>> My job consisted, I would say, on a daily basis from 1988, which would be really
when I felt I accomplished the most, was a client would come to us with a product
or an idea, or they needed leads, or they wanted to sell their products, and sometimes they came
to us with nothing but an idea, or they came to us with a product.
We helped them get it manufactured.
We helped them getting distribution.
We got involved in the actual production of the infomercial
or the 60-second commercial, the two minute commercial.
Then we bought the media time.
And at that point, we analyzed, and we saw that some of the stuff worked.
Some of it didn't.
The things that worked, we then scaled it to where they went to retail eventually,
and hopefully, we could take a product that was an idea and make it into a successful business.
And that was the goal on every time.
A typical day was looking at the results from the media buy from the day before,
talking to my media director, advising them, discussing what changes we should make
so that we could optimize the buy, and seeing the media.
Now, the media could be an 8:30 half hour on CBS in Sacramento,
or it could be a half hour on CNBC at 12:00 noon.
So -- and the range in prices for a half hour could be anywhere
from $100.00 to 25, 30, 40 thousand dollars.
So we had to make it work.
And then managing client expectations, that is the one thing that could make
or break any advertising agency because this is the goal.
Every client goes in with what they think is the best product in the world,
and dealing with the reality that, you know, it is not the best product,
or it is not going to work as you perceive.
And it is dealing with these expectations because sometimes people come to you
with a product that is not going to work, and you have to bust that person's bubble.
And it is not very nice, and you have to say I don't want to do it.
And the toughest thing to do at that point is to manage the expectations, let them know what
to expect, and most importantly, if the thing is a hit, take it out as far as it will go.
And that would be in distribution in a Walmart or a Kmart or a CVS or a Walgreen's.
And today, what is occurring is the foreign nations,
the foreign sales, are just as big as the US sales.
And now we have the Internet.
So when we first started, there was no Internet, and everything had to be
on the telephone, the 800 number.
Now, it is completely flip-flopped.
We've got products that we're selling 90% on the Internet, 10% by the 800 number.
So it is totally evolved now, where the Internet is now king where the 800 number used to be.
So it is managing all of this.
This was a typical day, and the reports that came in, being on the phone,
talking to new business, making new business presentations, and being able to feel the thrill
of victory when you went in and you spoke to a major account, and they gave you the trust
to handle their marketing because what it is is you are taking their product
and bringing it to market.
So the success or failure of what they lived for was totally in your hands.
And that trust is what enabled you to win or lose.