Marketers are often portrayed as jacks of all trades—connecting people, business, and ideas into a unified goal, whether it’s a campaign, a new product launch, or a business objective. They swoop in like superheroes, capes fluttering (any color will do), ready to save the day. And, of course, they announce it all over LinkedIn.

Amazing people. 360-degree thinkers. Through-the-line strategists. Topline to bottom-line visionaries. Immersive, social-first, purpose-led storytellers. Living la vida loca. They eat Byron Sharp for breakfast, own signed copies of Les Binet’s books, have a cousin who lives next door to Rory Sutherland, and appear in every marketing award photo.

But here’s the truth: no one is good at everything. At best, you should hope to be amazing at one thing. And even that is daunting enough.

Yet, many marketers struggle with something far more practical—navigating the corporate swamp. Because while marketing parties are great, most companies care about results. Making the leap from polished PowerPoint decks to hard business realities is a different game entirely. On slides, everything makes sense—some extra arrows reinforce the point, and there’s a beautifully gradiented timeline to drive it home. But now what?

From ‘Why’ to ‘What’

Simon Sinek taught us to start with Why, but at some point, you have to tackle the What. And that What has many angles. That’s where you need to call in the troops.

Great marketers aren’t just sitting behind their desks; they’re out there, connecting with the organization. Not just gathering insights, but actually getting to know the people who make things happen. People who are great at what they do. People who complement what you do. Who turn obstacles into momentum.

I’m talking about controllers, trade marketing coordinators, executive assistants, payroll administrators, legal counsels, and the shipping and receiving desk. This list is far from exhaustive.

If you don’t know something, go and ask. Step over your own shadow. Bring a legal counsel into a branding discussion—you might be surprised by the perspective they offer. The point is: other people are great at their jobs, too. And tapping into that expertise is what makes a marketer truly effective.

So next time you’re stuck, walk over to someone and start your sentence with: I’d like to ask for your help.

Not only will you get better results, but you’ll become a better marketer—one who knows that real impact comes from working with others, not just presenting ideas to them.