Agency Agony Uncle
Having sold his multi-million pound marketing business, he now survives as a soldier of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find him, maybe you can hire... Uncle Carl.
Dear Uncle Carl,
My boss has a hiring policy that seems to be no more than ‘does she look good in a skirt or a low cut top?’ While I am enjoying the eye candy, I feel that the recent additions to our team don’t always pull their weight. I don’t want to be seen as a sexist, but I think our output is being affected.
…you do sound sexist though don’t you? If you are a mere minion there is little you can do except enjoy the view and pull your finger out… sorry, work harder I mean. I am sure your bevvy of beauties believe they are all there to do a job and do it to the best of their abilities. If they truly are lightweights then they will be caught out by their line managers. Encourage the business to have a HR function who would be less prone to be swayed by a full filling of a vest top and focus more on fulfilling a job description…
Dear Uncle Carl,
The lease is coming up on our city centre office and given what you get for the prices in town these days I think now may be the time to move further out. The problem is, I fear our younger staff who live and socialise in town will hate the move. I’m also worried that clients won’t like us being ‘in the sticks’.
I know when I moved my agency into the city centre it was for the reasons you highlight; the talent wants a city centre buzz and the clients, when they visit, like it too.
Having said that, reality bites and you have to balance what is right economically for your business. While a simple cost per square foot might force you out of town, the free parking that usually comes with an out of town office is a benefit. You could let your staff help you choose the new location by giving them your three final choices – that way they are part of the decision.
Don’t worry about clients – use it as a reason for you to go to them more – they will never argue against such personal attention. But if price alone is the reason for your move, then in today’s climate there are better deals to be struck with landlords, even in the city centre.
Dear Uncle Carl,
Top brass have banned us from entering our work into creative awards now that the economy is starting to bite. This has affected morale in the creative team, as these awards are often the best chance we get to judge our work against others. While we are going to raise the money personally to enter the work, we feel that our work is being under-valued by the MD.
Well, first of all I think you are ‘wrong’ to let it affect your morale. You should be a happy team because you are giving your clients the solutions they need and producing work you are proud of. Not work that a panel of judges in a three hour judging session in a mediocre hotel decide they like which actually has little to do with why the work was created in the first place. I think it’s amazing you are all happy to pay for the entries yourself – that’s a genius idea and wish I had thought of it back when my creative teams wanted to enter awards.
And now your solution is simple; you pay for and enter as many awards as you like and, when you win your MD should refund you the entry fees. When he realises you win all the time, he will be happy to fund them again because he wants happy little mac monkeys.
Dear Uncle Carl,
I’ve got a position vacant at my agency and I’m hosting a round of interviews next week. Most of the candidates have a similar level of experience so it could be tough to choose. Are there questions that will give a true indication of what they’re like to work with?
Good to see someone recruiting. I think the candidates know they have to work harder to get the positions at the moment and it’s the recruiters who are in the driver’s seat. I suggest you check out references as soon as you can and I would definitely be thinking of putting in a second round. If they are creative then they should respond to a brief, if they are account handlers, do a presentation, if they are media buyers go for a three hour lunch!
Also don’t take the full burden on yourself. Who will the candidate be working for? Get the head of that team to join the next round of interviews. Without wishing to get too touchy-feely, I would consider personality profiling to see how they would fit with your existing teams.
Dear Uncle Carl,
I’ve heard that one of my competitors is set to go bust and their loss could be my gain... I have been planning to acquire a PR function to add further to our integrated model and this soon-to-shut agency has/had a flourishing PR arm. Do you think they would take kindly to an approach to take on that division of their business along with staff and clients? Or should I just wait until they shut?
The chances are if you have heard of their impending disappearance then so have others and so have the staff! Make your move but do your research; who within the PR team do you really need? There will be someone who ‘owns’ the client relationship, there will be some good PR deliverers and there will be a couple of PR wannabes – you need the stars and the talent.
Approach the staff directly as they will be looking to jump ship no doubt and it’s cheaper than buying the function from the principles. But do this with caution because there are obviously problems somewhere – make sure you don’t inherit them.
Dear Uncle Carl,
Having worked hard for the last six years running a small agency, I have been forced to seriously consider winding down the firm. We have just missed out on two big pitches, either of which would have secured our immediate future. I have been forced to lay off half my staff and I’m worried that I may be forced to shut soon if I do not voluntarily shut. I am tired, sad and confused. What is the best option?
You are not alone – little comfort I know. Now you have your team to its bare minimum you could consider reducing hours to reduce costs? Do this while you look at your past performance, your past clients and see if that can give you focus for the future. Can you reactivate old clients or can you sell existing clients more? Perhaps rather than pitching, you need to be more proactive – what areas do you want to work in, what areas do you enjoy working in, what areas are profitable? Can you change your costing model and create new offers? Could you look to new partnerships with other businesses – perhaps you could share your problems with suppliers?
I could go on. The point I am making is, if you don’t do anything new now, then nothing new will happen tomorrow... and we know where that will lead to.
Are you troubled? Don’t be. send all your questions for uncle Carl to dear.carl@carnyx.com Or, If you wish to meet with carl to talk about your business, email him on ch@kloog.ch