Buying a dog and barking yourself

Buying a dog and barking yourself

That’s a line my dad always used and it comes to mind from time to time when someone has hired a professional to do a job and then they try to do it themselves or stand over their shoulder and direct them. When you go to your doctor, you describe the symptom and they prescribe a way back to health. It’s the same with your mechanic. You take your car in, try to mimic that clickity-clack humming sound it just started making and the mechanic goes to work on diagnosing the problem. You wouldn’t tell the doctor what to prescribe, or the mechanic how to fix a tie-rod (whatever that is). They’re trained professionals and you trust in their knowledge and expertise. Shouldn’t that also be the case in the ad agency/client relationship?

Trust your marketing experts the same as your doctor or mechanic. Understand that they are trained and experienced professionals. Give your creative partners a reason to live and die for you. You’ll find by doing so you’ll garner a more productive working relationship. Your agency will work harder and results will improve. Use your agency for their hearts and minds, not just their hands.

If you have problems with trusting the advice of your advertising or marketing partner, it may not be the right relationship for you. It may be time to look for other options. However, if you have bought a dog and you’re barking yourself, you may want to consider taking a step back to remember why you wanted to work with an expert marketer in the first place. Let them do their job and enjoy the benefits of their successes working on your behalf.

If you’re a small business owner, we should get to know each other. My methods for creating decades of successful marketing campaigns could be critical in your efforts to attract new customers and to drive new business. Read my book; How to build marketing campaigns that get results and drive growth. The book will be ready to download soon at www.mccaffertyadvertising.com