Thursday, March 02, 2006

The Ostbye & Anderson Reputation


The Rep & The Reputation

So there I am getting ready to tee off on the first hole at Rush Creek, one of Minnesota's finest golf courses. Of the three other gentlemen I've been shuffled in with, only one is a familiar face. The other two are sales reps for the client I was working for. We all know, or at least most of us do, how nerve racking that first tee-box can be. The world is watching and no matter how skillful or awful you are at golf, it's a crap shoot on the first tee.

My head is down. It's a little windy and cool that day. I'm talking to myself as I usually do. I take my club back and with every neuron in my body I try to keep my eye on that ball until it splats against my club mallet and hopefully dribbles forward. That day I was my average self and at least kept it in play.

We're not even to the first green and my cart buddy is telling me what it is he does for our mutual client that is hosting this event. I'm listening, as I always attempt to do, while hoping to retain some of the conversation long enough to not appear ignorant when I nod my head or verbalize a response. Ostbye & Anderson are jewelry manufacturers that have been around a long, long time. Since 1920 to be exact. They have a national and international list of clientele and if you've ever had to empty your wallet to buy a diamond ring, necklace, or bracelet, you've probably seen something that came from their company.

Why was I hanging with these folks? I was hired to consult and produce a roll-out campaign for the Mark Michael Collection and the sales rep in my cart was there to get his first introduction to the print collateral and marketing campaign that we'd prepared for this product launch. On top of that, we were getting to spend a breezy afternoon looking for our little white ball and hoping nobody was falling down laughing at our final score.

Now, out of the blue comes information that I did not solicit which is why I'm writing about Ostbye & Anderson today. I've never forgotten the conversation with this sales rep even though it was last summer and my memory often fails me even just trying to find where I parked my car last.

My cart buddy began to tell me of the reputation that Ostbye & Anderson has in comparison to other companies he represents. What I learned that day was, there would be something even more important to the success of the Mark Michael Jewelry Collection than my clever ads, brochures, commercials, or the individual ring designs. What this manufacturer had was the trust and respect of industry insiders. What this company had was a genuine fan club and I felt like I was meeting it's president. The public doesn't think about it but the Mark Michael Collection wouldn't be available to anyone if those responsible for it's manufacturing weren't trusted and respected.

Have you ever been asked to perform a task for someone you didn't respect or trust? I remember one of my first jobs in high school was to work for the local Volkswagen dealer. I performed new and used car prep and once in awhile I had to go pick up or deliver a car. My boss was a first class jerk. He never handed out compliments nor recognized an "extra mile" effort put forth on my part. He even refused to pay me for an afternoon assignment when he sent me to another city to pick up a vehicle and bring it to the dealership. The guy was a moron. As a result of this guy treating me poorly, I did somethings I shouldn't have just prior to quitting that job. I don't want to admit my childish ways to everybody but lets just say there was going to be a string of new cars sold that had some sort of hidden defect with the rear window defrost. Unfortunately for him, my response didn't help his bottom line or customer service index. I wasn't very nice but neither was he.

If you're like me, there have been times that you've either earned and deserved respect as a businessman or employee, or there've been times you've totally destroyed it. I've always wanted and striven to earn it. Whether or not I've been very good at it or consistent, I'll probably never know. This client of mine was obviously good at it. People don't usually volunteer extra information when striking up a conversation with a complete stranger but that's what this sales rep was doing with me that day.

What was the reputation that Ostbye had that other companies didn't? Supposedly, they pay their bills on time. Supposedly, they cut their reps some slack when mistakes are made on the reps part or God forbid one of them is robbed. Reps in the jewelry business do live a dangerous life. In other words, Ostbye & Anderson treats people the way they want to be treated. Isn't that a novel idea? With several thousand clients all over the United States and Europe, in a business that is always changing and very competitive, this behind-the-scenes business has figured out something more important than paying me for a clever ad or brochure. They've invested in "RESPECT." The net result is, they receive trust and loyalty in return.

My friend, all the marketing in the world, along with the bells and whistles of clever advertising, will not fix a company that people can't respect. It made me feel good to know that there was more to Ostbye & Anderson than just a belief in my consulting and creative work. They actually believed in their people. You don't get far in life just using people. You get far when you believe in them and you show it by respecting them.

They respected me even though many of you who know me, know it's a crap shoot. My creative brain can be my best friend or my worst nightmare. They paid me on time and they honored my boundaries or lack of them. That doesn't happen very often in my world. I'm presently consulting with another company, Woodmaster Foundations, Inc., that have been just as respectful and trusting.

The next time you're wondering how to increase sales, find new customers, or come up with another clever advertising campaign, maybe you'd be wiser to first address the issues of your reputation. Nothing beats a great fan club. Everything after that is a bonus.

My best to all.

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