Its Payback Time

By now you should all know my mate Chris.
He's the guy who shows you the techniques you need to Up Your Elvis.
And know he's a genius right?
Anyway, he spends his time helping great companies (and individuals) shine a little more brightly.
Wherever he goes, he dedicates himself to helping people achieve their true potential.
So here's my chance for a little karmic payback.
He's currently taking part in a competition run by Oprah Winfrey.
The prize is to create your own TV show.
I figure all the people that Chris has inspired, engaged and developed over the years might want to repay the favour.
Even if Chris hasn't touched you yet
Stop it!
Getting him his own show will allow him get his inspirational message out to millions.
Its the right thing to do
So click the link below and do your bit.
Just like Chris' approach - it'll make you a better person!
Click here and vote

Show Me You Want It

Sales people get a tough rap.
We’re often accused of overselling.
We’re too enthusiastic.
Overzealous.
Ultra keen.
I say “what’s the problem?”
The other option is to be the guy who undersells.
You know him.
He’s the master of understatement.
Everything is underplayed, from the scope of the brief to the capabilities of the team.
He’s embarrassed about appearing too enthusiastic.
It’s not cool to be seen shouting from the rooftops.
But that’s how our clients feel.
And it’s how they want us to be feeling too.
If we’re uncomfortable with being passionate about the project, they’ll find someone who’s on their side.
If it feels cheesy or fake, you need to try harder.
Otherwise, you might as well gift-wrap the brief and send it to the competition.

I'm Just A Giver.....

Quiet at the back – stop sniggering.
There’s a serious point to be made here.
Maybe it’s all the time we spend telling our clients to think about their audiences.
The first rule is always “What’s in it for me?”
Unfortunately, we start thinking like that too.
So we stop giving, and spend all our time expecting to ‘get’ instead.
And then we wonder why we don’t.
There’s a reason why they say one good turn deserves another.
Put good things out there and the reciprocity will take care of itself.
Call it karma if you like.
What comes around goes around.
Sorry, that’ll be the cliché police at the door.

Agencies ...We're All Agents Aren't We?

When you have a child in the entertainment industry, agents become a major part of your day-to-day life.
And it's fair to say, they have a pretty bad reputation.
Just look at shows like Entourage.
Ari Gold is a self-descibed super agent - he's aggressive, abrasive and offensive.
But strangely, he's also the most popular character on the show.
I think I understand why.
A good agent doesn't have to be a nice guy.
He doesn't have to mind his Ps and Qs.
He doesn't have to smile at everyone in the office.
His job, his only job, is to be passionate about, and committed to, the talent he's representing.
Because they could be the most amazing performer in the world, but if no-one knows they're there, it's all worthless.
The agent is out there talking them up, selling them in and building bridges.
At times it's a thankless task.
But it's worth it when the talent wins the role of a lifetime.
That big chance to show the world what they're capable of.
The agent already knows.

You Got To Have Fai- Fai- Fai- Fai- Faith

It's one of the first sporting rules you ever learn.
You're four or five and it's your very first school sports day.
Mum and dad are there in the crowd trying to look interested.
You're all psyched up to run faster than the wind.
And your teacher leans in with some helpful advice.
"Focus on the finishing line.
Don't look around at what the others are doing."
Wise words.
So why is it that we're so keen to forget such an essential life lesson?
Our only goal is to keep doing the thing that we do.
The moment we start worry about what everyone else is doing,
our pace slackens and we lose the race.
Let the others worry about what they're doing.
Stay focused on the things that make you great.
Keep your eye on the finish line, not the competition.
You may not always win, but you'll know that you've done your best.

Hold The Mustard

My first experience of work was as a “Saturday boy” in Selfridges in Oxford Street at the time part of the Sears.
The person at the top of that business empire was Sir Charles Clore, one of Britain's most successful post-war businessmen and philanthropists.
Check him out.
In the way that my life has always been, I met him on several occasions and he was a truly inspirational person - one of those rare people who can influence you throughout your life.
Quick story
One Saturday he strolled through the department in which I was working and stopped for his favourite salt beef sandwich, I served his sandwich and he called for the department manger to pass the time of day.
He mentioned en passant that if we created a square rye bread, rather than the traditional oval, we would have less waste and a “neater” sandwich.
Needless to say on his departure a phalanx of underlings gathered instructions were issued and the Selfridges Bakery were briefed to develop a square rye bread.
A few months and many trials later a perfect square rye bread was now in situ.
Mr Clore again, he strolled through the store, again stopped for his salt beef sandwich, on seeing what was on his plate, gestured for the manager to ask him what this square abomination was.
“Rye bread is oval some traditions should not be changed” he said.
Needless to say the next day the oval bread was back in place.
Moral of the story; if we always do everything our boss asks we would lose our jobs.

Praise Indeed

Being in sales and marketing is a little like leading an army.
You may be the one bringing in the opportunities
Stirring up the energy in the agency
But it’s a team effort to deliver.
The way I see it, you have two choices.
You could take the George S Patton approach.
Terrifying and belittling all around
Or
You could take a leaf out of Catherine the Great’s book
She once said “I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly.”
Wise words.
It’s a rewarding feeling to recognise the contribution that everyone makes.
Give them your honest and sincere appreciation.
Rather than looking for mistakes, try to catch people doing something right and acknowledge them for it.
Celebrate other people’s victories.
And try to find a dozen different ways to compliment, congratulate and appreciate someone else’s work.
They’re not the only ones who’ll be richer for it.

We We We All The Way Home

Here’s a shocker
I treat people like people.
They’re not targets.
They’re not clients.
They’re not human capital.
They’re not pawns, players or prospects.
They’re just people.
They have real desires, fears and hopes.
They wish, worry and dream.
Just like you.
Once you try to define them, you negate the most important thing about them.
It’s not about us and them.
It’s we.

Blinded By The Light

Sometimes it’s really hard to stay positive.
Don’t worry, that’s not a cry for help, just an observation.
Because I’m so used to hearing negativity around me.
It doesn’t matter how good things are,
there’s always something to complain about.
The brief is great, but there’s no budget.
The client is lovely, but there are five other agencies.
We did our best, but it’s hard to tell.
It looks good but maybe they are trawling for ideas.
It would be a lot easier without the clients
Wouldn’t it?
It tough to keep putting yourself out there
Risk the rejection
Facing the fact that you sometimes lose
At the risk of sounding like a Disney sidekick, try and be the positive one.
You know who I mean – they brighten every room they enter, and every conversation they join.
Negativity is like fly tipping.
As soon as one person dumps their rubbish, everyone else piles in and does the same.
Before you know it, there’s a great big pile of garbage.
If you want to be remembered positively, remember to be positive.

Taking One For The Team

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.

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.

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.
 
 
 
 

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.

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.

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.

There are many ways to lose

But only one way to win