planning as a fundamental tool to ensure the success of your marketing actions. She highlights that, by documenting the plan, it is possible to establish clear investment and return goals, which avoids unrealistic expectations and misalignment between teams.
Business culture is another critical point mentioned by Clara. She notes that, often, a lack of understanding about the role of marketing and the importance of the work carried out can be a significant barrier. Furthermore, choosing the right professionals for each role is essential. Clara highlights the importance of having teams that share the purpose of the company and the marketing area, as this can directly impact the results obtained.
The integration between marketing and sales areas is a recurring topic in the conversation. Clara emphasizes that this integration should not be just a phrase, but a real practice within companies. She highlights that sales teams have a more immediate and short-term focus, while marketing works with a longer and more strategic horizon. The integration of these views is essential to ensure that marketing strategies generate effective sales results.
In the academic sphere, Clara highlights the importance of exchanging experiences between teachers and students. She emphasizes that the role of the teacher has changed, and now he learns together with the students, exchanging experiences and insights. This collaborative approach enriches classes and allows students to apply knowledge in the context of their own businesses.
In this excerpt, Clara leaves a message about the importance of innovation to remain relevant in the market. She highlights the need to be open to innovation, seeking updates in both practice and theory. For Clara, this openness to innovation is essential to keep up with rapid market changes and ensure long-term professional success.
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Paths to professional success: good relationships, communication and values
Clara Franco, in this interview, highlights the importance of developing solid relationships both inside and outside the company. She emphasizes the need to seek connections with people who are at the same level of experience to ensure a meaningful exchange and mutual learning. Participating in groups with common interests, such as the group of counselors she is part of, is a practice she values to strengthen these connections.
Clara's experience also led her to deal with gender issues in the professional environment. She recognizes that although she has faced challenging comments and situations, she has never allowed it to stop her from following her plans and goals. Her focus has always been to plan, keep her commitment and move forward, regardless of adversity.
When asked about her motivation, Clara highlights her intrinsically motivated nature. She highlights her energy and enthusiasm in seeking results and implementing ideas, even on days when she wakes up tired. Her passion for making things happen and seeking the best in situations is a fundamental aspect of her personality.
In addition to her individual achievements, Clara also sees herself as a source of inspiration for other women in leadership positions. She feels fulfilled in helping and guiding those who are open to receiving guidance, whether inside or outside the company. Her role as a teacher and mentor is a natural extension of her desire to help others reach their full potential.
NON-NEGOTIABLE VALUES
When evaluating professionals, Clara mainly values values, transparency and the desire to learn. She highlights the importance of solid values as a basis for developing technical skills. Her approach to new hires reflects her commitment to building engaged teams committed to the company's culture and goals.
In the current context of hybrid work, Clara faces challenges in relation to communication and understanding employees' emotions. She emphasizes the importance of feedback meetings to maintain clear and effective communication, especially in a remote work environment.
In summary, Clara Franco highlights the importance of solid relationships, effective communication and solid values as fundamental to professional success. Her values-centered approach and willingness to learn and adapt reflect her commitment to achieving excellence in her career and inspiring others to do the same.
It is essential to maintain commitment and punctuality in the era of remote work
In the world of remote work, communication and connection are key. Clara Franco shares her vision on the importance of getting closer, even from a distance. She highlights the need to turn on the camera during meetings with clients, as a minimal gesture of respect and preparation for the meeting. For Clara, it is essential to maintain commitment and punctuality, not failing to comply with what was agreed, whether in person or virtually.
Clara also emphasizes the need to prepare and demonstrate readiness, mentioning professionals who, even in online meetings, are always ready a few minutes early, with a camera on and active participation. She believes that a productive meeting is one that is objective and results in clear actions to be taken after the meeting.
The interviewee also addresses the reality of businesspeople who end up accumulating many problems, as they are the company's front line. She highlights the importance of sharing problems with the team, citing an example of an entrepreneur who faced significant challenges and achieved greater engagement by sharing difficulties and seeking solutions together.
In a world where people seem to be in “other companies”, even though they are in the same organization, Clara highlights the importance of transparency, trust and team engagement. She emphasizes the need to share problems, as it is in these moments that true collaboration and innovation can emerge, leading to positive results for everyone.
It is possible to maintain professional relationships that last over time
Clara Franco discusses the importance of sharing information and challenges with the team, especially after strategic meetings with directors or CEOs. It highlights the need to transmit only what is relevant and necessary to engage the team, taking into account the maturity level and role of each member.
She shares her experience in entrepreneurship, highlighting the initial challenges of leaving the corporate world to start her consultancy. Clara emphasizes the importance of relationships and experience when acting as an advisory counselor, highlighting that, although there are courses and certifications for this, experience and confidence are essential to perform this role effectively.
Additionally, Clara mentions the importance of talking to people who are in the same position or have similar experiences. She highlights the loneliness that often accompanies career advancement and the importance of maintaining professional relationships outside of work, such as with entrepreneurial friends, to exchange ideas and gain different perspectives.
Clara highlights that, even after leaving a company, it is possible to maintain professional relationships that last over time and provide valuable exchanges of knowledge. She emphasizes the importance of these connections to her entrepreneurial journey, allowing her to discuss new projects and ideas with people who have experience in specific areas, such as marketing and entrepreneurship.
Strategies planned and executed based on customer experience
Clara Franco shares a series of experiences experienced by her clients, who come to her for help in various situations, from operational issues to strategic challenges, such as losing money in Google Ads campaigns. She highlights the importance of professional positioning and building a solid brand in the market, highlighting that disseminating knowledge is a powerful tool to reach both those who have already worked with you and those who do not yet know you.
For Clara, the perception of value that clients have is essential for them to return in search of new projects. It emphasizes trust and the perception of value as essential aspects for building a solid brand in the market. Furthermore, Clara highlights the importance of testimonials of success, that is, positive testimonials from customers, as an effective way of building trust and credibility.
She also addresses the importance of balance between digital and traditional marketing, highlighting that digital marketing did not come to replace, but rather to complement, traditional marketing. Clara believes in maximum exploitation of available tools, integrating the physical world with the digital and in-depth knowledge of the market, competition and customer profile to obtain assertive results.
For her, current technology offers resources that help achieve these objectives, but it is essential to have a well-targeted strategy and in-depth knowledge of the target audience to avoid wasting resources and achieve significant results. She highlights that executives are often so focused on obtaining immediate results that they end up neglecting brand building, which can be harmful in the long term.
Staying up to date and connected with other professionals
Clara also discusses the importance of staying up to date and connected with other people in the market, whether through courses, certifications or simply exchanging experiences with colleagues and friends. She highlights that, as you advance in your career, it is natural to feel more lonely, as the challenges and problems faced are different from those faced by other professionals. Therefore, it is essential to maintain these connections to exchange ideas and seek advice when necessary.
When it comes to building a solid business brand, Clara emphasizes the importance of positioning yourself as an expert in your field, demonstrating knowledge and competence. She highlights that, for many people, building a personal brand is directly linked to disseminating knowledge and demonstrating competence, both for those who have already had the opportunity to work with you and for those who don't know you yet.
Building the future of B2B marketing: Lessons learned from this episode with Clara Franco
Throughout this enlightening interview, Clara Franco took us through a fascinating universe, revealing the intricate challenges and strategies of B2B marketing. With a solid career full of enriching experiences, Clara shared with us not only her views on the market, but also her personal reflections on the evolution of marketing and technology.
One of the main messages that Clara left us is the importance of personalized and accurate marketing in the current business context. She highlighted the need to deeply understand the market, competition and customer profile to be assertive in marketing strategies. This focus on detailed knowledge of the target audience is essential for success in B2B marketing, where each company and each decision is unique and requires specific approaches.
Furthermore, Clara warned us about the need to humanize B2B marketing, reminding us that, behind every corporate decision, there is a person. This humanized approach not only strengthens customer relationships, but also contributes to building a solid and trustworthy brand.
Another crucial point addressed by Clara was the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in current marketing. She highlighted the importance of adopting AI not just for the sake of adopting it, but as part of a differentiated and proprietary strategy for the company. AI, when used well, can not only improve the efficiency of marketing operations but also create a sustainable competitive differentiator.
The importance of reading and education
In the field of continuing education, Clara shared with us some of the books that have guided her professional journey. Among them, “Customer Obsession”, by Amazon, and “The Second Brain”, which she is starting to read. Additionally, she recommended the book “Competition,” an old but still relevant concept that explores the roles and dynamics of B2B sales.
To conclude, Clara Franco left us with an inspiring message about the importance of continuing to learn and adapt to market changes. Your passion for B2B marketing and your dedication to continuous improvement are an example for all of us who strive for excellence in our careers. Watch the full interview on the official channel Amplifica Digital on Youtube and delve deeply into Clara Franco's teachings about the universe of B2B marketing!
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