marketing

As soon as I get a GANTT chart as an e-mail attachment, that is a sure sign there is an MBA degree holder on the other end. Now don't get me wrong, an MBA is a great accomplishment, and those who use their knowledge to start successful businesses are to be commended.

But for those of us in business, who got here in a roundabout way, such as by starting in a creative job...well we learn as we go. What are some examples of learning business knowledge from creative efforts?

Example 1 - Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth (ok, that's a cooking example too)

You are working on a script for a video. The writer met her deadline and you like what she's done. So you send it off to your client for review. The next day you get it back with some Track Changes revisions. Nothing too bad. So before getting the green light for the shoot, it has to be run up the chain of command - your client's bosses. Suddenly, you find yourself sitting at a long conference table, accompanied by 6 people you have never met, your client and the worst pot of coffee you've ever tasted. You spend the next 4 hours copiously taking notes as the committee analyzes every word, apostrophe and colon. And speaking of colons, this coffee is racing through your system a bit too quickly. When the script review is finished, instead of being told to make the changes, you have to sit through 30 more minutes being scolded for not following your original orders. In other words, the client decided, via a laborious process, that what they asked for is not what they wanted. But it's your fault of course.

What's this got to do with business? Everything. Managing expectations is one of your key roles in business. You are happy to take the client's money, but are you prepared to help the client know what they want and expect what they are getting? Sometimes the only way to learn this is to drink that bad coffee.

Example 2 - Follow the Yellow Brick Road

In other words, follow the prescribed path to success with a client. In design, you often need to follow the client's corporate branding guidelines...to the letter. The client uses a font you don't have? Buy it. The client does their brochures in InDesign and you are a Quark house? Either learn it or hire someone who knows it. Think the corporate brochure templates are bland and all look the same? Don't forget that the work you are doing is a small piece of their million dollar campaign. Consistency is everything when marketing anything.

From a business point of view, little interpretation is needed. You may be a creative type who is now running or helping to run a business, but once you have provided the creative jolt your client needs, follow their rules for compliance with the corporate strategy.

Example 3 - Dance like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee

In other words, think on your feet and nail your client's need accurately and decisively when they need you to. A client calls and says "I like the DVD. Can I use this at my exhibit next week?"
Well you know, from a creative point of view, that you hit the PLAY button and the video plays once then goes back to the main menu. Not good for a trade show display. Your answer has to be "You could, but it would be better if it loops."
The client asks how soon they can get that version.

A good client asks how much it will cost. A good creative/business person will get them the goods and if they are a good client or a new client you do it gratis, because you are providing excellent customer service and that keeps 'em coming back for more. New clients and good clients (repeat clients) are the only clients you should have. New clients are not always good, but sometimes you don't know that until the job is finished. Until that time, treat every client the same - they are a good client, because they are a client, and you want to make them a good repeat client. So you do your job the only way you know how - well. Think on your feet to come up with solutions when they need you to.

More examples than I can think of

Don't just take my advice, check out the latest threads from the Creative COW Business and Marketing Forum:

http://forums.creativecow.net/businessmarketing

Read the forum. Better yet subscribe to the new posts. I guarantee you'll be smarter for reading. You'll get the benefit of many viewpoints from experts and novices alike from around the world. Who needs an MBA when you have a COW.

Thanks for reading.

Mike Cohen

Do you like to Rock and Roll? In other words, do you thrive on one big event after another, or more likely, one success after another.

Anyone who creates media for a living has to make every effort to do the very best job they can every time. We take pride in our work. We enjoy doing even the most mundane tasks. Duping a tape is like selling a song. Authoring a DVD is like selling an album. Producing a live event is like doing a concert. See the parallels?

Social media is all the rage these days. Whether you are getting work this way or not, you are probably putting yourself out there. But what about social media networking within the organizations you serve?

Let's say you have done a DVD for Department A. It's a work in progress, but the video is pristine, the narration, no thanks to you, is dead on and not bad for ad libbed. The DVD interface is a demo - the final product will be done in Flash and they haven't even seen it yet. But lucky for you, the head widget salesman in Dept A has been promoting your work in other departments of his org. Thus, your DVD prototype is your calling card, being flashed around the client's building without your knowledge.

Then you get a call from a new contact in Dept J.

"Hey, this is James Jameson in Dept J of Amalgamated Widgets, Inc. We haven't met, but you're working with Dave Davidson in Dept A. He showed me that widget-o-matic DVD you're developing. I gotta get me one of those, only make mine better. Dave said this costs around a million and a half alligator toes? Sign me up."

It doesn't get much better than that.

Make your clients into true believers of your talents then let them go to work on your behalf, pimpin' your services free of charge. This is how social networking and viral marketing is supposed to work, only it need not happen via the web. Word of mouth was the original social network. Keep it alive.

So you schedule time to go on down to Amalgamated Widgets for a meet and greet, grab a coffee, then walk around the office seeing others that you know. You've got a rapport with these people. Even if you're not doing a project with Jane Janey in Dept W stop by her desk and say hi. Maybe you have a recent DVD on widget repair that she might like to see. Maybe she'll like it and want to buy 50 copies for her salesforce. Always be prepared. Saying you have a product she might like is one thing, but reaching into your computer bag and handing over a sample is better.

Word gets around. The switchboard back at home base gets a call from the VP asking when you will be back in the office. You see, word got around that you were in his building, and he wants to check in to let you know he appreciates your efforts. Maybe this happens, maybe it doesn't, but if the VP knows who you are you're on the right track AND the right train.

Keep the momentum going. Communicate often so your customers have the latest information. Post their edits online in a timely manner. Give them ideas for new uses of the videos you have already created. Word gets around. Soon other departments call wanting to use these works of art for their own purposes.

Yes, everyone wants what you've got. You're a rock star. Enjoy it, but you gotta keep working if you want your success to continue.

Once in a while you may have a song that doesn't make the charts. It happens. Move on, but try to figure out what went wrong. Did you follow the template for a hit? Was your creative idea not what the fans wanted? It's best to face the music, admit your error, and make up for it the next time around.

But when you're on a roll, you can do no wrong. You just gotta pay attention to what you are doing, and make every move deliberate. Make every communication crystal clear. Keep it real and stay out there. You're a rock star, and that's what you have to do to stay on top.

This is me trying to sound cool. You're as cool as you think you are. If your customers think so too, run with it.

Thanks for rockin'.

Mike Cohen