$&!# happens. And in advertising, it usually does.
Typos.
Miscommunications.
Any one of these mistakes makes you feel bad. It makes you question your career choice. And even worse, it makes you look incompetent to your boss and your client.
The best Account Executives have learned how to prevent these problems from ever happening.
Make an A$$ out of U and Me
It’s human nature really. You make assumptions, you’re juggling several projects, and you expect others to be thorough in their job.
But the reality is they make assumptions too. And they are busy with four other deadlines looming over them. And they expect you to be thorough.
So with all these assumptions being made Murphy’s Law kicks in.
Anything that can possibly go wrong, does.
And before you know it, creative didn’t see that one piece of input from the client that was emailed later.
Or the client gets a draft of copy with a typo in it.
And that one client change didn’t get made. Fortunately, most of these mistakes can be prevented.
Dust off your crystal ball
The best AEs learn to anticipate problems … so they never even happen. They look into the future to recognize opportunities for misunderstandings or miscommunications and head them off at the pass.
Don’t assume that the team will get it right. Instead, assume they will not!
Make sure all input is presented in a cohesive and thorough manner.
Proofread everything carefully before it goes to the client, regardless of how many other people have signed off on it.
And while you’re at it, make sure the changes made actually address the client’s request.
Cross your t’s and dot your i’s. And if it’s not right, send it back!
The buck stops with you
Consider it to be your job to make sure everyone else has the information they need, and reminders, if necessary, to do their job. And that they have done their job correctly.
Sure, there are other people on the team who are supposed to be doing these things. But the best Account Executives make it their responsibility to make everyone else’s job easier. And the best AEs have the team’s back.
It just takes a little extra time and foresight to check your crystal ball … and prevent the mistakes and problems from ever happening.
Don’t Miss a Thing
Sign up now to receive next week’s training article in your inbox.