Nailed It
Ask me what I think about my career and you’ll probably want to gag. I love my job, my team, my customers and my profession. (Sick, right?) I’d never go as far to say that I don’t have days that I want to lock the front door and move to The Netherlands to sell cheese, but it doesn’t take much to remind me why the tough days at work build character. This video is one example.
One of the most awesome aspects of working in marketing and advertising is the abundance of creativity and humor our industry produces for each other. Lawyers, doctors and used car salesmen all have their own inside jokes and so do we! The difference with peer-to-peer comedy in marketing, however, is that we have the tools, the technology and the copywriters to express ourselves at a whole different level.
I love this video for it’s honesty, especially the line about “taking it in house.“ And, as painfully truthful as these scenarios are, hard core business development wouldn’t be exciting if each opportunity didn’t come with a little negotiation and a few, “are you serious?“ moments! The next time I want to start brushing up on my Dutch, I’ll find a little humor like this and remind myself that we’re all in this together, and that $12 tacos will never replace our premium filets.
Video Source: PR Squared, a marketing and PR firm from Texas.
Posted by Marcelle Turner on May. 30, 2009
Comments
“A client is a client” is right! They way I look at it, there are two sides to every transaction. Sometimes we are the seller, sometimes we are the buyer, but we can ALWAYS be reasonable business people. There is nothing wrong with healthy negotiation, and in my experience it often results in an even better win-win solution! These clips just remind me that even in a buyers market that mutual respect goes a long way. 
Posted by Marcelle on 06/01/2009 09:18 AM
Hey M, This is great…much appreciated at the end of a week when I’ve often said: “really?!?!, you really think that’s fair business?!?!“ Perhaps I’ll be in Switzerland by Monday selling (eating) chocolate - that’ll be more my speed. Cheers, L
Posted by Lillie on 06/04/2009 09:40 PM
There is a mix of scenarios in the clip and I think it clouds the message.
Some interactions take place after the product has been delivered - as in the restaurant scene - while the scene of the man trying to buy the video takes place before the deal is done (obviously).
And while I think all cultures agree that bilking after getting the goods is a lousy thing to do, attitudes to negotiating beforehand is more culture-bound.
From my perspective the reaction of the shop owner seems specifically ‘anglo—saxon’ for want of a better word.
My experience is that some cultures make different use of the time by opening up the interaction to a seemingly much more personal relationship between people.
On the other hand, where one of the parties is a stranger to the culture, then the psychology of making the stranger feel bad if they don’t negotiate, comes into play and is a fine art.
Posted by David Bennett on 06/05/2009 04:16 AM
Wow! Your post title says it all. Takes me all the way back to my law practice days ... a client is a client is a client ... ;-D
But what about when we’re the client?
Posted by Tom Collins on 06/01/2009 08:55 AM