So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu

Brace yourself.
Have a sit down.
Pour a stiff drink.
After four years of perspiration, dedication and cogitation, I’ve resigned from Jack Morton.
I’ll be leaving behind some good friends, great colleagues and fantastic clients.
But I’m also excited about the new opportunities that lay ahead.
Leaving a job, especially when you love it as much as I did, is always strange.
No matter how indispensable you think you are, it doesn’t take long for the waters to close over your head.
Before too long, you’re a footnote.
An anecdote.
And a scapegoat.
Expenses will be claimed in your name.
Missed opportunities will be laid at your door.
That’s just the way it goes.
At times like this, it’s important to focus on the positives.
The things you learned, the achievements you made and the friends you won.
And remember that there are plenty more where those came from.
I’ll see you on the other side

What Is Sales?

The short answer – it’s everything.
The long answer – it really is everything.
It’s the way you answer the phone.
The way you speak to your colleagues.
Seeing every opportunity to build your client sales story into everything you do.
It’s in everything you say within the business.
And everything you say outside of it.
A regular job might be 9-5.
Sales is 24-7.
It never stops.
Nor should you.

Field Marketing and Brand Experience

Something a little different today
Here is a blog I wrote for the new site FMBE
Why I'm the concrete poet, I have no idea
Click the link to enjoy .
www.fieldmarketing.com/blogs/destinations-in-fmbe

Broken Records

Stop me if you've heard this before.
Actually, don't, because I know I've been saying the same thing for four
years.
Ever since I first joined Jack Morton, I've been talking about the power of
doing, rather then telling.
For a former ad agency guy like me, it was initially a bit of stretch.
But as I parent, I guess I've always understood the power of kept promises.
I realised that you can make all kinds of promises.
But until anyone sees the quality of your work, it's just a lot of hot air.
It's true of brands.
And it's true of people.
The gift of the gab might be useful for a little while.
(Come on, I work in sales - what did you expect?)
But ultimately, it's a red herring.
It's the gift of delivery that they'll remember you for.
Time to roll up those sleeves and change your tune.
You've got some promises to keep.

When It Really Counts

Oh dear.
Someone’s feeling the squeeze.
Those budget pressures.
Resourcing issues.
Not enough time.
Hey, I feel your pain.
I get it.
I’ve been there.
But who do you think you’re helping when you stalk round the office like a bear with a sore head?
Did you really save yourself some precious time by not including a greeting in that email?
Come on now.
Time to check yourself before you wreck yourself (and everything around you).
Give a little more.
Try a little harder.
That 10-15% you keep in reserve.
Your back-up power supply.
Now’s the time to use it.
Last minute pitch?
Go for it.
Late night email?
Hit send straight away.
Want to be scowly, do it on your own time.
Feel like a rude girl?
Don’t bother.
Charm.
Personality.
Grace under fire.
That’s the key.
We’re all being asked to do more with less.
The winners will be the ones who manage to do it with a smile.

A Change Is Gonna Come

Yesterday it was all about attitude.
Today it's platitudes.
I'm like the blog version of Dr. Seuss.
(and I still don't like green eggs and ham!)
There's a great old saying: "When the pupil is ready, the teacher will
appear."
No-one can teach you anything until you're ready to learn.
So it doesn't matter what your mantra is:
"Creativity is king."
"Innovate or die."
"Yes we can."
Until you're ready to make the change, everything will stay just as it is.
It takes willing, commitment and determination.
If you're not willing to come at the problem from a new angle, you're just
sinking in a sea of platitudes.
You have to take personal responsibility for making change happen.
Otherwise, you're just another grumpy old luddite.
Ask yourself, "what am I going to do differently today?"
Then get out there and do it.
And remember - there's no 'I' in team.

Do You Have These In My Size?

We've all had the 'shoe shop experience'.
Unhelpful staff who can't be bothered to serve you.
"We've only got what's on display."
"No, I don't need to check the stock room, we haven't got any size eights."
So we buy a pair and make a mental note never to come back.
Think about that in the context of a business pitch.
If you were in charge of the budget, would you want to spend it on a team
that seems miserable?
Argumentative?
Insincere?
Of course not.
The pitching doesn't stop, even after you've won the work.
You have to put even more effort it, to show you're proud to working on the
account.
All those promises you made at pitch time - you need to keep them.
Size 12, extra wide fitting, if you're interested

Sitting In The Outside Seat.

The sad fact is, some people seem to find a perverse pleasure in making life difficult.
They always have to have their say.
No matter what the topic is, or how many people they upset by saying it.
They're like the guy on the train.
You know who he is.
He sits on the outside seat.
And makes everyone struggle past him to get to an empty seat.
You find these guys in agencies too.
For whatever reason, they choose to display their animosity towards everyone and everything.
They don't like clients.
They don't like their briefs.
They poke fun at the work.
They undermine the team.
And they need to be stopped.
At every opportunity.
It's time to remind them that any agency is only as good as its clients.
We depend on them, and we should be a little more grateful that we're able to play in their world.
You wouldn't allow someone to walk into your home a empty a rubbish bin all over your kitchen floor.
You'd be angry.
You'd shout.
You'd remonstrate.
Yes, remonstrate.
That's what you need to do about the verbal rubbish that gets dumped in your ear.
Deal with it.
And fast.

What's Up With Pitching?

I'll tell you.
In the interests of fairness, clients keep trying to level the playing field.
So they close their doors.
That means no meetings.
Sure, you can send through your questions.
But we'll need to share them with the other agencies.
Along with our answers.
All that fairness ends up making it desperately unfair.
The fact is, some agencies are just, well, better.
Just imagine...
"Hello Arlen, please come in, sit down.
Now, what's all this about a special recipe for chicken coating?
If you could just share your ideas with us, we can let the other chicken shops know what you're thinking.
You know, so they can all have the opportunity to match your pitch."
Ridiculous isn't it?
Sometimes, the clear winner is evident long before the pitch takes place.
We're all keen to run the race.
But it's not a real race if the early leader is hobbled to give everyone else a chance.

An Experience To Remember

This week I had another speaking engagement.
This time it was at the Event Production Show at the Olympia.
And, just like always, I learned a lot just by showing up.
The thing that struck me, was how much has changed in the four years
I've been at Jack Morton.
Back in the early days, my presentations about brand experiences were
received very differently.
Sure, people were engaged.
What can I say - I'm a funny guy (or so I'm told).
But the topic of my presentation was only of passing interest.
When you're up there on stage, you can tell when your audience isn't really
buying.
It's a sales thing - you learn to read people.
But something changed in the last 18 months.
Now, people sit up and take notice.
Maybe I'm a better speaker than I was.
Perhaps the refined content makes my position clearer.
To be honest though, I think those things are incidental.
We know the trading climate has changed.
Budgets are being squeezed.
And the pressure's on.
Suddenly, the brand experience is at the top of everyone's to-do list.
I could feel that everyone in the room was heading in the same direction.
The right direction.
As an industry, it's up to us to make it happen.
It was a powerful moment.
So thanks to everyone who played a part.
Time to get to work.

What's My Line?

One of the big agency owners (agency chief as Campaign often called him) that I used to work for, once asked me to define my role.
It wasn't one of those 'defend your job' conversations.
He genuinely wanted to know how I saw my responsibility.
My simple answer was "to help our clients sell more of their products".
He saw things differently.
"Your role is to sell more of our products" he told me.
Call me naive.
Or idealistic.
But I disagreed with him then, and still do today.
Don't get me wrong - I live to sell the work of whichever agency I'm part
of.
But that's my end goal.
Not my responsibility.
If we focus on meeting our clients' needs, we'll achieve our own objectives
along the way.
And in this new hyper-connected world of ours, my viewpoint has never been
more resonant.
We're there to add value.
Our clients know what we're trying to sell.
They understand what we do.
Otherwise, we wouldn't be invited in.
But what they're looking for is a hunger to help them do more.
Achieve more.
Sell more.
How do you do that, glad you asked, I'll tell you: "It's to add value to our clients'
brand, their company and their role, that doesn't depend solely on my brand,
my company, or my role."
Now, your turn - what's your role?