Ok…so let me explain myself and then tell my story.
I decided to “add a little extra” this Lent by reading a couple chapters of the New Testament every morning before I jumped into my work at 5:30am. I’ve never read the Bible before and I’m finding it quite inspirational and fascinating. Grew up Catholic and am a believer…but this puts a whole new twist on things for me.
In the Bible, Jesus tells His followers to be aware, be ready, be there. He tells us to love one another…always because you never know when that day of judgment will come.
As I shifted from the Bible to work one morning this past week I saw a perfect parallel.
Was speaking with one of our clients recently and he said…”there are 1-2 weeks out of the year when your prospects have a need or are looking for help from a new agency”…and you need to always be there.
The principle holds true here just as much as it holds true in the lives we live every day.
Prospecting isn’t a “when I’m in the mood” kind of thing. It needs to be something you do every day, with one consistent voice, and one dedicated spirit.
I wrote a post early on in the life of RSW/US titled the “Three C’s” (maybe should have called it the Trinity). It was a story about the importance of maintaining the three C’s: consistency of messaging, consistency of outreach, and consistency of methodology.
The story is still the same. The problems agencies face today are still the problems they faced nearly a decade ago.
The solution, while a simple one, takes dedication and focus and commitment – starting at the top.
If you as the principal aren’t buying in and embracing a “be aware, be ready, be there” philosophy…your agency is going to be hard pressed to do the same. Commit yourself to it and get your flock to follow!
Mark Sneider
Mark is a 30-year veteran of the consumer packaged goods, advertising, and marketing service industry. Mark started his career at DDB Needham in Chicago prior to earning his MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Business School at Northwestern where he majored in Marketing and Economics. Prior to starting RSW/US in 2005, Mark was General Manager for AcuPOLL, a global research consultancy. Sneider worked in Marketing for S.C. Johnson and KAO Brands. Sneider has been invited to speak at numerous Agency events and network conferences domestically and internationally including the 4A’s, Magnet, NAMA, TAAN, and MCAN. Sneider has been featured in prominent industry publications including Adweek, Media Post, e-Marketer, and Forbes. When not working (which often seems like not often), Mark likes to run miles, go to church, and just chill with a hard copy issue of Fast Company.