AgileBlog
The Big One
After months of discussions, presentations, informal and formal meetings alike, and a final contest pitting the Cat against another agency, we got ‘em.
”Em” is our largest client to date and what I think is our own tipping point as an agency. After a few pretty lame years that we as an industry have experienced, and frankly suffered through together, it feels good to feel the sea change that surrounds a big win.
Be careful what you wish for, the saying goes. I never pictured any walk through a rose garden, stroll through a park, picnic, or whatever metaphor you’d like to use to indicate an ‘easy’ time. Hell – this is business and bigger business means bigger demands.
I’ve often described my agency as a funky sports car with one hell of an engine – and snow tires to boot. The reality has been though, that where we’ve shown our chops in many circumstances, I’ve never felt what it’s like to drive this Catmobile in a higher gear. What will the response be? How will it handle? How are the “passengers” – the team? Enjoying the ride? Or strapping on a second seatbelt?
I can safely say that after a month of driving at higher speeds, across uncertain terrain, the engine is running as smooth as ever. It seems that the faster we go, the smoother the ride. Though I know we will hit bumps – we are human after all – the beginning stretch of this race is off to a stellar start as we plan for a strong finish. I’ll attribute this to a few factors that I implemented and I hope you take to heart when the Big One comes home to your shop.
1) Prepare for the insanity. I preached for months leading up to this that when the Big One hits, if we’re not bonded as a team, we shall fail.
2) Picture this. I also took plenty of time to get the team to visualize the bigger, badder clients, multiple demands, running at the speed of light, etc. In some ways, I felt that this ‘mental training’ set the foundation for not being caught off guard when things started flying.
3) Gut checking. How we doin’?” I ask daily, as I sync with our Managers on how things are running outside of getting caught up in the details of this job or that job. Instinct rules and will rule in our short-term future related to new hires, new/improved systems to ensure day-to-day success.
4) Candor rules. If anyone I worked with felt a certain way about how to work more effectively, we pride ourselves on an open atmosphere that let’s anyone say ‘this is a way to do better.’ This bears repeating in every agency scenario: candor rules. It is our agency’s strength.
5) Praise, praise, praise. Don’t wait for the agency meeting to shout-out quality work. Whether someone stayed late, made the extra effort, or helped a client see why our way was the right course, let your people know it then and there. Crucial, especially in the early stage.
A famous man once said “luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” We work awfully hard here, and we’re making the most of this opportunity as we look forward to getting lucky again and again. This team deserves it.
Mixed (Emoti) Signals
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
– George Bernard Shaw
Considering Mr. Shaw died in 1950, I’m going to go ahead and assume this quote wasn’t referring to a misconstrued text he sent his love interest. Yet, years before face-to-face communication became nearly as obsolete as a VHS; he was definitely on to something.
These days it seems to happen all the time – you’re communicating with someone via text or e-mail, and you think a cute little emoticon comprised of a colon and a parenthesis will help drive home the sentiment you’re trying to communicate. [Editor’s Note: While writing this post, my spell check recognized ‘emoticon’ as a word.] However, a lot of the time, it just makes conversations confusing and they’re often misunderstood making 40+ lines of a text “conversation,” well, pointless.
Sure, emoticons might help, but do you know what really works the best? FACE-TO-FACE interaction! I know. This sounds bizarre. And no, Skype and FaceTime do not count as ‘face-to-face’.
Working in PR I deal with several reporters, producers and writers on a daily basis — many of which, admittedly, I’ve never met and don’t even know what they look like. However, for the ones that are in my geographic range, I always make sure to extend an offer to meet in person. And guess what? For most of the people I’ve met, I have much better working relationships with than with those I have not.
Here are a few tips to consider when you ask to introduce yourself in person:
Time is Money. Literally. Offer to meet someone for quick coffee – not a four-course meal at the Ritz. The key word here is ‘quick.’ Always make sure the person you’re meeting with knows you don’t want to take a lot of their time, it will make them more apt to say yes.
Travel a Little, Gain a Lot. Always offer to meet the person at their office or somewhere around them. Working in Center City Philly, there are limited options for transportation: Taxi or walk. It’s not always possible to walk to your destination and cabs can get pricy. But, trust me on this one: it will be worth it. Your $8 cab ride will pay off ten-fold after making a personal connection with someone.
Don’t Be a Used Car Salesman. If you’re a publicist like me, editors and reporters already know why you want to meet with them – so you can convince them to cover your clients. You don’t have to bang them over the head with this (so to speak) when you meet them. Rather, get to know them as a person first, reporter/editor second. They’ll appreciate your interest rather than just talking about what stories they’re working on next.
So, for all of your future communications, make Mr. Shaw proud. Shaking someone’s hand is a sure fire way to know that your communication is no illusion.
Veni, Vidi, Vici.
We’re used to taking chances. As a small agency whose very existence was built on sheer will, we know that progress does not come without risk. We thrive on conquering the unknown, not because we are relentless thrill seekers (ok, some of us are), but because we have the spirit, the talent and the ability to navigate uncharted waters with a clear vision and a solid plan.
There have been times when we’ve been met with skepticism. Have we worked in your particular industry? Maybe not. Had we ever designed a full-scale exhibition space before? No, but it didn’t stop us from doing this.
When a new challenge is put in front of our team, there are no limits to the lengths we will go. Every day we do something we haven’t done before. It’s called pushing yourself and raising the bar.
Clients don’t come to AgileCat to get what others have. They come because they believe in our ability to think differently, and because they’re not afraid to be first. They want to be leaders in their industry, not followers.
That’s not to undermine agencies out there who have deep category experience in, say, automotive or healthcare. Their challenge is unique and often frustrating. The tendency to just do what works is what ultimately hinders creativity and makes breaking new ground difficult.
Our clients aren’t looking for templates, they’re looking to make a lasting impression. So yes, there are things we have not done. But there is nothing we can’t do to take brands to the next level.
In the end, it’s about trusting ourselves and pushing the envelope.
