THOU SHALT be PREPARED

A true professional is always equipped with the tools of his trade to spring into action at a moment’s notice. In addition to making a positive impression, preparation sets you apart from the competition and can help get your name in the public eye.

American Express has made a veritable fortune since the 1975 inception of its advertising campaign: “Don’t leave home without it.” In addition to being a moneymaker and a memorable slogan that is now inseparable from American Express, it is also a solid piece of general advice.

A few years ago, I snapped a shot of a sign outside of a synagogue in Stamford, Connecticut which says: “Thou Shalt Not Park Here.” You may have seen it.

I took it one morning when I was in the area for a professional seminar. It may not be the 11th commandment, but I related to it with all earnestness, making sure not to park anywhere near that revered spot.

The key point here is that the only reason I was able to capture this shot on my digital camera, is simply because I had my camera with me. This is not rocket science. I always take a camera wherever I travel. Photography is an essential tool of the marketing trade, and speaking of credits, the idea of never leaving home without my camera must be credited to Mr. Irving Schild.

Mr. Schild was one of my instructors when I attended FIT for advertising and marketing, many years ago. He is a world-renowned photographer whose clients include a number of Fortune 500 companies. He is as nice of a man as you would ever want to meet. He taught us that if we wanted to be truly great photographers, we had to be camera-ready at all times. Nowadays, this is much easier. Most digital cameras and smartphones fit neatly into your shirt pocket and produce print quality photos.  

I heard a similar story about being a “Johnny on the spot,” involving Walter Rodgers, a former top CBS news correspondent. In March of 1981, just a couple of months after Ronald Reagan became President, a deranged man, John Hinckley Jr., tried to assassinate Reagan on the streets of Washington, DC. Rodgers was the only radio reporter to get the sound of the gunshots on tape; giving CBS radio news a scoop.

How did he do it? He had left his tape recorder running the whole time he was out on the street to capture background noise. While most reporters would only turn on their tape at the start of an interview, Rodgers’s standard practice was to press the record button every time he was out in public. After all, tape was cheap, you could always recharge the batteries once you got back to the office and you never knew what sounds you might pick up. 

If it sounds simple — it’s because it is! Sometimes the simplest preparations pay surprising dividends.

I would offer the same sound advice to anyone whose job responsibilities include meeting with the public and getting your name, or your organization’s name across. I’m still surprised, on occasion, when I attend a conference or meeting and exchange business cards with the person I am meeting, only to hear him say he doesn’t have one on him. 

It is easy to be a bit complacent about business cards in this email / social media generation, but a good old-fashioned hearty handshake, smile, and handing out of a business card is still the best introduction.

Speaking of handouts, it can also pay off handsomely to have a trifold, color brochure of your organization handy to pull out of your jacket pocket that will fit just as perfectly inside the jacket pocket of the fellow you just shook hands with.