Comments on: Bad Agency Karma

By: Kel

Kel — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:43:03 +0000

melanie, you and me both!

By: Melanie Stachowiak

Melanie Stachowiak — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:54:24 +0000

Kel – I couldn’t agree more. There is way too much bad mouthing going on, but not just with PR firms…in all industries. I do happen to be in the PR world myself and observe this trash talking amongst firms and vendors. The best way to earn business is through a great pitch, reputation and referral. Looking forward to the day karma comes back around to give the evil doers a big kick in the butt.

By: Kel

Kel — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:38:19 +0000

christopher, thanks for the amazingly kind words. for the record, we think meagan is the bombdiggity!

By: Christopher

Christopher — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:28:16 +0000

We are the ambassadors for our own industry. If we can’t improve the perception of our industry (and the underlying conditions that factor into perception) then no one can.

As for firms that admire, Kel & Partners certainly is one of them. I met (your) Megan at an event recently, and she is a prime example of how your team is made up of rock stars and media powerhouses!

By: Kel

Kel — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:25:09 +0000

julie, my mom used to say the same thing, but i never heard it called “thumpers rule.” unfortunately most schools, particularly mba programs, preach revenue growth. as you said, some really important life lessons get lost along the way. as always, thanks for taking the time to comment!

By: julie

julie — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:37:23 +0000

Growing up my mom called it Thumpers rule -”If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all…” No matter what industry you are in, this is invaluable and can’t be taught in any school. All good things come to those with patience, character, hard work and determination. It’s a good thing when you go to sleep and like the person looking back at you in the mirror…Keep it up Kel:)

By: Jack Speranza

Jack Speranza — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:53:37 +0000

Larry, your remarks on loyalty are spot on. When I left the private practice of law 11 years ago, this is exactly the level to where I felt the “profession” and its clients had sunk. I was part of a boutique litigation firm that was remarkably successful… our senior attorneys tried more cases in front of a jury than most other “litigators” would see in a year. We won a lot of cases that our own clients had written off as “losers.” Despite delivering repeated successes for our very sophisticated corporate clients, they were happy to take their work to the next lawyer down the street who was willing to charge $10/hour less (or beat us up on our average case cost because the average for the firm down the street was $1-2,000 less… even if they were not getting the same results). My former colleagues still try to “compete” in this market. I opted for a flavor of your “knowing who is the @#$hole” & chose a new line of work where I try to assure my clients and I remain focused on value and results. The jury’s still out on whether this will be as economically successful for me, but it sure is a hell of lot more gratifying!

By: Kel

Kel — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:51:15 +0000

nothing but love for you too larry….

By: Larry Lawfer

Larry Lawfer — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:07:11 +0000

I love you as you, there is only one of you and, you is great–language and all. One of the difficulty lies in the fact that everyone is now media, everyone is a writer and a videographer and a photographer and a pr person and a journalist, you get the point. We need more professionals and less citizen’s with so much self-esteem they don’t see their own limitations. For me, I am happy it is friday and I delivered work that will help people communicate.

By: Kel

Kel — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:56:57 +0000

larry, loyalty certainly is an interesting point. as you state, i think the economy is driving a lot of decisions based on lowest price and the one & done phenom. i love your comment on “knowing who is an asshole is harder.” unfortunately, sometimes that epiphany doesn’t happen until after the engagement has begun. i really believe that if someone chips away at my reputation enough that it would cause my agency to go under, then in the end that would lead me to a better place. sounds crazy, but the “all things happen for a reason” philosophy has never failed me once. the challenge is that sometimes the reason doesn’t reveal itself for over a year and the uncertainty can be unsettling.

as for my colorful language, i am who i am and never pretend to be anything else….

By: Larry Lawfer

Larry Lawfer — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:39:34 +0000

I completely agree with your premise but may have chosen less colorful language. I also want to throw in the loyalty issue. There is less loyalty to a vendor who delivers great work than ever before. Business is sadly driven by price, immediacy, and the BS of which you speak above. This is something going on now and this too shall pass, but in the interim many good people are suffering. K&P is ethical which mirrors it’s principles and principals, but many others are not. The question then is what to do about that. Blog is one thing, living the ethical business life is another, but these actions don’t keep your doors open if people (those unethical many) are chipping away at your reputation and biting the ankles of your profession.

In 28 years of delivering great content at an affordable price I have many clients who have stayed the course. I have far more that have come and gone, always looking for the next better deal, listened to the unethical competitor. Not working with assholes is a great approach, knowing who is an asshole is harder, especially at the beginning of a relationship. Being a one and done vendor for a client is not a way to build a business. In this scenerio you are always chasing the next job, not building client relationships. I think one of the hardest things to do is circle back on a relationship and find out why it didn’t work for them. Find out why you were one and done, find out who was talking about you and your work. This is much easier said than done. These calls are usually never answered honestly if they are answered at all. People don’t want to be honest.

If success is the best revenge I have never really felt it. My favorite is when someone who trashed your work or reputation to gain advantage has to come back and ask for help. In these situations I so enjoy being professional and helpful…to me that is the best revenge. It was Heiddigger who wrote, “you can only determine for others by determining for yourself.” I say show the world in ever encounter what and who you are and what you stand for. Be satisfied with that, because you won’t hear it from outside very often. A good, or great job has to be it’s own reward. Karma is a concept and many people who have boatloads of bad karma are still stealing, cheating and telling lies. That is them, not you.

By: Kel

Kel — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:29:53 +0000

ben, thanks for the props. i think you are right…your “no assholes” policy could be applied anyplace. maybe you should white label it. could be your next gig. haha!

By: Kel

Kel — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:28:07 +0000

jack, you absolutely do! i think pr professionals and lawyers get the same bad rap. i will be happy to call you earl any day of the week.

By: Ben Carcio

Ben Carcio — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:06:16 +0000

Well said Kel, and I know K&P walks this walk. You’re advice goes beyond just PR, but into all aspects of business where there is a client vendor relationship. Above all else, my “no a$#hole” policy” still fits well. – BC

By: Jack Speranza

Jack Speranza — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:44:42 +0000

“Moreover, evolve so these PR terrorists won’t have any more eff-ups to point to when they put us on the dirt-bag short list that includes lawyers, child molesters and Michael Vick.”

OUCH! I’m not overly fond of my former profession, but I do still have my ticket. We have some good guys, too, you know

Unfortunately, you could change the title of this piece to “Bad ______ Karma” (fill in the blank as you deem fit). While it’s nice to envision more Earls and less Joys, I vote for finding ways for us Earls to band together more often (and let the Joys beat up on each other to their hearts content).