Agencies Are From Mars, Clients Are From Venus

With apologies to John Gray Ph.D.
In the mid-nineties, the publishing industry enjoyed something of a boon, as desperate couples turned to bookshops for the answers to their dysfunctional relationships.
The book that kicked all this off was John Gray’s bestseller ‘Men are from Mars, Woman are from Venus’.
Now I’m not here to advocate for generalised gender observations, but the overall approach Gray took was a valid one.
You see, Gray understood that we all need each other.
We may share common goals and aspirations, but we start from different places and go about accomplishing them in different ways.
In that sense, it’s a lot like the relationships between agencies and clients.
We may want the same thing, but start from different perspectives and we’ll go about it differently.
We agency people need to look beyond the brief.
Clients need more understanding.
What are the hard business issues behind the brief?
You’ll get to a much more balanced relationship
Also an occasional hug wouldn’t kill you, would it?

Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day

Given that Jack Morton has been around for over 70 years now, we’ve been able to develop a really good sense of self.
We know our strengths and we understand our heritage.
The years we’ve taken becoming the business we are today was time well spent.
Relationships work the same way.
The longer the courtship the better the marriage.
Shotgun weddings have a tendency not to last.
So when the opportunity to work with a client comes along, don’t feel the need to rush them down the aisle.
Get to know them, understand their likes and dislikes.
Because the relationship will be that much stronger for the time you put into it.

Manifesto

As I’ve said before here, we are all in sales
So to all you sales people out there,
Aren’t you sick of being seen as slightly smarter version of the guy who delivers a cheesy pitch on a forecourt?
Do you ever wonder whether the company that you’re out there representing, day-after-day, really understands what you bring to the table, other than a wallet full of business cards?
Does anyone really understand what sales is, or what it’s for?
So many questions.
So what’s the answer?
I think the world of sales is changing.
Customers aren’t just wise to the tricks of the trade, they resent the fact that we ever resorted to ‘tricks’ in the first place.
This is our chance to make a change.
To evolve the methodology and perception.
Make sales something to be proud of again.
Here is my manifesto for Sales 2.0

Sales should be the beginning of an ongoing relationship, not the finish line.
We should think about the long-term benefits rather than short-term wins.
Focus on relationships rather than transactions.
Conversations instead of pitches.
Ask yourself, am I creating interest or interruptions?
Are you listening or lecturing?
Can you find a way to add value, rather than pressure?
And what about your prospects, are they friends or clients?
Now’s the time to concentrate on commitment rather than commission.
Let’s make sales something we open up, instead of fixating on how we close.

This is something I'm going to return to, I have a Webinar planned for September
Like any manifesto, it’s useless without a movement willing to embrace it.
So come on guys, who’s with me?

WoW! That Was Quick

I know, I hear that a lot, and in all but one circumstance it’s a good thing
Rapid response. Quick turnaround.
Whatever you want to call it, it’s all about keeping a sense of urgency. The world moves quickly and the pressure’s on.
So there’s no sense in dawdling or procrastinating.
But for me it’s more than that.
If I get an email I try and respond within a few minutes.
It shows that I’m keen to have a conversation with clients or colleagues and that I will, knowing the pressure they are under, respond quickly. I have found that they’ll also reciprocate and get back to me in double quick time.
And before you know it, a question has become a conversation, a conversation a relationship and voila.

The Rhythm Method

This is going to sound a little weird, so stick with me.
Relationships are a little bit like dancing. (Maybe I have seen Billy Elliott too many times)
They both require strong partnerships, co-ordinated effort, and most importantly, a sense of rhythm. It’s all about understanding each other’s timing.
If it’s someone you haven’t seen in years, it takes a while to tune into the other person’s rhythm, and then it’s like you were never apart. But it’s the same for people that you see every day. As soon as your regular rhythm is interrupted, it takes a little while to get back into one another’s timing.
So far so good, but this blog isn’t about how to make your friendships last.
Think about your relationships at work – with clients and colleagues.
Commit yourself to keeping a steady rhythm. Check in, catch up and stay in touch.
Your colleagues will be quicker to support you, and your clients will feel more connected to what you’re offering.
That way, it’s less time spent catching up, and more time getting on.

Everyone Loves A Loser

The call’s been made. We came a close second.
No cigar.
So what do we do? Take the phone off the hook and head for the nearest bar?
Of course not. This is no time to be drowning our sorrows.
Or making excuses.
At this point, it’s time for a commercial break.
Please read David Kean’s ‘How not to come second’. Genius!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Not-Come-Second-Business/dp/1904879624
He knows all the excuses in the world, and he explodes every single one of them.
Right, where was I? That’s right – how to deal with rejection.
I honestly believe that some of the best opportunities come out of a failed pitch. There are always deals to be done – especially when the client bothers to call and say “We loved you but...”
Listen to the ‘but’. Learn from it. And figure out what other opportunities to exist.
You’re already talking about how great you are, so turn that into something.
Ask about other projects, develop the relationship and build something durable.

Let's Get Naked

Hard as this may be to believe, but I wasn’t always a hit with the ladies.
In fact, when I was 15, I struggled to make an impression with the girls.
On reflection, I think part of the problem was my outspoken views about transparency and honesty. Never one for games and routines, I was keen to get to the point.
Unfortunately, I always expressed that as desire to get naked, to get to a position of essential honesty, that didn’t really work for my audience.
Many years later (no prizes for guessing how many years ), I’m a little more successful, but my opinions haven’t changed. I think 15 year-old me had a point.
It’s all too easy to hide behind artifice and insincerity, when what people really want is something real.
A real connection, a real experience, a real relationship.
That’s what we as agencies should be giving our clients. Let’s not forget that ultimately, people buy people. So the more real we are, the more likely it is that clients will opt to work with us over our competition.
If we’re true to ourselves, they’ll know exactly what they’re getting. And chances are, they’ll like it.
So let’s get naked. Strip away the facade and show ourselves for what we really are.
Who’s with me?