Award versus assign

How can some seemingly limited companies do so well in serving their clients while other huge, resource-rich companies fall flat?

It's because the client ultimately doesn't value the vast resources a company can bring them unless there is a person or a team that actually is excited, passionate and engaged in serving them. So, a small company with an "obsessed" team will be more fun and more valuable to that client. If they don't have resources in-house, they can always go outside to get them, especially with the technology we have today.

Maybe it all has to do in how we start off a relationship with a client. If we assign a responsibility to someone ("You're now on the such-and-such account"), we may have a competent person, but do they really care that much? It's a crap shoot - maybe yes, maybe no.

If we start by first learning who has passion for that client or their industry, and we award the individual that is qualified and filled with passion with serving that client, we have a far better chance of doing great things for the client.

I'd rather have a less experienced team than a more experienced team if the former had passion and enthusiasm for the client and their industry. And I think the client would agree.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond Marketing Communications
www.labov.com