My Thinking

I'm now at my fourth agency and have been through a lot of interviews on both sides of the table. The ability to build rapport, handle pressure and answer tough questions are important traits measured in the typical, conversational agency interview, but they're not the only predictors of success for an account person. Here are four traits that make up a great account person and interviewing techniques that I recommend adding to the hiring process. Ask penetrating questions – the best strategists are great listeners who know how to ask penetrating...

Read more »

---

You can have fast, cheap or good. Pick two. It's a classic phrase that must be too good because agencies never use it. Fast We've all been given a tight "deadline" by a client. (I use quotes because deadlines are rarely based on an actual, immovable event. That's why account people are also taught to ask "what's driving the deadline?") When is the last time you gave the client the option of choosing fast over good? Which did they select? Good Explain the process that results in good, or even reveal that the pipeline is full for two weeks....

Read more »

---

What do agencies fear most when hiring a new account person? (I'll use "he" and "him" to avoid typing "him or her" and "he or she" fifty times.) Will clients like him? Is he easy to work with? Will he get along with the creative team? Does he really know digital like he says he does? How will he impact the culture here? How does he handle anger? I believe in straight answers and plain speak. (Most marketers love to sugarcoat everything.)  And I know that answering objections up-front is a tried and true sales tactic. Address...

Read more »

---

Selling. Part of my job is to sell. That's right, I'm a salesman. Clients have budgets, which means they're shopping. It's OK to shop so it should be OK to sell. We have no problem inquiring about the "market price" for the lobster roll, and the waiter experiences no angst when telling us. Why should clients and agents be any different? People are funny about money, even if it isn't theirs. The dollar amounts are bigger than a $25 lobster roll, sure, but the context of business budgets is far different than our personal checking...

Read more »

---

Soap gets foamy and dries out your skin. That's how you know it worked. Pine-Sol® smells like concentrated Christmas tree, so you know it's safe to eat off the kitchen floor. Selsun Blue® tingles, or so I hear. None of these are a result of active ingredients — they're additives to reassure the customer. In the agency business, the work we do is valuable, as is the process we follow. Too often the value we deliver is invisible to our clients. It's hidden behind "the creative process" or "the tech team". We need something...

Read more »

---

In this case, probably weird. I've had a few instances in which I've felt compelled to provide marketing advice to a misguided advertiser. The latest email below was sent to a small provider of house cleaning, pet and house sitting services: To whom it may concern, I don't recommend leaving your business cards on peoples' windshields. To us, it is a minor annoyance to have to remove trash from our cars. It makes us less likely to buy from you. You might consider a referral program to incentivize happy customers to refer their...

Read more »

---

What trait do I value most in a colleague? Not professionalism. Not presentation skills. Not GPA. Not email etiquette. Not teamwork. I'll take curiosity above all else. Experience matters, sure. But it's usually a prerequisite. Attitude and work ethic matter, but these tend to go hand-in-hand with curiosity. Give me a team with an intense desire to learn, solve and grow, and I'll show you a team that transforms a company from good to great in one year.

Read more »

---

More is usually better. More pizza is better than less. More wins gets you to the playoffs. More closet space makes my wife happy. Mo' money, mo' problems. Sometimes more is less. A good question to ask your new client is "how many decision-makers will there be?" If your work will be judged by a hierarchy of people, boards and committees, add some budget and time to your schedule right now.

Read more »

---

In business, and particularly the SEO business, you always think about how to achieve results or improve processes more efficiently than ever before. Smarter, cheaper and faster is the name of the game. How about your own performance? When are you at your best? It's good to understand this about yourself. Don't go too long without putting yourself in position to be your best. For some people, eight hours of peace and quiet — or peace, Pandora and noise-canceling head phones — let's them crank out some amazing code. For...

Read more »

---

Tell it like it is! Combine that with tact and a little intelligence and you have a well-respected businessperson. So why don't more people tell it like it is? Why is the pink elephant in the conference room so rarely acknowledged? To be an effective client partner, account people need to take this courageous leap. It won't always work out, but you'll find out who your best clients, coworkers and managers are. If you have a bad meeting, acknowledge it! Make light of it and change the mood. "Hey, I don't think you got much...

Read more »

---