Stand Out
Today on my way to work I was behind a “[tag]rodent reducer[/tag]” truck. He was from the other side of town and in my neck of the woods at 6:30am. Why would I notice that, because it was very early to see a license plate from another county which is an hour away? This is what watching every rerun of CSI has taught me and occasionally, when not surfing the web for a fun Saturday evening, America’s Most Wanted.
Besides the bad type and way too many words to be on a moving billboard, this truck was somewhat fascinating. There was someone over here who at 6:30 am needed their rodents to be reduced and from the paragraphs of typography on the back of his metal stallion, he did more than blow into a flute to rid the world of menacing mice. It was the laundry list of what he actually did eliminate which made the Wild West stand off stories still swirl in my caffeine deprived cerebellum. He eradicates the world of rats, mice, squirrels, snakes, bats, chipmunks, raccoons, rabbits and beavers. Beavers? There are beavers in Atlanta? There is a problem with beavers in the Atlanta area which requires there to be an ad on the side, front and back of a truck?It had me thinking. This guy knows what he does. He knows what he is selling. He has the creative brief organized plainly in black and white on a moving vehicle. He knows the benefit of him and there is no mixed message. He eliminates not just a critter, but a variety of critters. You should call him, if you have a pen and paper handy while traveling 90 miles an hour south down I-85.
Know your hiring landscape. How do you become hotter than a two dollar pistol? Know the benefit of you so you can sell it to your highly prized passive candidate. You can do this in a variety of ways. One of the most beneficial is just having a thorough and thought out interview process. An itinerary is set. Every person who meets with the [tag]candidate[/tag] knows the details of the resume and has done their research with questions in hand. This in turn speeds up the process, yet gives the appearance of “taking your time”.
Makes even someone you don’t hire feel “special” and in turn give you good lip service.
It could be your work process. Can a [tag]creative[/tag] work on every client? Even the most junior have the opportunity to work on TV? Is there an open door policy to the ECD where suggestions are processed and discussed? Are you allowed to change partners or do you work with just one? Does everyone have the opportunity to work on a pitch? Are the creatives allowed to freelance on their own clients?
Does your agency have just kick butt benefits that stand out besides the matching 401k? Do you get a discount on your client’s products or services? In house chef? Car service? Daycare? Animal Daycare? Bring your animals to work? 4 day work weeks? Open keg at 5 every day? Company vacation on the company? We do have clients who offer these extras.
Our driver above has one job only, yet he offers a variety with in his hunt-and-gather position. As an [tag]agency[/tag], you have to do the same. Be the albino bunny in a land of jack rabbits.
Posted: July 22nd, 2008 under Miscellaneous.