Why Cross-Industry Expertise Could Be Exactly What Your Business Needs
For CEOs and leaders of B2B companies, the decision to hire a marketing firm can be fraught with uncertainty. You may feel cautious, skeptical, or even outright resistant to the idea, particularly if the firm doesn’t have direct experience in your specific industry. The stakes are high, and making the wrong choice could waste time and resources—or worse, fail to deliver results. It’s a valid concern. But is industry-specific experience the make-or-break factor it seems to be?
In this blog, we’ll explore this question by acknowledging the underlying apprehensions and offering a broader perspective. We’ll explain why a firm without direct industry experience could still be your best choice, and in many cases, bring advantages you might not expect.
Empathizing with Your Concern: The Comfort of Familiarity
It’s natural to feel reassured by a firm that knows your industry inside and out. Familiarity implies a shorter learning curve, quicker onboarding, and a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities unique to your market. If a firm has worked with your competitors or peers, it’s easy to assume they can replicate that success for your business. These are reasonable assumptions—but they don’t tell the whole story.
Hiring a firm based solely on industry experience can limit your options in ways you might not immediately recognize. To make an informed decision, it’s worth considering the broader context of marketing expertise and the value of diverse perspectives.
The Power of Cross-Industry Expertise
Marketing is, at its core, the discipline of understanding markets, crafting strategies, and reaching audiences effectively. These foundational principles remain consistent across industries, much like other professional disciplines. For instance, sales is sales. A great salesperson knows how to build relationships, understand customer needs, and close deals—whether they’re selling software, manufacturing equipment, or consulting services. Similarly, accounting is accounting. While there are nuances in tax laws or reporting standards by industry, the core discipline of managing financial records and ensuring compliance applies universally.
Marketing is no different. A firm with experience across multiple sectors brings:
- Fresh Perspectives: A marketing firm that has worked in various industries can draw on a wealth of insights and approaches that your competitors may never have considered. Industries often face similar challenges—whether it’s lead generation, positioning, shifting regulations, market changes, increased competition, or customer engagement—but the solutions vary. Applying innovative processes from outside your niche could be the differentiator your company needs. As highlighted in Marketing Week, hiring marketers with cross-industry expertise can bring fresh ideas and challenge conventional thinking, helping businesses stand apart from their competitors. Industries often face similar challenges but the solutions vary. Applying innovative tactics from outside your niche could be the differentiator your company needs.
- Strategic Flexibility: Firms with diverse experience are adept at adapting to different business models and target audiences. They know how to conduct thorough market research, uncover unique selling points, and develop strategies tailored to your goals.
- Avoidance of Cookie-Cutter Solutions: Industry-specific firms may rely on standardized approaches, assuming what worked for one company will work for another. This can lead to generic programs that fail to reflect the nuances of your business. A firm without direct industry experience is less likely to fall into this trap; they’ll approach your company with curiosity and create a truly bespoke strategy.
Transferable Skills and Insights
While direct industry experience is one way to assess a firm’s suitability, transferable skills often hold greater value. Consider these examples:
- Sales Channels: If your business relies on requests for proposals (RFPs) or sells primarily to government entities, you’d benefit from a firm that understands these sales processes. Whether they gained this knowledge in your industry or another, the expertise is equally relevant.
- Business Practices: A firm’s experience managing similar operational challenges—such as long sales cycles, regulatory requirements, or regional distribution networks—can provide meaningful insights, even if they haven’t worked within your niche.
- Strategic Thinking: A strong marketing partner will focus on understanding your business model, audience, and objectives before developing a plan. This strategic-first approach ensures that all recommendations align with your specific needs, regardless of the firm’s prior industry exposure.
Reframing the Definition of “Industry Experience”
Another key consideration is how you define your industry. Are you looking for a firm that understands B2B technology businesses? Or one that specializes in cybersecurity for government clients? By broadening your definition, you may find that a firm already has experience in the aspects of your industry that matter most—even if they haven’t worked with a company exactly like yours.
For instance, a firm might lack experience marketing cybersecurity software specifically but have a proven track record of marketing to government enterprises. This shared audience focus could make them more than capable of delivering results for your business.
Enthusiasm and Willingness to Learn
One often-overlooked advantage of hiring a firm without direct industry experience is their fresh enthusiasm and curiosity about your market. Firms eager to learn about a new industry often approach the relationship with open minds and an eagerness to uncover insights unique to your business. This energy can drive innovation and result in programs tailored to your needs, rather than recycled ideas from similar companies.
A great marketer thrives on learning and discovery. Their role is to immerse themselves in your company’s goals, audience, and competitive landscape. Their willingness to dig deep and truly understand what makes your business unique can outweigh the comfort of hiring a firm that already knows your industry.
Addressing Risk: How to Mitigate Uncertainty
If the idea of hiring a firm without direct industry experience still feels risky, there are ways to mitigate this concern. Look for firms that offer short-term engagements, such as audits or pilot programs. These initiatives provide a low-commitment opportunity to:
- Evaluate the firm’s strategic thinking and creativity.
- Assess their ability to understand your business and market.
- Gain actionable insights without a long-term contract.
Such programs give you a glimpse of what it’s like to work with the firm and whether their approach aligns with your expectations.
Why Marketing Expertise Matters More Than Industry Familiarity
At the heart of effective marketing lies the ability to uncover what makes a company unique and to communicate that in a way that resonates with the target audience. A great marketing firm thrives on learning, discovery, and creativity. Their passion is in building strategies that are as distinctive as the businesses they serve.
By focusing on strategic expertise and a willingness to tailor solutions to your needs, you can find a partner who will help your business stand out—regardless of whether they’ve worked in your industry before.
Your Next Steps
As a leader, your concerns about hiring the wrong marketing partner are valid. The stakes are high, and choosing a firm without direct industry experience might feel like an unnecessary gamble. However, by broadening your perspective, you’ll see the potential advantages of working with a firm that brings fresh ideas, transferable skills, and a strategy-first mindset.
Rather than focusing exclusively on industry experience, ask potential partners questions like:
- How do you approach developing marketing strategies for a new industry?
- What insights from other industries could you bring to our business?
- How would you tailor your approach to meet our specific needs?
These conversations can reveal whether a firm truly understands your business and has the creativity and expertise to help it grow. With the right partner, even the unfamiliar can become an opportunity for innovation and success.
Jen Kelly leads New Initiatives Marketing, Inc., a Fractional CMO & Expert B2B Marketing Team company. Since 2009, our team of senior marketing leaders and expert marketing specialists has been helping B2B CEOs with the strategic leadership and real-world marketing execution needed for practical, long-term results.
