I don't want to go "harsh" on one of the Linkedin groups I belong to. It has several thousand members and is drawn from "old pros" to "1st year knownothings". It is, however, the Sgt. Schultzs of advertising who opine the most.
The first client meeting I ever attended as an agency employee was about 20 years ago. I was fairly old at that point for a "beginner" and had been in international marketing for 10 years so wasn't, I thought, some kid off the farm...and that it was in the USSR for 10 years during the Regan presidency, well, tough sledding to say the least. So Bob Perlstein who I was hired to assist lead the meeting and we were friends - good personal friends - takes me aside and says "Kid. (me) You keep your mouth shut. Don't say a word. If they ask you something, I'll answer it". What is this? the Nurenburg trials? So in we go.
We get through the meeting and I sit there like a statue....I barely breathed. We get out and he says "Kid you did great".....what did I say??? "You know nothing and you won't know anything for a couple years and I know it and they know it and they were impressed that you kept your mouth shut regardless if you knew it or not". Major lesson. What you think you know as a beginner in a subject or job is what seasoned vets know as well as their own names. Your revelations are another persons' "ho hums". Kids. what are ya' gonna do.
The first client meeting I ever attended as an agency employee was about 20 years ago. I was fairly old at that point for a "beginner" and had been in international marketing for 10 years so wasn't, I thought, some kid off the farm...and that it was in the USSR for 10 years during the Regan presidency, well, tough sledding to say the least. So Bob Perlstein who I was hired to assist lead the meeting and we were friends - good personal friends - takes me aside and says "Kid. (me) You keep your mouth shut. Don't say a word. If they ask you something, I'll answer it". What is this? the Nurenburg trials? So in we go.
We get through the meeting and I sit there like a statue....I barely breathed. We get out and he says "Kid you did great".....what did I say??? "You know nothing and you won't know anything for a couple years and I know it and they know it and they were impressed that you kept your mouth shut regardless if you knew it or not". Major lesson. What you think you know as a beginner in a subject or job is what seasoned vets know as well as their own names. Your revelations are another persons' "ho hums". Kids. what are ya' gonna do.
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