by Miriam Hara | Aug 4, 2015 | Advertising, Agency, Business Success, Deadline, Latest, Management, Marketing
Time is of the essence!
More than any other decade, business is running at the speed of light, which makes the efficient use of time ultimately the most important element to control. When I first entered the advertising business, the industry was notoriously known for its fast pace and deadlines. Contrary to corporate marketing departments, who albeit were also working at a faster pace than other departments in the same organization, advertising agencies owned the “RUSH” space. By owning that space, agency people often worked longer hours, weekends, evenings, around the clock to make an impending deadline. I can sincerely say, our industry no longer holds the monopoly on time. No matter what business you’re in today, time is of the essence!
All bets are off on personal time, downtime; any time is the time to work or check off one more item on the list of tasks to do and things to accomplish.
It goes without saying that the team around you, your colleagues, your support staff and every one in between plays a role in you efficiently managing your time and maintaining control over projects, launches and plans.
As a team member, or player or even potential wannabe team member, how does one add value to the department, the job, and ultimately the boss. Here’s a few of my thoughts:
1) When deadlines are looming and there just isn’t enough time, don’t tell me what you can’t do, tell me what you can do. Only then can a secondary plan of action emerge.
2) If there is an issue, and there are often issues with any project, don’t just come in and report the problem, without having all the facts. If the facts aren’t clear, you can’t work on a solution. Or better yet, come in with a solution – that would wow any manager.
3) Don’t say you can do something, then not; only to say you didn’t have the time. That only means you haven’t made the time. And that only means one of two things. 1) You felt it wasn’t important enough to get it off your list and 2) You didn’t plan or allot time to getting it done in a timely manner. Either way, it’s not good.
4) When tasks come your way, no matter how menial you perceive them to be, don’t just “do”. It’s the small things that shout the loudest in making impressions. So don’t just take direction, and do it; understand the need and ultimately the ‘why’ of what is being asked, so you can add value.
5) For all new business development managers, or client engagement managers, or any permutation thereof, if you’re successful in getting a meeting to present your organization’s services, don’t provide no more than what can be found on your website. That’s a waste of time, for both of us – and it’s also a missed opportunity.
And last but not least…
6) For all of you trying to break into any industry; don’t send in a resume for a job that you’re not qualified for. Wasting my time by having me read it only to find out that you’re not qualified for it – that only frustrates me. If you want to apply, then by all means do, but do something different; something that will provide me with a perspective of who and what you are about. Sending in a resume that you don’t have any qualifications for, without any explanation or counter claim, isn’t going to cut it – Honest.
by Lisa Wedmann | May 10, 2013 | Advertising, Business Success, Creative, Latest, Miriamisms, Social Media
In today’s fast paced, social media world, staying on top of projects and timelines and time management can be a challenge. A HUGE time management challenge. Clients today expect more, in less time. So how do we manage our time, in this fast paced world, without feeling like we are constantly behind and playing catch up?
At 3H, we understand this all to well. We are a boutique agency, with a small, eclectic team. This allows us to be nimble, and turn projects around quickly. On the flip side, we can get swamped quickly…unless we manage ourselves, our clients and our time very carefully. So how do we do this, and continue to turn out first class product?
Make a list – and check it twice! Yes, it can take time to do this. But the time spent on this saves us in the long run. Whether it’s a a critical path or a social media calendar, it’s always vital to take the time and plan it out. Share it with all of your team, so everyone knows what is happening. When we need to juggle projects, having these deadlines and plans at our finger tips is a lifesaver!
Organize! Monday morning, lay out the plan for your week. List weekly tasks, than daily tasks. Each morning review the list and make a note of the 3 priorities for the day.
Communicate! Talk with your clients AND your team. A good leader knows they are only as good as their team and supports their team to do the best job. Their job is to support them to get the work done. Talk with them regularly about how they are doing and feeling, what is going on. At 3H, we have daily, YES daily, production meetings. Sometimes they are 10 minutes, sometimes 30 minutes. The whole team knows what is happening with each project. Problems are discussed and solutions found, together.
Clear the inbox! Your inbox can fill up quickly. A few regular habits will help keep it manageable. When an email arrives, take care of it right away – reply, forward or file it. Take the action and clear it out of your inbox. If you are waiting for an answer on something, leave it in the inbox as a reminder that it needs to be completed. At the end of everyday, take the last 5 to 10 minutes to open and sort all email: what’s completed, what’s done, what needs to be done. This is the start of the next day’s to list.
Delegate. Somet
imes it’s impossible to complete all your tasks on your own. Ask for help. This simple action can keep you from feeling bogged down and keep you on track and organized. Plus, it will build the confidence of your team, and help them to take ownership for projects.
Start a task. Finish a finish. I know this sounds simple, but in the multi-tasking era, how often do we start something, only to haven another emergency come up – and then we take a phone call. While multi-tasking is the norm today, it can lead to unfinished task and projects. It’s important to set time aside everyday to work on tasks and projects.
Finally, and most importantly, be flexible. On the drop of a dime, things can change. It’s important to go with the flow, ask for help, get all the facts and keep moving forward.
When I follow these tips, and stay on top of things, that allows me to be fluid and go with the flow.
How do you manage your time? Do you have any tips to share?
by Saara Jafari | Sep 21, 2012 | Advertising, Business Success
How many times have we heard ourselves and those around us complain about how there never seems to be enough time? And how often have we walked down an aisle in a grocery store and gotten overwhelmed by lines and choices of products? The answer would be ‘countless times’. Then why is it that advertisers often, in their rush to spend their marketing/advertising budgets often fail to understand what exactly they are competing with before formulating the message they want to communicate to the buyer.
While it is simple to define ‘competitors’ as those whom you are competing with, it would be naïve to limit the scope to only include products or businesses in the same category. Today’s lifestyle is often the major competitor. With the increasing tendency of multitasking and quick fixes, where cost of living is sky rocketing, and people are working more than one job or longer hours, people place a greater value on the little time they have left to spend with their families, friends and personal development.
What does this mean to marketers? It means there are only a few seconds in a day, for companies, to get consumers’ attention and how they reach out to consumers is equally significant. According to a research conducted by McKinsey in Europe, 54% of the respondent base went online to collect information before making a purchase. This means companies should have a stronger and mindful online presence, whether it’s through digital advertising or social media. It’s important to streamline your websites and have engaging topics of discussions on your social media sites and user-friendly navigation to assist consumers in getting the information they want effortlessly…. And quickly.
Information overload is a definite competing factor and should be recognized and analysed when trying to get consumers’ attention. Whatever it is you have to say, say it well and say it fast. Be sure that what you are claiming to offer is relevant to your consumer’s need.
It’s imperative to understand consumer buying behaviour before developing your communication strategy. This is what you need to know:
- know what they think, how they feel, who influences them, what drives them to buy that product and at what time,
- what makes them pick up the one brand as opposed to the others,
- when and where are they most receptive to actually listen to what you are trying to say,
Here are a few tips to make sure that your point gets across and sticks!
Do not ramble. You have to be focussed. You need to be concise.
Be catchy. There is enough serious stuff going on in the world. Don’t be afraid of a little cleverness, a little colour, a little music, a little positive emotion.
Keep it light. People like funny. If your brand puts that smile on their faces, they will remember you. Your job is partially done if they remember you fondly, and have positive emotional associations with your brand.
It goes without saying, of course, that your product should deliver on what it promises… marketing 101. No amount of cleverness or humour can make up for a brand that doesn’t deliver on its promise. Actually, you’ll tick off your consumers even more because they’ve taken out the time that they could have used else where to engage with your brand … only to be disappointed. But if you convey your promise of satisfaction and deliverance of benefits in a simple, light and humorous way, and deliver…you’ll definitely stand out.
You need to get inside their heads and step into their shoes to know how they think, how they process all the information bombarding them from everywhere. You need to understand this in order to break through all the clutter sucking up all their time. After all, that’s what advertising should do, gain share of mind and top of mind.
Please share your comments. We’d love to hear what you have to say.
