Reverse Case Study: How to get fired 💣
I recently helped a friend fire her marketing team over Zoom.
Woof.
But their misfortune can be your good luck - I will bring you the lessons that they clearly did not learn!
Spoiler Alert: If you don’t want to get fired before you can shine - get your systems in check ASAP
Read on for the full HOT GOSS:
The situation:
A dear friend of mine hired a marketing company to handle her social media. She was investing not-a-small-amount-of-dough and seeing zero results. She had no idea what was happening and felt she was being taken advantage of.
Knowing my background in working with marketing agencies, she reached out to me for help.
Now, let me be clear - NO ONE messes with my girl.
I was determined to get to the bottom of this. I may not have the brains to be an interrogation lawyer, but boy, do I have the persistence and intensity to be one.
Here’s how I compiled my evidence to figure out where this Marketing Company went wrong:
I dove headfirst into their email correspondence, dissected their contract, and interviewed my friend extensively to figure out where things had gone wrong. (isn’t this what everyone does for fun on the weekend???)
Here's a summary of what I uncovered: a mismatch between promises made and results delivered. Their timeline of deliverables didn't align with what I knew to be the typical flow for marketing agencies (onboarding, brand guide, etc.) and not even what they had promised her.
I was ready for one of my favorite activities: CONFRONTATION.
::rubs hands together mischievously::
We scheduled a Zoom call with them to discuss.
It did not go well for them. They messed up big time and (worst of all) refused to admit it.
It wasn't a lack of marketing talent that got them fired...
(we will never find out how great they are at that)
it was their systems that were in shambles.
Their disorganized approach made delivering work absolute chaos.
My friend, an aesthetician, relied on them to guide her and make sense of it all, but the communication was atrocious.
They dropped the ball behind the scenes because their team was in disarray, and worst of all, they were incapable of owning up to it.
Instead, they shifted the blame onto my friend, their team, and mercury being in retrograde, etc.
(kidding, but I have had someone use that as an excuse for a big fuck up before 😂)
We fired them right there on the call.
It's not too late for you to learn from their mistakes:
1. Always Take Accountability: When a client is confused or unhappy, own up to it. If your systems are working like clockwork, it's simple to see where things went amiss and rectify it. You can let your client know how you are fixing things and get back on track ASAP.
2. Educate Your Clients: Your clients rely on your expertise. Don't leave them in the dark; educate them so they understand what's happening. When your systems are automated, there are many points in time where you can inform your clients on what happens without overwhelming yourself.
3. Set Expectations early and frequently: Be clear about what your clients can expect from your services and deliverables. Your systems should set expectations early and keep clients updated regularly.
4. Communicate: Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful relationship. Keep the dialogue open and honest. You need a system and policies in place for communication, as well as a way to redirect your clients to stick to that system when they go outside of it.
5. Get Systems in Place: Organized systems help you predict timelines accurately and ensure smoother operations. Get. Your. Systems. Shit. TOGETHER! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
It's not just about what you know or how skilled you are -
It's also about how you implement your skills ala building effective systems around them.
Do you need guidance on how to streamline your processes or create systems that work seamlessly?
I have space on my calendar for one more project in 2023 - let’s hop on a call to discuss!
Enjoy the day!
✨ Devin
PS - Grab Inbox Zero Hero : 5 mini-lessons that will transform your email game forever. 🚀✉️
