How to win every argument you will have in 2015
January 5 2015, 10:31 am | | 5 Comments
By Simon Veksner
Creative Director, DDB Sydney
Ad folk are a passionate bunch of people, working in an industry that is rife with subjectivity.
Result: lots of arguments.
So, here’s how you can win them. Or at least more of them.
First of all, you need to stop thinking like a Creative. READ ON…
5 Comments
I find it helps to look clients straight in the eye when you’re arguing with them. Sometimes that’s hard, particularly if the client is taller than you. That’s when I’m grateful for my elevator shoes, which I wear to every meeting. If I need to be a few inches taller to engage the client on his level, I reach for the elevator button on my elevator shoes and press ‘Elevate’.
It’s not about winning arguments.
It’s all about winning the client’s trust.
They must trust that the only agenda you have for every recommendation you make is to solve the marketing problem at hand.
One’s track record is vital.
Once they suspect you have a personal agenda or are creating work to make yourself famous, you’re screwed.
No matter who and how you elevate the topic.
Agree. Except… don’t forget, my story was based on Nigel Bogle. He is probably the most trusted man in advertising. He also has quite the track record. And yet still, he often finds himself needing to argue his point of view. Because what we do is so subjective.
No it isn’t.
@scamp
You are so spot on. I guess we need find better role models.
Of late, they seem to be in short supply.
I’ve had the good fortunate of working with a few of them in my lifetime.
These living legends have four things in common.
1-Clients paid attention whenever they spoke even if the medicine they prescribed were bitter, expensive and took time to work its magic.
2- These old timers invested in building relationships with seniors and even juniors at the clients side.
3- They were all eventually replaced with younger and brasher CDs who talked a better game than they played.
4- The agencies who chose flash over substance all lost their respective businesses.