Put your LinkedIn Account to Work
According to Marketing Profs, LinkedIn is the favored social media tool for B2B marketers. If you're in B2B marketing or sales, you can do so much more with your LinkedIn account than simply look up your B2B marketing contacts. Use LinkedIn to help sell product, expand your networks, grow your business and gain free publicity.
Here's some simple tips to help you engage fully with LinkedIn:
- Fill out your profile completely to earn trust and credibility.
- Use apps and widgets to integrate other tools, such as importing your blog entries or Twitter stream into your profile.
- Do market research and gain knowledge with Polls.
- Share survey and poll results with your contacts.
- Answer questions in Questions and Answers: show expertise without a hint of self-promotion.
- Ask questions in Questions and Answers to get a feel for what customers and prospects want or think.
- Publish your LinkedIn URL on all your marketing collateral, including business cards, email signature, email newsletters, web sites and brochures, so prospects learn more about you.
- Grow your network by joining industry and alumni groups related to your business.
Update your status with examples of recent work and accomplishments.- Link your status updates with your other social media accounts.
- Combine your social media approach: when someone asks a question in Twitter, respond in detail on LinkedIn and link to it from Twitter.
- Use the search feature to find people by company, industry and city.
- Start and manage a group or fan page for your product, brand or business.
- Research your prospects before meeting or contacting them.
- Share useful articles and resources that will be of interest to customers and prospects.
- Don’t turn off your contacts: avoid hard-sell tactics.
- Write honest and valuable recommendations for your contacts.
- Request LinkedIn recommendation from happy customers willing to provide testimonials.
- Post your presentations on your profile using a presentation application.
- Check connections’ locations before traveling so you can meet with those in the city where you’re heading.
- Ask your first-level contacts for introductions to their first-level contacts.
- Interact with LinkedIn on a regular basis to reach those who may not see you on other social media sites.
- Set up to receive LinkedIn messages in your inbox so you can respond right away.
- Link to articles and content posted elsewhere, with a summary of why it’s valuable to add to your credibility.
- List your newsletter subscription information and archives.
If you haven't already, it's time to create or refresh your LinkedIn profile and begin increasing your B2B marketing contacts, and activity on this most useful site.
/mh
Related posts: LinkedIn-The Ultimate B2B Hookup
Martine Hunter
is the creative director of inbound marketing with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing. She holds the Inbound Marketing professional certification and serves the Atlanta chapter of the Business Marketing Association as a member of the board of directors.
This morning, I Googled the acronym "TCB2B" to make sure I'm not stepping on the toes of anyone who might have coined it before me, but surprisingly, no one has - score!
I might be getting ahead of myself, so let me explain.
We all know that Elvis and Bachman-Turner Overdrive (yes, I just went there) made the abbreviation "TCB" (short for "Taking Care of Business") popular, but when you're B2B marketers like us here at MLT, it's also important to make the most of each day, and better serve your clients and customers, by TCB2B.
I was inspired by the keynote speaker at my little sister's graduation from the University of Georgia Grady School of Journalism & Mass Communications (I'll proudly mention here that I'm a Grady Grad; got my degree in advertising about four years ago, to be exact - how time flies). The speaker was W.H. "Dink" NeSmith Jr., a distinguished veteran in the field of newspaper management.
Aside from being a very refreshing and entertaining speaker, NeSmith had a TCB-themed message, and I couldn't agree more with everything he said. A self-proclaimed daydreamer, like myself and many others who work in B2B or B2C creative shops, he said it's not really difficult to keep your eyes on the prize and make the most of each day (ahem, TCB) with proper time management; it's all about list-making and "Dink's 5 D's of Time Management," as he called it.
As an account executive, I keep a pen in my purse at all times, so I jotted these 5 D's down. NeSmith mentioned getting a natural "rush" whenever he crosses items off his to-do list, which is something I find myself doing multiple times a day. It's my being efficient and diligent that benefits MLT and our clients at the end of the day, so I guess you could say I'm TCB2B every day...
Anyway, without further ado, here are Dink's 5 D's: Deliberate, Do it, Delegate, Ditch it and don't Diddle around.
Deliberate: Probably the most important D on the list. STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND THINK ABOUT IT. This is a critical step, where you can ask those important questions (even dumb ones), evaluate the project and weigh the pros and cons of taking it on. Make sure that every detail is thought through and analyzed. This is where another lettered list - the 5 W's - comes into play: Who, What, When, Where and Why. Think about it, think about it some more and then decide.
Do It: You've thought it through, now it's time to take action. Take on the task at hand with the conviction that it's the most important thing at that moment, and the absolute best use of your time. I'm not going to say "don't diddle," because we'll get to that later. Just do it, and do it well.
Delegate: As much as you'd like to be the hero to everyone, all the time, here's where you've got to face reality and realize you simply can't do everything for everyone. Sometimes you need to let it go and trust that the people helping you can execute properly. Being the control freak/perfectionist that I am, I have to say this D is the most Difficult (yes, with a capital D) for me, but it's necessary in time management because there are only so many things YOU as one person can do. It's not a weakness to ask for some help here and there. Teamwork is a wonderful thing.
Ditch It: In some cases, the project you're approached with couldn't be more wrong for you or the company you represent, and that is OK. It's not wrong to say no. While the prospect of the project is appreciated, it might not be a good fit or an appropriate task, so just ditch it; just say "no thank you," and ditch it with humility, appreciation and grace.
Don't Diddle Around: Yes, procrastination is the enemy, my friends. If you're not approaching your work with tact and purpose, it could be that you should have ditched it or delegated it earlier on, but most likely you're doing some diddling. It happens. But think about this: Time is money. Time is precious. Time is valuable. Your company and your clients depend on you making the most of your time during office hours. That can also mean putting in extra time, and speaking for all of us at MLT, TCB2B doesn't always stop at 6 p.m. You know how the song goes: "Taking care of business, and working overtime." Of course there's a little time each day for kicking back and having a good time with your co-workers, but while you're working for your company's and your client's advancement, there is no time to diddle.
So what are you waiting for? Attack that to-do list in front of you with a TCB2B attitude. Make your day count.
Sarah E. Young is an account executive with the Atlanta advertising agency MLT Creative which specializes in business-to-business marketing.
Dribble, pass, shoot. The buzzer blares: in-and-out heartbreak. Rebound, dribble, pass,shoot: Swish – nothin’ but net. A pick-up game at the gym, or networking at a business-to-business conference? Different scenarios, but similar tactics apply to both.
Although networking through the use of social media can have incredible benefits in the world of B2B marketing, sometimes it feels like riding the bench in the middle of the playoffs. So get in the game by getting away from the computer, because face-to-face interaction is still the best way to make connections and build your B2B business.
Sure, the idea of walking into a room where you don’t know a single person can be pretty daunting, but with a game plan, a goal in mind and a pocket full of business cards, you can work the room like a pro.
Here's a few tips for scoring at networking functions:
Check your attitude. It's key to get mentally geared up before you even show up. Since your attitude often guides your behavior, you must overcome any self-doubts that might hamstring your efforts.
Smile. Here’s a rule that is so simple and self-explanatory, it sometimes slips people’s minds. Some of us are so focused on networking that we don't realize we have frowns on our faces. Scowls and furrowed brows are forbidden. People are more likely to warm up to someone who says “Good morning” with a broad smile than they are to someone with a dour countenance.
Have a game plan. Know who you want to meet in advance, be it a specific person or just a certain type.
Introduce yourself. Don’t wait for an introduction. Before sitting down at the table, tell everyone your name and the name of your company. Be sure to talk to the people sitting next to you.
Ask questions of the people you meet. Never lead with your "elevator pitch." People are more interested in themselves than they are in you, so ask them questions to get them talking.
Have a clear understanding of what you do. Also why, for whom, and what makes your doing it special or different from others doing the same thing. In order to get referrals, you must first have a clear understanding of what you do that you can easily articulate to others.
Put your technology away. Don’t run to your phone. When you’re fiddling with electronics, you look busy and unapproachable. Wait until the next break to break out the Blackberry.
Introduce others. When you meet cool people, make an assist and connect them with others who might be beneficial to them. This includes others at the conference, as well as other people you might know. If you ask the right types of questions, you will easily spot connections that can help others. Don't ever worry about what's in it for you -- just be the person who helps others. You will see over time that others will return the favor.
Follow up. If you meet interesting people and you never follow up, it makes no difference. Own the follow up after you meet people, and send them an e-mail (or, better yet, a handwritten note) telling them how much you enjoyed talking with them, and plan for future discussions.
Read their stuff. Many people are active bloggers, Twitterers, authors, etc. If people create the written word, seek out their work and read it. It’s a great way to get to know people, plus they’ll be honored when you ask them about it.
And just like your lucky pair of Jordans, don't forget your business cards.
Have a networking story to share? Please leave a comment.
/mh
Martine Hunter
is the creative director of inbound marketing with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing. She holds the Inbound Marketing professional certification and serves the Atlanta chapter of the Business Marketing Association as a member of the board of directors.
Unless you're promoting primates, you're not engaging in gorilla marketing. The correct expression is guerrilla marketing. The term guerrilla comes from a Spanish word that means "little war." Guerrilla fighters typically launch small, targeted attacks as opposed to the large military campaigns run by nations. Similarly, guerrilla marketers use targeted, creative marketing methods as opposed to the more expensive, traditional campaigns run by large corporations. The unconventional nature of guerrilla marketing is intended to get maximum results from minimal resources.
Using comparable ambush tactics of a guerrilla fighter, a guerrilla marketing campaign works best if it’s swift, mobile, and impactful. Just like the shock attack of a mob of guerrillas in the jungle, a dramatic compelling guerrilla marketing campaign can produce tangible results for your brand.
As simple as fliers on windshields promoting the new dry cleaner to an elaborate distribution the latest hot recording artist’s CD, guerrilla marketing has evolved. Once considered the low-budget solution for start-ups, the adjunct guerrilla marketing campaign is more often a standard budget line item for B2B marketing efforts.
Armed with a narrow niche, a clever guerrilla marketing campaign should contain: ·
Reconnaissance – survey your competition, scout for locations, explore creative ideas and investigate methods·
Bivouac – set up an idea generation camp, train campaign participants to be marketing warriors with your message ·
Weaponry – arm marketing warriors with your message, your unique artillery for message presentation ·
Stealth - covertly observe your audience's responses to your presentation; dial it up or down based on reactions
Attack – converge on a territory ·
Rapid fire – repeat the attacks in more territory for maximum message exposure ·
Postmortem – Examine the results of the campaign immediately after the the last attack.
Get creatively tough using focused guerrilla marketing tactics to supplement your B2B outbound marketing campaign. The pioneer of this enduring marketing tactic, Jay Conrad Levinson, offers even more ideas on his hefty website www.gmarketing.com. Also check out our agency's website, for creative guerrilla marketing case studies.
/mh
Martine Hunter
is the creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing. She holds the Inbound Marketing professional certification.
Soccer moms. NASCAR dads. Security seniors. Pet lovers. Weekend jocks. Computer nerds. People use personas to identify themselves or groups where they maintain connections. For instance, I'm a football mom, a Jane Six-Pack (more diet ginger ale than pints of ale) and a latte-sipping bookstore lounger. Although these personas don't describe all my activities, they do touch on some of my affinities and proclivities, and thus some motivations that trigger my buying impulses.
According to David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR, "Successful online marketing an
d PR efforts work because they start by identifying one or more buyer personas to target..." As B2B marketers, it's critical that we understand our business buyers' mindsets and motivations to ensure our messages reach their inner needs and desires.
- What influences the B2B buyer?
- How important is reputation?
- Is he in a job or a career?
- What are her Web habits?
- How influential is the buyer regarding the buying decision?
- Where in the sales cycle is the buyer?
- Any pet peeves or pain triggers?
- What trade pubs does he read?
- Is she affiliated with any professinal associations?
- Are the activities of the competition important?
When planning a B2B marketing effort, knowing your buyers' personas can move you closer to a more precise message. Ardath Albee, author of eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale, suggests "...B2B personas must recognize tht the prospects professional standing and priorities will hold additional sway over what catches his attention when it comes time to solve a business issue." This awareness will help illuminate the motivations, the worries and the tendencies that are important to your customers.
Here are some tips for gathering the background to discover your buyers' personas:
- Break down your buyers into distinct groups. In the B2B arena, it can be industry segments or job titles, for example.
- Select a few categories to further define your group, i.e., age, company type, key concerns, pain triggers, annoyances, professional activities and other profiling data.
- Interview the customers who fit the personas you have identified -- a minimum of five groups, more if possible.
- Genuinely pay attention to the words they use, the emphases placed and the priorities ordered.
- Catalog everything you know and have learned about each group’s attributes.
- Then step back and look at the patterns.
- Segment each group with a name. Rather than keeping your future customer as a nameless, faceless "prospect," give the customer life with a name.
Use this information to get to know your customers personally and understand their motivations. You can now tailor your marketing messages to highlight how your product’s solution will meet their needs. The goal of the marketing persona exercise is to help you understand your customers better and focus your marketing endeavors cost-effectively, reducing wasted effort on both sides. We have found the exercise to be profoundly effective at our B2B marketing agency, MLT Creative.
Imagine you’ve been tasked with writing web copy for your B2B prospective customer base announcing the launch of the time-traveling flux capacitor. This time, consider the persona profile of Dr. Emmitt Brown, the brilliant scientist. As a technical expert, Dr. Brown wouldn’t be interested in “fluffy” product benefit brochures, but he would read a straightforward, practical and scientifically rich product analysis. By appealing to Dr. Brown’s motivations, your website will produce better results.
Have you gotten personal with your B2B buyers? Can you categorize their personas?
/mh
Martine Hunter
is the creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing. She holds the Inbound Marketing professional certification.
At networking events nowadays, you hear a new vocabulary:
“You're LinkedIn? Invite me to your network.”
“Are you connected to So&So’s network? Can I get an intro?"
“Friend me and I'll hook up with you on your wall.”
Social networking has changed the way we communicate to prospects and industry peers. If you're connected and they know your name, they can look you up. And even better, you can look up others.
Having missed the MySpace craze, the first profile I created on a social networking site was LinkedIn just two years ago when a former colleague asked for a recommendation. I didn't respond right away to the newfangled communication, but intrigued, I built my own profile. Since then, I have watched my friend's network increase to almost an incredible 500 connections and mine has grown to a respectible 180 solid business connections.
LinkedIn is best for business networking and is a boon for B2B marketers. Profile information is geared towards jobs, organizations, skills, etc. I always find it helpful and interesting to look at my connections' connections. It's great for stealth business research too. You can always ask to be "introduced" to someone else's connection. I've added my company's Web site and blog on my profile, a way of marketing my company and measuring marketing effectiveness.
It's also amazing to see your own network statistics. Although I have about 180 connections, my second degree connections (my connections' connections) amount to more than 57,000 — and the third degree amounts to over a four million!
Link to me!
I also have a Facebook profile and check it sporadically, unlike like some of my friends, who must check theirs several times a day. I use Facebook's social networking site only to keep in touch with old friends, current friends and new friends — very few business contacts. I tire easily of the "what are you doing" function. Some people update this regularly, often with banal entries like "I have a headache," or "I need to sharpen my pencil." I don't have patience to chronicle those activities, but it cracks me up to read what my pals are up to.
So, do all social networking sites serve the same purpose? Yes and no. I use all these sites to network. But the specific type of networking is different.
If you haven't already, you must create a profile on a social networking site that fits your needs. Increase your contacts, business and keep in touch... all at your fingertips!
Take a look at this video that explains how Linkedin works.
/mh
Martine Hunter
is the creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing. She holds the Inbound Marketing professional certification.
The changing nature of our industry propels us to stay on top of the latest trends. Meeting and learning from other professionals helps us do our jobs better. Here's what's on tap for marketing industry events for November.
Tuesday, November 3
PRSA Atlanta - November Travel& Tourism SIG
Roundtable discussionsfeaturing best practices in Travel & Tourism
Thursday, November 5
PRSA Atlanta - NationalPRSA Teleseminar hosted by PRSAGA
Building Your BrandIdentity Through Your Fans (Customers)
Wednesday, November 11
3rd Annual Atlanta Integrated Marketing Summit
First We'llIntegrate. Then We'll Mingle.
This year's event is being supported and presented by:
Thursday, November 12
DMA Atlanta: The UPS Whiteboard Experience
The Martin Agency- Meet the Whiteboard Creative Guy!
Friday, November 13
PRSA Atlanta - November 2009 Corporate andEmployee Communications SIG
Extreme Make-over:From Communications Order-Taker to Business Strategist
Tuesday, November 17AMA SignatureLuncheon
The Changing Face of Healthcare Marketing
Wednesday, November 18
Tuesday, November 24
IABC Be HeardTM 2009 ProfessionalDevelopment Series
Sarah E. Young is an account executive with the Atlanta advertising agency MLT Creative which specializes in business-to-business marketing.
More is written on the subject of successful selling technique than any other in the field of marketing. Everyone wants to know how to close the sale. In the traditional selling process, the relationship between prospect and seller has always had the hint of an adversarial relationship.
Often the buyer questions the salesperson's motives, and the salesperson assumes that the buyer will automatically resist the pitch. The initial contact can be a pushy, in-your-face approach or a warm, "let me help you" proposition. Either way, the salesperson is viewed as the aggressor.
In my experience with our B2B marketing firm in Atlanta, business-to-business selling should be less of a game of wits and finesse more a valuable business encounter. When marketers establish the need for the product, communicate the message, stimulate buyer interest, salespeople should take heed not to lose the sale because of competitive gamesmanship.
Advocates of value-added selling and its offshoots, consultative selling, needs-based selling, have always understood the importance of showing the customer how their product or service can provide a benefit solution and better a solution for their customers. It's a common-sense approach for B2B sales and marketing pros.
The ultimate collaboration is the seller and buyer working together to take the buyer's products or services to the buyer's customers. When everyone in the chain is focused on the final end-user, solutions are revealed, problems solved. And usually sales are closed.
This type of strategic alliance with your customer goes beyond the basic order-taking mentality. It moves to the rainmaking mindset and insists that sales and marketing:
- Examine your customer, as well as your customer's customer.
- Be prepared to show understanding of their needs.
- Come with solutions to meet their challenges to be viewed as a trusted expert.
- Go past the simple transaction and look for new market opportunities for their products and services.
- Make an effort to become an integral part of their business, not just another vendor.
The salesperson who addresses challenges and solves problems gives the buyer much food for thought for nourishing an underwhelmed marketing plan. What buyer can resist the temptation?
/mh
Martine Hunter is a creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing.
After a long break, Mad Men Memos are back for Season 3. But before we get into what happened in Sunday's episode, here are some highlights from episode 1, "Out of Town":
- Apparently it's pretty redundant to make any 'Dick' jokes about Don's given name, as it was, in fact, actually meant to refer to... that. Thank his vulgar prostitute mom and her grudge with the condomless John who impregnated her.
- To absolutely no one in America's surprise, being pregnant hasn't stopped Betty from smoking or drinking. Also she wants the baby to be a girl so that it will distract her from how much Sally's chubbiness and suspected lesbianism disappoints her, which is infinitely.
- Peggy's secretary is not so good at the secretarying, but better at swooning over one of the new British guys acquired during last season's merger, making her one more ingredient in Peggy's big pot o' misery.
- Bertram has added "ancient and disturbing Japanese tentacle porn" to his long list of Asian-themed interests, and has seen fit to hang one on the wall because it reminds him of advertising. Seriously.
- Sterling Cooper fires the head of accounts, Burt Peterson, just in time for his ailing wife to probably die of cancer. The firings at Sterling Coop have apparently been going on for awhile between seasons, but the expectedness doesn't stop Peterson from making a big fat angry scene about it.
- Pete gets promoted to Petersons' position. Then Ken does too. Wait, what? There's a hilarious scene in the elevator when Pete and Ken are both semi-congratulating each other without realizing that they've received the same promotion. They soon find out though, and all of Sterling Cooper's accounts are divvied up between the two of them. Looks like its going to be a battle to the death. Or at least the unemployment line.
- Joan reiterates her plan, first expressed at the end of Season 2, to depart the advertising agency after her wedding.
- On a business trip together, Don and Sal make up fake idenities (something they both LOVE to do, in their own little ways) and dine with a pair of stewardesses from their flight. Don absconds with his, and ironically ends up telling her something true that even Betty doesn't know - it's his (Dick Whitman's) birthday.
-Sal is about to go to bed alone, but not before calling a bellhop up to fix the AC. The bellhop looks to fix something else instead, and Sal, a closeted homosexual in his mid-30s, finally has his first gay experience. Unfortunately for him, the fire alarm goes off, and as Don and his paramour descend down the fire escape, he spots Sal in flagrante. But, like the secret-keeping guy that he is, Don doesn't let on that he knows - though he does take the opportunity to ratchet up the tension on the flight back.
Now, onto episode 2, "Love Among the Ruins":
This episode felt more oddly paced than the last, mostly because of some ill-placed commercial breaks. But other than that, things are really getting rolling this season, which is a stark contrast to the series' usual slow-burn structure.
It began with an overlong-for-my-taste clip of Ann Margret in Bye-Bye Birdie, who despite her undeniable beauty managed to get on my last nerve by caterwauling at an annoying volume and with bizarre enunciation ("Bird-hee?"). Did people really used to like that movie? The guys seem impressed, anyway, and Diet Pepsi wants Sterling Cooper to use the provocative clip as inspiration in devising a campaign around their new diet drink, which has the unfortunate moniker "Patio" (It's a "working" name, apparently, but it needs to "work" on not existing).
Everyone is down with the idea except Peggy, who takes issue with what she sees as blatant sexism, apparently forgetting where she works and what year it is. She comes to Don, who advises her to abandon all pretenses of artistry, leaving her a little disillusioned with her occasional mentor. In an attempt to embrace her gender role, she croons the Ann Margret song to her mirror (in a slightly more tolerable way than the original), then hits the streets for a Don-like night of getting drunk and hooking up.
Pete gets off to a rocky start in his quest to outdo Ken for the head of accounts gig, thanks to a disasterous PR pitch to the guys who plan to demolish Penn Station to make way for Madison Square Garden. More accurately, it was thanks to Paul, who in his ill-advised attempt to "play devil's advocate," expressed a little (read: a lot) too much sympathy toward the growing backlash against Penn Station's destruction. Don and Roger are tasked with cleaning up their mess. They patch things up with the MSG people, with the caveat that Paul is no longer allowed within a beard's length of the campaign.
Just when things are getting back on track, Pryce (one of the Brits in charge since the merger) walks in to inform Don that London will be pulling Sterling Cooper's involvement with Madison Square Garden after all. Don is livid at the missed opportunity, but there's nothing he can do.
Roger clashes with his daughter over the prospect of bringing his young new wife to the former's impending nuptials. But the biggest problem facing that wedding is an unseen one: it's planned for what will be the day after the JFK assassination.
Betty's brother William is in town with their increasingly senile father, Gene. William tells Betty he's putting the old man in a home. Betty accuses her brother of trying to get his hands on the family mansion, and then it's Don's turn to swoop in for the kill. He pulls William aside and tells him in so uncertain terms that he will NOT be getting the house, and that Gene will be staying at Casa Draper for the time being, with William footing the bill. Unfortunately, Grandpa Gene goes from zero to crazy in about 30 seconds flat. Talk about your ultimate backfire.
Next Week: Gene goes wilder!
Chase Mitchell is a copy writer at Atlanta-based B2B marketing firm MLT Creative. Located on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, MLT Creative was founded in 1984 by partners Billy Mitchell, Craig Lindberg and Glenn Taylor.
Known as the Idea Launch PadTM for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative's services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions for business-to-business clients.
This Week's B2B Word on the Street is: NO RETREAT
We don’t retreat – we charge the hill.
Years ago, I attended an Ad Agency Owners retreat in Charlotte, N.C., hosted by Tony Mikes, the founder of the Second Wind Network. Second Wind is the largest network of small and mid-size ad agencies, marketing and design firms in the country and, although we had been members for a few years, this was really the first time my two partners and I had taken the time to attend such an event.
This was back in the late 90s, and most of the discussions throughout the retreat were centered around growing business and gaining new accounts. Our B2B marketing agency was experiencing the most profitable years of its history, so we were riding high, with an interest in raising our game to the next level. We learned a lot from Tony and the other speakers, as well as from casual conversations with other agency principals.
As Tony was describing typical growth phases, one in particular stood out as a common chapter in almost every agency’s history: the small, hungry firm that performs as a tight-knit band of like-minded zealots, willing to “charge the hill” together on every project. He compared such agencies to a light cavalry, moving swiftly without regulated formalities and covering lots of ground while also covering for each other. That was MLT Creative, and as we nodded our heads in recognition, so did many others in the room. But to become a bigger success, we decided it was time to grow into a larger organization.
We returned to Atlanta full of entrepreneurial ambition and big ideas. We did grow our business, and more than doubled the size of our staff. But we also noticed that it took more systems and multi-point processes to manage both the work flow and the humanity. We soon gained a new respect for Human Resource departments. MLT Creative didn’t have one, so that task was often shared by M, L and T, which took us away from the roles in which we each excelled. Business was booming, but to be honest, it wasn’t as much fun. Too many meetings, too many forms, too many layers.
Then came September 11, 2001 and, with that, the need to really “retreat.” As the economy tanked and clients froze much of their marketing efforts, we had to scale back and let some of our staff go before we could begin what was to be a slow and steady recovery.
Business eventually grew back to its pre-9/11 peak, but this time, as we added new staff, we were more careful to test their mettle; to see if they were “charge the hill” types, or if they needed a more routine structure to feel comfortable. We realized that we like being the cavalry – it’s a lot more fun. With more impromptu huddles in the hallways and informal “swirl sessions,” and fewer repetitive, rigidly-scheduled conference room meetings, we found that we got more done with fewer people because we recruit so selectively for MLT Creative.
Then came the depressing recession of 2009. This time, we were more prepared to take the hit. We did, once again, have to scale back a bit, but what made a big difference is that we were already working lean and light.
Thankfully, business is growing again. Current clients are investing more in their marketing efforts, and we continue to win new accounts. In business, as in battle, it’s better to be on the attack than in retreat.
Billy Mitchell is the president and creative director of Atlanta-based B2B marketing firm MLT Creative. Located on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, Mitchell co-founded MLT Creative in 1984 along with partners Craig Lindberg and Glenn Taylor.
Known as the Idea Launch Pad™ for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative’s services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions for business-to-business clients.