Sounds simple right? Well, it’s not. I know way too many people who get up in the morning and don’t want to go to work. Some feel under-appreciated, under-paid, or simply do not like their job or their co-workers. How about you? Why not take the test below and see what your results are – it might help change the direction you are heading.

Job Satisfaction Survey

Face it – unless a great uncle or someone close to you left you a lot of money or you hit the lottery, most of us are going to work until well after we are 55-60 years of age. Unless you have a great boss (okay I am) and a great job, it’s time to think about your health. Studies have shown that stress and unhappiness at work causes unhealthy people.

While money is important in all of our lives it really can’t be, and should not be, everything. Yes, I know it buys the stuff that makes us happy but that kind of happiness is very transient. You cannot buy enough “stuff” to make you happy at a high paying job that you don’t like.

We try very hard at my company to make sure our staff gets more than a paycheck. For those of you out there who are business owners, think about this: I have made many more employees happy over a $200 surprise than a pay raise. Why? It’s timing, really. I always try to find out something about my staff, like what they might want or need but can’t financially justify. That’s when I like to spring a surprise most.

Over the years I have bought my employees a stove, a washing machine, a snow blower, lawn mower and even a couple of days off at bGG South (that’s my condo in Florida). You would be amazed at what that sort of thing does for company moral. I realize I did not invent this idea. I just learned from watching other owners who did it and, as a result, did not worry about their staff’s happiness. (For another interesting read, visit http://www.conference-board.org/utilities/pressDetail.cfm?press_ID=2582.)

I leave you with this: Be concerned about your staff and how happy they are, because it’s very expensive to keep hiring and training new staff.

What are you crazy? All they’re going to do is rip you off and leave town…okay, not exactly, I promise. But if you do need/want a new agency here are a couple of points to remember.

1. Ad agencies don’t walk on water.
2. Ad agencies don’t read minds.

I find many times when we meet with a potential client they have no idea what to expect other than their false belief that we can solve all of their problems. (Please see number 1.) We need information just like you do. When we meet with you, we realize it’s not all about us – it’s all about you! So be prepared to share the information we need to make informed recommendations. (Please see number 2.)

Tell us what you expect an agency to do for you…brand you, increase sales, increase your earned media, etc. Without those basics we can’t help you. If you check out one of Drew’s Marketing Blogs titled, BrandingWire: The Coffee Shop, and the blog, Note to CMO, you’ll see a lot of us worry about the same things.

Hiring a new or first agency is also about chemistry, be sure you are comfortable with the people. Clients who are wowed by the show-and-tell but never check the references to see if that agency can walk the walk as well as talk the talk make some of the biggest mistakes.

Hey, why should you? I’m just an ad guy trying to make a buck and thought maybe I might have an idea that could help you or your company. But hey, you most likely would be a real pain in the a** and why do I need that grief?

Not returning calls is one of my very biggest pet peeves. Why? Well, as this article also points out, it is damn rude. Okay, I know you are all busy executives with too much technology to deal with, but not returning calls is not only rude – it’s just plain bad for business. I tell my employees (and I do the same myself) that you need to return all calls. It’s not always easy and some days it’s down right annoying the calls I get. But other than investor calls, I try to call everyone back and would love the same courtesy.

So who are the biggest offenders in our business? That would be the folks who called ME and wanted to talk to ME about HELPING them with their advertising. So I spend some money on a pitch, go to a meeting and follow up with a phone call. Then…well they must have short-term memory loss since they forget they called ME in the beginning, they never take my call and I never hear from them again. Listen I know we don’t win every time we go pitch a prospective new client, but at least have the common decency to call and tell me where I went wrong or that you just aren’t interested and leave it at that. Is this really too much to ask?

The phone and voice mail are here for the duration and if you don’t use them correctly it will catch up with you. This arrogance of not returning phone calls only creates a good deal of anger in people, I see it more and more every day. People want to do business with people who are courteous – not folks that don’t care. Remember that as you get that phone call today from someone who might help you.

Another article of interest, if you share my opinion, can be found at
http://www.mobar.org/0f4af594-39c8-4ca1-8c1b-783f4733ff0b.aspx.