I would say forty-five to fifty hours a week. Most of the people have observed in the industry-those who are interested in doing a good job-find it difficult to do so just between 9:00 to 5:00 without even spending any time early or late, working through lunch hour, or take work home. Seems to be that way. I would say that the people who are good have the notion that they could work twenty-four hours a day o the account if it were possible, because there are so many things that could be done. The people who aren't so good can't imagine what thing is to be done, and they can't figure out how to fill up their day. We're i a service industry, and I can imagine things that the client would appreciate and that I could spend the next three years doing nonstop. They can't all be done, and I'd have a heart attack if I tried. I have to be able t pick my spots, but it is very competitive, and I'm always aware that somebody else may be more energetic and come along and promise to d all sorts of things. I have to be on guard, providing what I think is the best service I possibly can at the price.
The thing about this business is that there are so many industries represented. For example, we've got the biggest bank in the state, we have got the biggest utility company locally, we've got the biggest restaurant chain, and we've got a big regional insurance company, a division of a large paint company, and so forth. That's six different disciplines right there. There is no one person who is an expert on all those areas. After you've been in the business for a while, you tend to get a broader base, and you are capable of working on lots of different kinds of accounts. But truthfully, if we have a new business prospect who is a retailer, we would probably look first at those people who were working on the retail accounts to see if there was some way to utilize those people without upsetting our present accounts. They are simply spending more time day to day in that industry. Sometimes you have to go out and find people with related experience.
Let's say we get an account in a field in which I have a fair amount of experience, and so it makes sense that I would be the supervisor. We might or might not have an account executive who has the right kind of experience and who is also free. So we might start looking outside the company for an account executive to hire.
Q - How are you evaluated and by whom?
A - Mostly our clients evaluate our performance. There is very little inside evaluation. At my level, if clients like it, they buy it, and continue to buy more. It is strictly a dollar-and-cents evaluation.
I'm evaluated by my immediate superior, my account supervisor. When you are a trainee in media, it would be your media supervisor and so on. Your supervisor looks at several things-your creative eye, your marketing skills, how quick you are to analyze problems, whether you come up with good ideas, whether you see what the numbers mean. You are also evaluated on your personal performance in terms of demean-: whether you show initiative, whether you work well with staff groups, your poise, your speaking ability, whether you work well with clients and have their respect, whether you are responsive to the clients' needs, and whether you go to the client not only with what they want it also with what they need.
If you are a senior account executive, the review goes even hirer, because then you have assistants. Do you train well? Do you inspire her people to perform well? Do they enjoy working with you? There is whole list of things by which you are evaluated.
Q - How do you spend an average day?
A - That's the great thing about the business, I never have an adverse day. I would say I'm in the office probably 75 percent of the time, id 25 percent of the time I'm out of the office, either with a client, out of town with a client on a sales call, going to a trade show, going to a seminar, or doing something like that. Of the time that I am in the office, probably spend 10 percent of the time in the media department, 10 percent in the public relations department, 20 percent in the creative department, another 40 percent with the account people, and who knows what I do with the other 20 percent. I'm probably working on new business.
I wish I had an average day. If we're getting ready to produce a commercial, we spend the whole day back in the creative department doing over preproduction details, making sure all the estimates have been signed, the bids have been sent out properly, and the production house has been selected. On another day I may do nothing but fill out financial reports. On other days I may be out with the clients for half a lay updating them about what's going on, talking about new projects, and then coming back here for the rest of the day for a conference or just doing paper work and catching up with other things.
We have many meetings with the various departments. Today, for example, we had meetings with research and creative. Meetings are a major reason I try to get all my memos and little things out of the way before or after work, since meetings take up a major portion of a nine-to-five workday.
My immediate response is that there is no average day. I read, I write, I discuss, I investigate and solve problem, I attend meetings, and some days I do have lunch.
