{"id":189729,"date":"2021-05-21T23:42:47","date_gmt":"2021-05-21T21:42:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/?p=102867"},"modified":"2021-05-21T23:42:47","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T21:42:47","slug":"the-suit-life-opinion-by-craig-naicker-group-managing-director-at-cwdi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/the-suit-life-opinion-by-craig-naicker-group-managing-director-at-cwdi\/","title":{"rendered":"THE SUIT LIFE Opinion by Craig Naicker, Group Managing Director at CWDi"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Swiss Army Knife Suit<\/p>\n

The last year under lockdown has seen us all adapt and move towards the \u201cnew normal\u201d, and I can\u2019t help but cast my mind back to one of the first games in my junior cricket days. We were batting at the time and there was a bowler from the opposing team (tall and super-fast), who was just ripping into our batting line up.<\/p>\n

I was next in to bat and my coach came up to me and said, \u201cSon you have a chance to do what none of the other batters have done, and that is to adapt to these conditions. If you don\u2019t adapt, you are going to be out like the batters before you.\u201d Fast forward to March 2021 and those words ring true for most businesses and people in the advertising industry \u2013 now more than ever.<\/p>\n

Most agencies have had to realign their business to adapt to the current and future landscape; whether that means a bigger shift towards the digital world, forming new collaborative relationships or even acquiring other businesses that are currently not in their wheelhouse. So, what does all this change mean for a Suit?<\/p>\n

Well, it is forcing us to think and act differently \u2013 to adapt, creating a new set of working tools like a Swiss Army Knife.<\/p>\n

A Suit pre COVID-19<\/p>\n

The Suit had to maintain client relationships, take detailed briefs, brief the agency employees, manage deadlines, and upsell the agency\u2019s services to clients.<\/p>\n

A Suit during and post COVID-19<\/p>\n

In our new reality, it falls to the Suit to build and maintain strategic client relationships and meaningful connections. To stay on top of the game, they must also develop a strategic and creative mindset. Being proactive is extremely important.<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t just wait for clients to brief us anymore. We need to hunt those briefs down and chase them up. Now is also the time to add more value for your clients, by upskilling in all areas of the agency (ATL, BTL, digital, media buying, PR).<\/p>\n

A Suit is no longer seen as the buffer between agency and client, but as the key to unlocking collaborations and solving client business challenges. Foster a collaborative environment internally. So, don\u2019t just focus on your clients. Try to help the other Suits in the agency come up with collective solutions that will keep the whole organisation profitable \u2013 because that is in everybody\u2019s best interests.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be the change<\/p>\n

Over the years, I have seen people leading with empathy on only a few occasions. If we want to truly lead with empathy, it is time for us to start connecting on an emotional level by changing our behaviour.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s stop looking from our ivory tower or glass house with a blanket approach, and start making emotional connections with people on the ground. Take the time to emotionally connect with our work colleagues, no matter the title, demographic or department. Place people before profits. When you can do that, you see the true value of your biggest assets which are the people you work with, the profits will follow. Understand your clients\u2019 backgrounds and circumstances, show them that you are emotionally invested in them and not there to just sell them a service or a product.<\/p>\n

If we truly want to be stronger together and beat the social and economic challenges we currently face, it\u2019s time for everyone to lead with empathy.<\/p>\n

Personal or Personality<\/p>\n

When it comes to our clients, we sometimes grapple with the whole notion of personal versus personality. I have seen many a Suit break down over the years because they think that their client has a personal challenge with them. In most cases, it is a personality challenge as we do not take the time to emotionally connect with our clients from the onset.<\/p>\n

People buy from people. Products or services that you offer are secondary \u2013 this is something that we hear often. In these uncertain times, the way we connect with our consumers, clients and work colleagues can go a long way to ensure our survival.<\/p>\n

Be the Wingman<\/p>\n

As Suits, we have told our clients many times that we see our agency as an extension of their business. Now more than ever, we need to start living by those words and adapt the way in which we provide services. We can do this by truly immersing ourselves in clients\u2019 operations and being their wingmen. Clients need to know that their Suit is always ready to assist them with any business challenge that they might face. Being a true wingman means that your client can be vulnerable in front of you and vice-versa. This is proof that you have a meaningful connection with your client, which is built on trust.<\/p>\n

Hybrid Mentality<\/p>\n

Let us become Suits who are hybrids that have insights and understanding of strategy, creative, the digital world, planning, problem-solving and relationship management. Becoming a hybrid allows you to challenge internal agency thinking in order to deliver the best results for both the client and the agency.
So, the question you should be asking yourself right now is, \u201cAm I a Swiss Army Knife Suit?\u201d
For more information or to connect with CWDi, please click here.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pages: Page <\/span>1<\/span> Page <\/span>2<\/a><\/div>\n

Source: MyPR.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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