By G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón

It is easy to blame chief executives and senior management for not devoting enough attention to introducing new products, but that is too simplistic an explanation for why radically new products are so rare. Marketers deserve some of the blame for at least three reasons:

Successful strategic innovations need more than a great idea.

There’s no shortage of new product concepts. We are willing to bet you could come up with a handful of intriguing ones before lunch if you set your mind to it.

But new ideas by themselves are worthless. You need to move from idea to execution, and that is where the majority of companies stumble. You need a new-product development process—one that is codified, efficient, and repeatable, and which allows you to turn a notion into something you can sell.

But there aren’t a lot of marketers who have tried to formalize a new-product introduction. Too often, marketers see their job as simply coming up with the idea. They leave the actual development and production to someone else and then profess to be surprised when the finished product is not exactly what they had envisaged. (This is true, by the way, whether we are talking about introducing new consumer products or selling business-to-business.) It is always nice to have someone else to blame when something goes wrong—such as, the product didn’t sell. But it isn’t the best use of your time, or of company resources.

The takeaway point from all this is that you want to create a process that will allow you to introduce a new product the same way every time. The procedure needs to be replicable—and easily understood internally—so you can train new hires to execute it. The process should become a legacy in your organization.

There is a shortage of Renaissance men (and women).

This builds off the previous point. As we have just seen, there are two distinct components to developing a successful new product: Coming up with the idea and then putting it into practice—i.e., executing it. We must make sure that it is produced exactly as designed and that the marketing that follows is consistent with the overall message the product is supposed to communicate. Failure can arise when we look for people who possess both skills, but in reality such people are extremely hard to find in any organization. Most people are naturally better at one or the other part of the process.

Instead of looking for someone who is good at both, it would seem more efficient to let people do what they do best. Since most companies have people who are fairly good at carrying out a mission once it is defined for them, it probably makes more sense to keep that capability in-house, and to look to outside resources to help you discover new ideas and fresh needs in the marketplace. Once the outside firm has unearthed those opportunities, the company can develop them.

Marketers tend to be fatalistic.

Marketers seem to go into new-product introductions with the expectation that they are going to fail. So they deal with new-product failures rather like the way an overweight person does with their problem: We periodically make half-hearted efforts to fix things…and then give up.

Just like someone who resigns himself or herself to being overweight, marketers conclude that there is nothing they can do to improve their batting average when it comes to introducing new products. Instead of throwing up their hands and saying “woe is me,” they should be studying their past successes to see what they should do the next time they introduce something new.

That, of course, takes us full circle, underscoring as it does the need to have a replicable process to make new product development as painless as possible.

Blaming the CEO and others for not being more supportive about new product development is a waste of both time and mental energy. Look in the mirror and try to figure out how to make things better. Addressing the three problems we just talked about is a good start.

As a son of a doctor and from a medical family I know something about the habits of medical practitioners. One of the strangest revelations I can share is that doctors often smoke (or used to) yet prescribed advice and guidance that they might not adhere to. Whatever the reasoning, this reality is very analogous to the advertising, branding and marketing communications business in which I’ve worked for the last two decades.

Agency executives wax poetic about brands’ power in driving business, imploring clients to spend more on communications. Yet the same practitioners seem to see little compelling reason to regard themselves as brands. And even when they do cultivate their reputations, they often do so halfheartedly. It’s ironic, given that we’re all pretty much public entities in the digital age. More important, because of the devastating change the digital era is having on agency jobs, as the business restructures, we all need to work harder to keep our jobs. So, why is it that agency employees don’t tend to embrace this reality?

There are five reasons I can think of, the first of which I don’t subscribe to: the belief that individuals can’t take seriously the idea of their being a brand. The reality, of course, is that consistent product offerings that make a difference in people’s lives — a.k.a. brands — do not start out as being such, they start out as being unknown, untried and doubted. Which leads me to my second explanation, a lack of time commitment. Personal brand-building involves a lot of work that many would rather avoid. People have their day jobs and families and a life to keep them busy — and this in turn leads me to reason three, cultural factors whereby most people, like their corporate masters, are not typically keen to pursue objectives that do not yield short-term results or benefits.

Fourth, psychological reasons: The idea of building a personal brand with the potential commercial application and the risks this carries takes people down an entrepreneurial track that many would rather avoid. Related to this argument is the fifth reason, incentive. Most people feel that unless they are setting up their own businesses there is no need to develop, nurture and advocate their abilities and so differentiate themselves within corporate America.

There are almost certainly other reasons why individuals don’t brand or market themselves. But there is one key reason why agency employees ought to: Especially in this economy, no one else is actively going to manage your career or help you emphasize what you do well. And this reality is scarier still when you consider how almost any employee today can be fired at very short notice.

Personal branding is about propagating a reputation for doing something well. Ideally the skill set is highly differentiated, making the individual more valuable. Knowing what you do well, consistently delivering against these competencies and ensuring others are aware of them help an individual to maximize potential opportunities. It is this process of self-awareness and, through it, differentiation communicated to audiences both in and outside the agency that helps enhance reputation and, in turn, bolster your position. The fundamental implication of active personal-brand management is that you enhance your chances of achieving desired career goals and keeping your job.

The most valued and visible agency executives are the bloggers, the public speakers, the columnists and networkers.

In late 2009, there has been a change in mentality of many of the people I am meeting, employed and unemployed. More individuals want to know what they can do to secure their jobs as much as to discuss career progression. They are realizing that far from the option of branding being something that happens when you set up business, as employees they need to be proactive stewards of their own brands. They see that although they are part of the workforce and various teams, they need to be in the business of managing their own career. They know that like the brands they work with, it’s only if they are seen as consistently solving certain problems and adding value that they can secure their future. Part of this reality is about substance and doing a great job, and part is about spin and making people aware of your contribution. They recognize that acting like a brand is far from optional, it is increasingly necessary, simply to maintain what they have.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stuart Parkin is a New York-based career coach and executive recruiter. He has 20 years of experience in agency new-business and marketing and has worked on four continents across agency disciplines. He has run Sparkin, his New York-based consultancy, for seven years, working with a range of traditional, multicultural, digital and PR agencies including DDB, Rapp, SpikeDDB, Porter Novelli, Dieste, Fallon, Berlin Cameron and Organic.

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You’ve heard the analogy: An interview is like going on a first date. Think about it. Blind dates can be painful without some chemistry. And they even check your references. Translate your dating knowhow to win over your next interviewer.

Most of us have only limited experience with interviews. But first dates, no matter how long ago…or how we’ve tried to forget, are something we can all recall. So what can you glean from those awkward encounters? Well, there won’t be chocolate shakes or a good night kiss, but there are a few ways to translate your dating experience to better prepare you for that first interview with an employer.

Don’t show up too early, and never show up late.
We’ve all seen the movies where the poor guy is sitting in the living room getting grilled by the dad while the young woman frantically applies a last coat of mascara. Similarly, the business world tends to run on a schedule. Arriving too early for an interview can make the managers uncomfortable. They end up leaving you in the lobby, fidgeting in a chair pretending to read the ancient copy of Fortune magazine on the coffee table. It is best to arrive 10-15 minutes early; that’s it. That way, you send the message that you are not only punctual, but also appropriate.

Arriving late is a no-brainer; don’t do it. It is always seen as disrespectful . Though you might not get shoes thrown at you (back to the movies again), you have instantly damaged your chances of making a good first impression and getting the job.

Make a good first impression.
In the dating world, this is all about cologne or your skinny jeans. In the interview world, good first impressions are equally crucial. You can never dress “too professionally” for an interview. If it’s a corporate environment, that means a suit for men and a pants suit for women. The devil is also, as they say, in the details: polished shoes, appropriate heels or flats and clean finger nails. Practice a firm handshake and direct eye contact with a friend to make it feel like second nature. There are finer points to consider, but the key is to start off on the right foot. Additionally, bring a couple extra copies of your resume. The more people you meet, usually the better, and you want to be prepared.

Don’t tell ‘em you snore.
Of course, you want to be honest during an interview, but this is not the time to give away all your secrets. The company can verify a great deal of information through employment background checks and references, so you want to make sure you present yourself honorably and that means honestly. But don’t advertise your negatives. You would never tell a first date that you snore. You’d wait until she falls in love with you and will find all your idiosyncrasies endearing. In the same way, make sure that you are presenting all your information by putting your best foot forward. It is the job of the manager to figure out reasons you don’t fit, not your job to red flag them. Stay positive and present the glass half full. If you have little or no experience with something, then respond with an answer that says, “No, but….” Then present the closely related skills you have, your ability to learn quickly or a relevant class you completed. Sell your strengths; do not point out your weaknesses.

Don’t ask for the kiss before the date.
Applicants are always concerned about how to respond when they are asked for their salary requirements. It’s an important part of the process, but it does not belong at the beginning. As many of us have experienced, the kiss belongs at the end of the evening; likewise, the salary discussion should be saved for after the company “falls in love with you.” A safe answer regarding your salary requirements is: “I’m sure you will make me a fair offer, and I’m interested because _____.”

It’s great to get fixed up, but it’s all about the chemistry.
When your friend tells you all about a potential date, you listen for key details. Maybe you care about the date’s job history, or where he went to college or what sports she’s involved in. If you hear something that sparks your interest, you decide to meet. In the same way, your resume got you in the door. It said something the employer liked. But we’ve all met people we thought sounded interesting, but turned out to be a dud. An interview is similar. The manager has to walk away feeling like you’d fit into the team. You can help this along in several ways. First, look around while you are sitting in the lobby or walking toward the manager’s office. Is it a quiet place or do people seem to be working in teams? Based on what you see, that’s what you emphasize. Additional chemistry builders: lean forward in your chair, don’t fidget and smile. Be prepared. Listen. All of these are simple things which increase your likeability.

Tell him what a good time you had.
The technical term is “closing the sale.” Think about it, are you more likely to call the other person back when, at the end of the evening, he says what a good time he had? Of course! No one likes rejection. Companies do the same. They are more willing to call you for a second round of interviews or offer you the job if they think you are interested in them, too. So, before you walk out the door, thank the interviewer for her time and tell her what you like about the job and why you’d be a great fit.

Though the results are different, a first date and job interview both involve one person trying to impress another. Because it’s so unfamiliar, yet so important, the world of interviewing can be a scary place. Hopefully, thinking of something familiar offers some reassurance. Though these are just a very few pointers, they give you an idea about how this all works. Just relaxing a bit will make you more successful and increase your chances of success. Now go out there, and get that job!