JC Marketing advice
By Joseph Cekauskas
Marketing Strategist & Consultant
JC Marketing Communications

Have you ever found yourself face-to-face with a RUSH request, deadline emergency or tight turnaround that seems impossible? We’ve all been there. Among those professions that experience daily emergency requests are dentists, plumbers, commercial printers, insurance providers, roofers, heating/cooling providers, pilots, EMTs, etc. And the ultimate caregiver…a physician.

Our advertising agency/marketing consulting business often experiences “rush” emergency deadlines. It’s not life or death, yet on many days the deadlines are hour-to-hour. We are successful because of expert personnel who team seamless with one another and practice dedication to our customer’s mission. As a part of our infrastructure, these team players execute essential strategies and tactics which, are crucial to meeting customer timeline requests. Our home office is based on the East Coast and if our client emergency comes from the West Coast, then our team members are suddenly looking at a longer workday. In addition, there are times when our stress is compounded when we’re at the mercy of third-party vendors (i.e. shipping/mailing woes).

The internet has made our world smaller—electronic components can be exchanged quickly—and we take full advantage where other businesses might not be able. Then there are the physical items such as brochures…tradeshow booths/materials due on a specific date…or ads to publications…and files to printers. These requirements demand attention-to-detail. And if you require the assistance of a strategic alliance or third party vendor, those alliances must share your same goals or you risk failure. At JC Marketing Communications (JCMC), our services and deliverables are diverse—and having optimized systems in place means satisfied customers and a healthy bottom line. You’ll soon learn why we are prepared to “build a jet engine in mid-flight.”

For many years, we were proud to claim: “WE DELIVER ON or BEFORE YOUR DEADLINE…or YOUR PROJECT IS FREE.” And we knew we were the ONLY ad agency/ marketing consultants in North America who would make that guarantee. To our surprise, prospects didn’t seem as impressed as you might think. Many times we’d hear: “Oh no, we’re really time-sensitive. We plan well around here. That kind of situation never happens to us.” Contrary to this data, we receive an abundance of calls from new or existing clients on a weekly basis to handle emergency deadlines. Specific to our advertising and marketing consultation business, is the fact we are in a creative field that means we are often asked to deliver solutions “out of thin air.” They do not exist until we create them. A tall task for most, routine for us at JCMC.

Understanding client emergencies can happen
anytime, so have the plan already in place
With regards to having emergency systems in place—“it is better to have it and not need it, than to need it…and not have it.” Recently, a magazine called our client and offered them a terrific insertion deal providing a full color, full-page ad could be generated and submitted to their publication in under two days. In an unrelated instance, our client’s CEO decided he wanted custom presentation materials ‘NOW’ because he scheduled a surprise business meeting…AND he also wanted to run a “special ad” in a local publication. These requests had to be assimilated into our already busy schedule. Zigging-and-zagging is an accepted part of our culture. In each of those cases, the assignment required concept, development and execution to produce an optimal result. Here at JCMC, there’s no sacrificing quality because of “limited time.” For us, we have terrific “time management” skills and have the infrastructure to do the assignment right, on-time, no headaches. From marketing strategies to deliverables, our carefully choreographed methodologies ensure each client that their tools WILL arrive at their destination. We hope the following information will be helpful.

Look at your services
from the clients point-of-view
When clients, buyers or prospects are faced with tight timelines or emergencies—their wish is to have a resource or partner that is accountable, dependable and reliable. When control is not theirs, it’s human for them to feel vulnerable. What they hope for is a compassionate resource that essentially functions as an internal colleague—as if you are “in the next room.” In some cases, your job is to function as a friend or therapist. Clients are looking for a source to accept their mission as if it were their own.

“Rush” requests for us are best illustrated using this analogy. You (the service provider) are flying in a glider at 4000 feet when suddenly, the pilot (your client) turns to you and says “I’d like an engine so we could stay flying all day.” One dilemma—you didn’t bring along any parts to build this engine. Instead of “paralysis by analysis”—look toward a solution. Be MacGyver…that’s where “building the jet engine in mid-flight” comes in. Find a way…or the plane crashes with you in it. Sound overdramatic? Not to the client or buyer who needs your services NOW.

To many clients, we have been their marketing consultation solution provider and more for nearly three decades. Call us a “genie-in-a-bottle, MacGyver, builders of jet engines in mid-flight” or whatever you’d like. Because of our infrastructure, methodologies, technology, systems, tactics, AND strategic alliances—JCMC is unique to handle potential emergencies. And best of all, we’re experts in many market segments including manufacturing, healthcare, technology, education, and more—so the time it takes us to get up to speed on your product or service is drastically reduced. On thousands of occasions—we have proven ourselves worthy by NEVER missing a deadline. Best of all, those missions received excellent return-on-investment for clients.

Don’t misunderstand…we are “lean-and-mean” when it comes to staff. Part of our methodology is that layers have been virtually eliminated. Each of our team members have an impressive skillset, lessening the amount of hands on your project. This is a huge benefit for our customer. The layers of project managers, creative personnel and account execs are reduced. We are diverse and flexible in a sea of overstaffed, impersonal competitors. That’s why we are the ad agency ALTERNATIVE—you get all of the services, yet none of the layers which add cost and cause delays. JCMC utilizes all our experience to complete your assignment at a high-level—on-time, every time… Your business can have success too, if you incorporate a “customer-focused philosophy” with the same degree of commitment as we.

Build an organization with
a “customer-focused philosophy”,
not a “you-focused fool-osophy”
We really believe what we’re telling you because clients tell us that they desire our approach. Your business can be much more successful if you develop a solid infrastructure composed of talented and diverse personnel, state-of-the-art equipment, systems, strategies, methodologies, capabilities and the intense dedication to getting your customers mission accomplished. In our case, we are more than capable of “building you a jet engine in mid-flight” primarily because we have systems in place. Specifically, we have in-house access to processes, infrastructure and “crowd-sourcing” strategic alliances in order to produce high-caliber, effective marketing tools, deliverables and solutions quickly for our clients. AND importantly, you must know that here at JCMC, we define ‘high-caliber’ as: “custom/one-of-a-kind, focused/targeted, innovative, effective, professional solutions geared to delivering a return-on-investment for our client.”

We have a no-excuse policy with all our customers. Our experience is that NONE of our ad agency competitors are comfortable, reliable, dedicated or equipped at “building your jet engine in mid-flight.” Like us, you might end up being a trend-setter in your business by being this customer-focused.

How this “customer-focused philosophy”
became a huge part of our culture
Don’t get us wrong…JC Marketing doesn’t go looking for emergency projects. We’d prefer having time to really dig down deep and find additional solutions and options for our customers. And yet, to better understand us, here is a basic explanation as to why we’re totally comfortable with “building your jet engine in mid-flight.” It’s so imperative, you must know my personal family background. Mom was born in America, she, a bilingual daughter of two Italian immigrants. My dad arrived here as a teenager in the mid-1920s from Scotland. In the late 1940s my parents met, married and had three children. Their backgrounds were different, but importantly, our mom and dad shared the same core values and principles. I fondly remember mom as the time-managing business mind and dad the creative problem-solver. Dad spent his career as a house painter. In those days, his tools were paint brushes, ladders and scaffolding. I can’t recall if paint rollers were even invented, I do know dad didn’t use them. Dad was solely responsible for painting an entire inside of a home top-to-bottom—ceilings, walls and trim. He applied multiple coats and was expected to complete his task in only one week. This “deadline” made him an efficient, creative problem-solver. He was able to do his assignment because of planning and access to the best tools available…yet, he was a perfectionist. Simultaneously, our mom worked ten-plus hour days as an assembly worker. When her “paid” workday was through, she hurried home and multi-tasked her way to cooking a homemade dinner for us, laundry, vacuuming, finances, etc. She still had time at night to socialize with us and also telephone friends/family. I can’t recall many times she felt stressed about her schedule or complained about long days. Ahead of her time in my eyes, she was a modern woman and time management guru. Some tell me that mom shared characteristics with the Doris Roberts “Marie” character on “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Dad was more the Tom Landry (stoic coach of the Dallas Cowboys) type.

As I grew from a boy to a young man—it was clear that these examples and methodologies would find a way into my skillset and at JC Marketing. Importantly, there were some key unspoken rules that were the norm. In our household, mom and dad’s eleventh commandment was “Thou shall NOT be late.” Mom’s rationale was that if you were late, you were basically telling the other person that YOUR time was more valuable than theirs. Because she was a multi-tasker, time was invaluable. If she had ten extra minutes, she’d get some task completed. She intimated that those who were chronically “late” were viewed as self-absorbed, selfish, a poor planner or something worse…LOL. Today, we use a more politically correct term. We say people who are late have poor “time management skills.”

There was also another principle which was important to mom and dad. They stressed the ideal of “keeping your word.” A “promise” is a promise. A handshake is an agreement “set in stone.” And if you set a timeframe, try and go ‘one better’ by finding a way to overdeliver on your promise.

Lastly…When either would request, “Joe, when you get a chance…could you…”, they really were saying “drop what you are doing and please get it done immediately so you don’t forget.” It wasn’t that mom and dad explained this fully to me or my siblings…I guess you could say we picked up on their body language and at times, a not-so-subtle vocal tone. Importantly, my parents were good examples because of their actions. They were consistent and selfless…always walking-the-walk. This was enough for us to work our “mind-muscles” and become quick thinkers at an early age. We became good at devising ways in which we wouldn’t leave our parents…or anyone else in a lurch. After all, both my mom and dad were always there to lend a helping hand to whoever was in need. We saw how happy it made those recipients.

Many years later when we developed our business core values for JC Marketing Communications, I was determined to integrate these traits into our “customer-focused” culture. It was easy to incorporate because these disciplines were already habit.

Advice to get you pointed toward
a healthier “customer-focused” organization
that is capable of “building a jet engine in mid-flight”

So, you think you’re customer-focused?

  • Try asking your customer this: “If you needed to share a foxhole with someone reliable, who would it be?” They should immediately shout your name.
  • Do your research, find out what is the most important items to people who typically purchase services like yours.
  • Embrace any timelines/deadlines as your ally…time is NOT the enemy if you have reliable systems, accountable personnel, strategies, tactics, and methodologies in place to increase your bottom line.
  • A great way to increase market share: Embrace your client and their requests as wonderful opportunities…clients and requests are NOT an inconvenience.
  • Your organization should contain innovative, quality team players with talent, commitment and who share the same goal and core philosophy. Your sales team should share successes and failures with one another—always working to help one another to do better…so the company does better.
  • Continuing education (The yearn-to-LEARN will serve all your personnel well) and provide more for your customer.
  • Each team member should have a well-rounded skillset. It’s essential to teach as many phases of your business process to all employees that you can. Keep everyone in the “loop” and well-choreographed. From the technology they use, through execution, deliverables and solutions. From the first level of your organization to the final level—if each team member knows what his/her colleague does—each understands the effort and time that it takes to do the assignment well.
  • Develop good company disciplines and systems that become habit quickly AND ultimately don’t require effort. Make due diligence practices part of the process. Initially, sweat the small details. Soon, any large details take care of themselves.
  • Strategies (have several tried-and-true options in your plan of execution) to offer your customer.
  • Methodologies (have all your systems 151% ready to function at capacity) to reduce customer disappointment and increase your bottom line.
  • Preparedness and the ability to handle volume and increase your market share. You should have immediate access to every available resource so that you’re not held hostage by any one process along the way.
  • Time management skills to improve productivity.
  • Stress continuous improvement for you and your teammates (Never settle, sprint to the finish line, don’t coast).
  • Have strategic alliance partner relationships where the prerequisite is that they share your same philosophy. There are others like you out there.
  • All the above provides you with a healthy, efficient start to an infrastructure capable of “building a jet engine in mid-flight.”

And those items above are just a start in the right direction.

How can JC Marketing Communications
of Connecticut help your business?
Imagine how much easier your sales goals can be achieved if you had instant access to a versatile and flexible marketing resource with the talent AND know-how to help you with your mission quickly. JC Marketing Communications (JCMC) of Connecticut is equipped to handle growing businesses like yours. We often speak of having methodologies and strategies in place. Here’s where these tools are an invaluable asset. Totally self-contained, we provide concept through completion services. From marketing consultation to deliverables. Imagine if you had access to a marketing partner who could concept your project—develop it, photograph it, design it and get it to it’s final destination in days…rather than weeks. Your sales team can begin selling instantly so you can increase your bottom line. Sound impossible?

Our methodology is a quality-based, knowledgeable, results-driven, reliable and accountable approach. Combine this with our responsiveness to clients needs, flexibility and maneuverability in a sea of large, impersonal ad agencies—and you will learn why we are unique from ALL competitors. Partnering with a marketing firm LIKE US—one that has experience in diversified market segments—is a benefit to you because you won’t need to spend excessive amounts of time educating us about your business.

Contrary to what you may believe…think…or have experienced—today you learned that a SOURCE does exist that can make ALL your marketing components successful and quickly. It’s under one roof and is called JC Marketing Communications (JCMC) of Connecticut. Call us while the thought is still fresh in your mind: 860.621.8866.