Expert: Peter Gabany - 11/5/2002

Question
I graduated last year with a marketing degree, but I really want to go into advertising. How much is there a difference. I have experience in QuarkXPress, and little in Dreamweaver.
Currently I am taking classes for my MBA. Will this even help me get an advertising job?
I really dislike sales too, so that is completely out of the question.
Any suggestions would be appreciated

Thanks.

Answer
Hi,

Thank you for your question. You seem a bit frazzled and disjointed. First of all what about advertising interests you? Answer that for me. Your MBA will certainly help you get a job, but your attitude regarding sales is not going to help you. Now don't go away because I said that. Advertising is very much a selling job. Advertising has little to do with selling. Both statements are true to some degree. Let me explain.

The sales that you are possibly shunning are the door to door or telemarketing types. These are "boiler room" selling scenarios. It is high pressure. Push people into buying something that they don't need, that they don't really want–what they do want is for you to stop bothering them and will purchase to get you off the phone.

Selling in the ad agency business is very much the reason advertising is. If it isn't to eventually have people buy something than what is it for?

Now comes the real question–what do you see yourself doing in the ad business? If you believe that you are going to be hired in creative, especially fresh out of "B" school then I believe you need to take stock of what the industry has to offer. Albeit, with a "B" school degree you would fit into account management to a tee.

Account Management is NOT a fancy way to say salesperson, but it is in fact a position of sales. (This could take a month to explain). The difference is that sales people are concerned with making the kill–they wake up every morning unemployed and are driven to make that first sale of the day– to get that new job. Really proficient sales people work solely on commission and far out-pace any salary position.

An account executive or AE in the ad world manages a clients business. See the difference. The target is already a client, they are on-board with the agency, but this is where the real selling begins–and it is most subtle because a client doesn't wish to know that they are being sold.

As an AE you manage the client, their marketing matters and their budget. And manage you must. Think for a moment. You are managing a budget of $20.0 Million for Sony Playstation 2 and they are starting their third quarter and you've alreay spent 4/5ths of their budget. You have three months to go until year end and Christmas is their big mover month–explain now to the client that you need an additional $4.8Million to make the season. You may get the money but I believe that you will loose the account.

The role of the AE is a very important one and can come with great rewards. It is at times a huge laugh, fun and exhillerating. It can also be financially rewarding.

If its the creative that you wish to get into, please note that without a creative mind you will not excell as an AE.

I hope that I have been of help. Please feel free to write again. or contact me direct through my personal email –<peter@limelight.org>. By the way we are looking for a good AE.

Pete