Sunny greetings from KSA.
That's the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to you.
Where it's 120 degrees...and there is no shade
A couple of things I wanted to share with you.
I'm happy to say that I've just been part of a huge integrated pitch.
Even better - it went really well.
I'm sure, by now, that you know I believe that integration is the way forward.
Pitches of the not-too-distant future are all going to be integrated.
If you think pitches are tiring to deliver, you should try sitting through a few of them, back-to-back.
So it's no wonder that clients are looking to consolidate.
It makes sense to put all their golden eggs in one basket.
The reward for us is that bigger pitches generally mean bigger projects.
And that's good news for everyone.
As for today, it was a great pitch team with nine guys from five countries.
We all came to do our thing individually, and ended up doing one thing together.
Magical.
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Monday, 7 June 2010
Fake Off
When I look back at the 80s and 90s,
I think of them as the era of the blagger.
(and didn't I do well...)
You had movies like Working Girl and The Secret Of My Success which exemplified the mood.
It didn’t matter if you were making it up as you went along.
You could start in the post-room on Monday and be sitting around the boardroom table before the weekend.
Luck, confidence and a healthy dose of BS was all it took to make it to the top.
I’m not sure how true those idealised movies were, but one thing’s for sure,
they’ve never felt more dated or inauthentic.
People are smarter today than they’ve ever been.
And they work harder, for longer.
You’ve got to put in the hours, and be willing to try harder than everyone else in the room.
Blagging aside, I’m still a great believer in presenting the elevated version of yourself.
Dress like the person you aspire to be.
Talk like the people you want to win over.
Act like you’ve already reached the top.
That way, when you finally get there, the transition will appear seamless.
Commit here and now.
Stop fibbing about the person you are.
Focus on the truth of who you plan to be.
There’s a big difference.
And if you need me, you’ll find me in the mail room.
I think of them as the era of the blagger.
(and didn't I do well...)
You had movies like Working Girl and The Secret Of My Success which exemplified the mood.
It didn’t matter if you were making it up as you went along.
You could start in the post-room on Monday and be sitting around the boardroom table before the weekend.
Luck, confidence and a healthy dose of BS was all it took to make it to the top.
I’m not sure how true those idealised movies were, but one thing’s for sure,
they’ve never felt more dated or inauthentic.
People are smarter today than they’ve ever been.
And they work harder, for longer.
You’ve got to put in the hours, and be willing to try harder than everyone else in the room.
Blagging aside, I’m still a great believer in presenting the elevated version of yourself.
Dress like the person you aspire to be.
Talk like the people you want to win over.
Act like you’ve already reached the top.
That way, when you finally get there, the transition will appear seamless.
Commit here and now.
Stop fibbing about the person you are.
Focus on the truth of who you plan to be.
There’s a big difference.
And if you need me, you’ll find me in the mail room.
Friday, 4 June 2010
Rules Of The Game
We all love freebies.
Whether it’s a product sample in the supermarket, a month’s free trial of an online service, or a free gift with purchase.
It’s a chance to try something out and see if there’s a place for it in our lives.
So why are we so surprised that clients have the same mentality?
Selecting an agency is a major undertaking.
We shouldn’t hold it against them that they want to take us for a ‘no obligation’ test drive first.
The hungrier we are, the more impressed they’ll be.
When you’ve got a great offering, you should be proud to give a little ‘show and tell’.
If nothing else, it’s a chance to show off.
And who doesn’t love that?
Ultimately, if you’re not prepared to play, you can’t expect to win the game.
It’s your choice.
And a funny old game.
Whether it’s a product sample in the supermarket, a month’s free trial of an online service, or a free gift with purchase.
It’s a chance to try something out and see if there’s a place for it in our lives.
So why are we so surprised that clients have the same mentality?
Selecting an agency is a major undertaking.
We shouldn’t hold it against them that they want to take us for a ‘no obligation’ test drive first.
The hungrier we are, the more impressed they’ll be.
When you’ve got a great offering, you should be proud to give a little ‘show and tell’.
If nothing else, it’s a chance to show off.
And who doesn’t love that?
Ultimately, if you’re not prepared to play, you can’t expect to win the game.
It’s your choice.
And a funny old game.
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Hmmm...
Cast your eyes right - I've added a tagcloud to the blog.
I know, fascinating.
It's a great visualisation of all the things I've been thinking about
over the last week.
And it got me thinking about all the words I really don't like.
Words like 'no'.
'Can't'.
'Won't'.
They usually represent the end of the road for someone who works in
sales.
After all the work you've put in, all the thought, all the effort.
Unless of course, you keep the energy going, keep the ball in play and
show you're still full of ideas.
It's about bouncing back until you win.
Because part of the winning is in the wooing.
It all comes down to knowing the right words to say.
I know, fascinating.
It's a great visualisation of all the things I've been thinking about
over the last week.
And it got me thinking about all the words I really don't like.
Words like 'no'.
'Can't'.
'Won't'.
They usually represent the end of the road for someone who works in
sales.
After all the work you've put in, all the thought, all the effort.
Unless of course, you keep the energy going, keep the ball in play and
show you're still full of ideas.
It's about bouncing back until you win.
Because part of the winning is in the wooing.
It all comes down to knowing the right words to say.
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
TMI.........
..........there's no such thing when you work in an agency.
Having spent Friday and today on a two day client briefing,
I have to admit it warms the cockles of our hearts
to see how much effort some clients are prepared to put in.
We do our fair share of heavy lifting when it comes to the response - so it's nice when everybody is that committed.
More information?
Great.
Lots of background?
Bring it on.
Useful examples?
Keep 'em coming.
We need to understand the business issues driving the project
Ultimately, we respond to business challenges not briefs.
And when it comes to TOV and POV we need to hear it from the HM.
We also need to check back with our dictionary of modern acronyms.
The more connected we are, the more engaged we'll be.
And that's how we end up with an amazing response.
Well done to all concerned.
Having spent Friday and today on a two day client briefing,
I have to admit it warms the cockles of our hearts
to see how much effort some clients are prepared to put in.
We do our fair share of heavy lifting when it comes to the response - so it's nice when everybody is that committed.
More information?
Great.
Lots of background?
Bring it on.
Useful examples?
Keep 'em coming.
We need to understand the business issues driving the project
Ultimately, we respond to business challenges not briefs.
And when it comes to TOV and POV we need to hear it from the HM.
We also need to check back with our dictionary of modern acronyms.
The more connected we are, the more engaged we'll be.
And that's how we end up with an amazing response.
Well done to all concerned.
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
Take Your Pick
There are many names for it.
It is often called the headless chicken syndrome.
Brief arrives, team gathers, lists are made.
Everyone races to their desk in a flurry of paper.
Calls are made, emails typed, brains are stormed.
Every task accomplished seems to unearth another five which still need to be done.
The workload increases exponentially.
Suddenly we’re surrounded by a bunch of trees, with no wood to be seen.
There is another way.
As with any pitch – there’s only one way to win it.
And that’s by being the best.
There’s something that you do better than anyone else.
It might be a big differentiator, or it might seem almost inconsequential.
But it’s tangible, believable and true.
That’s where you need to focus your energies.
Because that’s the difference between winning and losing.
Brief arrives, team gathers, lists are made.
Everyone races to their desk in a flurry of paper.
Calls are made, emails typed, brains are stormed.
Every task accomplished seems to unearth another five which still need to be done.
The workload increases exponentially.
Suddenly we’re surrounded by a bunch of trees, with no wood to be seen.
There is another way.
As with any pitch – there’s only one way to win it.
And that’s by being the best.
There’s something that you do better than anyone else.
It might be a big differentiator, or it might seem almost inconsequential.
But it’s tangible, believable and true.
That’s where you need to focus your energies.
Because that’s the difference between winning and losing.
There are many ways to lose
But only one way to win
Thursday, 27 May 2010
I Don’t Know Everything
Shocking, I know.
Especially coming hot on the heels of yesterday’s talk about recognising genius.
When I spoke in Stockholm last week,
I found myself fielding some pretty huge questions.
Where’s the world heading, what will happen to the economy, that sort of thing.
So what qualifies me to speak with any authority about such major issues?
Let me put that a different way – is anyone really in any position to answer those questions categorically?
Of course not.
When I ask myself what gives me the right to answer those kinds of questions, I realise that it’s the confidence to take the question in the first place.
Most open questions don’t have a right or wrong answer.
So when someone asks you a question, you’ve already done enough to earn the right to answer it.
More importantly, they’re not only looking for your answer.
They’re looking for a marker for their own beliefs and opinions
So just give them what they asked for.
Especially coming hot on the heels of yesterday’s talk about recognising genius.
When I spoke in Stockholm last week,
I found myself fielding some pretty huge questions.
Where’s the world heading, what will happen to the economy, that sort of thing.
So what qualifies me to speak with any authority about such major issues?
Let me put that a different way – is anyone really in any position to answer those questions categorically?
Of course not.
When I ask myself what gives me the right to answer those kinds of questions, I realise that it’s the confidence to take the question in the first place.
Most open questions don’t have a right or wrong answer.
So when someone asks you a question, you’ve already done enough to earn the right to answer it.
More importantly, they’re not only looking for your answer.
They’re looking for a marker for their own beliefs and opinions
So just give them what they asked for.
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