Don’t be Another Vendor: Become The Trusted Advisor by Vicky Sullivan

I recently came across a must-read book for anyone looking to succeed in a client related field entitled The Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford. This book was a recommended to me by the Managing Director at 360i when I was an intern at the company and it changed the way I approach business. The simple concept of genuine trust is the ultimate solution to winning a client's business, keeping it, and getting glowing recommendations. It can result in rewards such as higher job security/pay and happier working conditions. No matter where you are in your career, I guarantee that this book and its 5-step process will change the very way you approach your business relationships.

Perhaps, the most successful way of doing business is reminiscent of a simpler time. In the old days, the people you would do business with on a daily basis would be the same people you would consider your personal friends or trusted advisers. For example, you would go to your local pharmacist or grocer with a personal crisis unrelated to their business. This is the ideal way to be viewed by your clients. The revolutionary knowledge found in The Trusted Advisor will help you achieve this goal.

Taking it to the Next Level by Lori Wigler

A topic Beth and I have discussed is motivating a team and leading key people to the next level in their careers. While some things are easy to measure (e.g. understanding media and using tools), it’s difficult to teach someone how to think “big picture”, to be “strategic”, and to think from a “holistic brand perspective”. I've been struggling with this task as I prepare my Account Executive for the next level. Beth gave me great suggestions and I recently put one to immediate use with a twist!

If a team member's work is not up to par or has errors, rather than fixing it for them or pointing out the issues, inform the employee that it isn't client ready. Direct the employee to spend more time with the project to find the mistakes. For example, I recently set up time with my Account Executive for something I call “Supervisor School”. I gathered a few recently completed emails or projects which I had revised. We spent about an hour going through four examples and talked about why I made revisions from a bigger picture perspective. Some of my key rules:

• Always ask why: we often are working at such a fast pace that we become task oriented vs. thinking about the big picture. You should attain the objective and end goal for each project. This will ensure the employee is always thinking about the next steps and will ask the right questions.
  

• 5 W’s (who, what, where, when, why & how): think back to elementary school--does the final project address all of these key points clearly? For example, who is the consumer/demo? What is the objective? How will we achieve it? These are basics, but are imperative for discussions.
  


• Get back to the clients' initial requests: have we answered it in the simplest terms? For example, we were asked for cancellation dollars and the AE provided a very detailed spreadsheet that highlighted by quarter, media type, etc. However, it failed to include a bottom line. While all the details were pertinent, we could have provided this as back-up and simply provided the bottom line amount to most efficiently answer the initial question.
  

This process helped set the precedence for my Account Executive of what the next level entails. I also made her aware that in the future, she should expect that I wouldn’t fix her work and instead have her spend more time with it. This process allowed me to set up my expectations upfront. My AE’s reaction to “Supervisor School” was incredibly positive. It was clear that I was invested in her growth and wanted to see her succeed. I have seen immediate positive changes in her work.

10 Questions You Should Ask Your Mentor by Vicky Sullivan

There are no right or wrong questions to ask your mentor, but here are some guidelines that many help further develop a meaningful and productive conversation:

1. How did you get where you are today? Chances are you would like to someday be where your mentor currently is in their career. Hearing their story can often help you in writing your own.

2. What qualities do you look for in the people you hire? Someday at an interview, you will probably find yourself face-to-face with someone very similar to your mentor. Get the scoop on what these people are really looking for in a casual setting.

3. What do you see are upcoming trends in the industry? Since your mentor probably has more experience than you, it’s good to hear in advance what you might be facing in the future.

4. I am looking to _____ (e.g. switch my career from account management to account planning.) If you were me, what would you place your attention on and what are some pitfalls you would avoid? You mentor is there to guide you. Therefore, use your mentor's experience and knowledge to plan your own career advancement. I'm sure they wish they knew what they know now when they were in your shoes.

5. How should I approach my boss about _____? When you want to propose a new idea or tell your boss about an issue, it is often not what you say, but how you say it. You mentor’s previous experiences will help you find the superlative approach allowing you to arrive at the best solution.

6. What do you like most about your career? This could be a valuable question especially if you are thinking about switching careers or are not sure about what your next step should be. Your mentor could be a source of great insight into another area of the industry.

7. What characteristics or skills set you apart from your peers and enabled you to be so successful so quickly? Membership in AWNY is all about developing skills that will help advance your career quickly and more effectively. Who better to learn this from than your mentor?

8. How do you manage work/life balance? With a demanding career, it sometimes seems impossible to separate your job from your personal life. Your mentor probably has some tricks up their sleeve as to how to get the most out of your personal time.

9. How was your weekend? Getting to know your mentor on a personal level through their hobbies and interests is a very significant part of the mentor to mentee relationship. Feel free to form both a friendship and professional relationship with your mentor and sharing stories can help strengthen the bond.

10. When do you want to meet next? Both you and your mentor probably have very busy schedules so it is very important to plan ahead in order to stay on the same page. Do not let your time with your mentor lapse. If you can not meet set 15 minutes aside one day to speak over the phone.

More References:

• 25 Questions to Ask Your Mentor: http://ezinearticles.com/?25-Power-Questions-to-Ask-Your-Mentors&id=169121
• Five Questions Every Mentor Must Ask: http://blogs.hbr.org/tjan/2009/03/five-questions-every-mentor-mu.html

Digital Tools That Help Mentoring Communication by Amy Lam & Vicky Sullivan

We have come to rely on certain digital tools to efficiently manage our communication with our mentoring partners. Here are 4 free tools that we think everyone should be familiar with and how we personally use them:

1. Google Calendar is a virtual day planner similar to Microsoft Outlook.
   
   How Amy Uses It: "I like to send meeting requests so my partner not only gets a reminder (that syncs with other applications, e.g. Outlook), but I have the peace of mind when I get a confirmation email stating that they've accepted the meeting. My friends and I also allow schedule sharing so when we make plans, we automatically know each others' availabilities."
   
   
   


2. Google Reader compiles digital content from different sources all into one place.
   
   How Amy Uses It: "I set alerts for my mentors' names and companies so I get up-to-date news and gain further insight on their professional environment. I'm also always curious about what people choose to pay attention to or where people get their news so this tool conveniently allows me to receive (and share!) resources from other Google users."
   
   
   


3. Skype provides phone service from anywhere in the world using the Internet (as a side note, they provide instant messaging, file transfer and video conferencing as well).
   
   How Amy Uses It: "I actually haven't used it yet in a mentoring situation, BUT it was potentially a great way to talk with my mentor when she was traveling outside the U.S. last year. The calling service is free, but the drawback is that both you and the other user must register in order to use it together."
   
   
   
   


4. LinkedIn is a social network geared toward professional and career development.
   
   How Vicky Uses It: "It was a great resource for researching my mentor before I met him. I found out where he went to school, where he has worked and what mutual connections we had--even how he looked like so I knew who to look for in my initial mentoring meeting. You can also ask your mentor for a recommendation on LinkedIn and use it as a reference source."

Amy Lam is an online marketing manager at Direct Brands, Inc., responsible for enhancing brand experiences and generating conversions through all Bookspan's e-commerce sites.

Vicky Sullivan is the New Media Manager at Advertising Women of New York.

Staging the 1st Meeting: Tips for Mentors and Mentees by Vicky Sullivan

With only a few weeks until the Kick-Off Breakfast on February 2nd at Yahoo!, all newly matched mentors and mentees should have contacted each other and sent an RSVP to the AWNY office via email in regards to the breakfast. The idea is for mentors and mentees to have met prior to the kick-off event. This first meeting can be both exciting and nerve-racking. Here are a few tips on how to make the most out of this preliminary encounter:

1. Be Professional: Though this is a mostly casual get-together, you are still meeting with someone in your industry so it is still a semi-professional meeting.
2. Meet Half Way: Meeting at a place that serves food or coffee is always a great icebreaker. Starbucks is a good option and there is one on almost every street corner in the city. If lunchtime is convenient, meet for lunch. However, with the craziness and unpredictability of the New York workday, meeting before or after work might be a better option. Try meeting at a central location; somewhere in between where you both work. If you do not have time to meet set aside time to speak over the phone.
3. Prepare: Before you even contact your mentor or mentee ask yourself what you are looking to get out of this. What would you like to achieve during your time together.
4. Make a Connection: As far as conversation goes, have fun. Though it may be helpful to talk about job-related topics, making a personal connection is what this meeting is really about. However, make sure you think of a few conversation starters before you arrive at your first meeting. Simple questions such as:
   - What made you want to join AWNY?
   - Where did you go to school?
   - Tell me more about what you do.
5. Set Goals: The mentor and mentee are both at different stages in their career. Each should look to and make the other aware of how they plan to use this program to further their career.
   
   
   Good luck and don’t forget to Learn Share Grow.
   
   You can now find AWNY on Twitter: http://bit.ly/7IjiEv and Facebook: http://bit.ly/4UVE3b

Grow: How to Perfect an Elevator Pitch About Yourself

Daisy Wademan Dowling, author of Remember Who You Are and contributor to the Harvard Business Review recently provided 5 easy, intuitive, and incredibly inightful tips that will lead to perfect a strong elevator pitch. Read the featured article here: http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/dowling/2009/05/how-to-perfect-an-elevator-pit.html