Who Do You Think You Are?

Credit: Tiffany Fox

A number of lifetimes ago I did business with a large southern bank. I mentioned them, recently, in my piece on managing client mistakes. Today they are known as Bank of America.

I met the bank folks by working with their advertising agency. I’d get hired to print something. Employees from the agency and the bank would get involved. Over time, I developed a close relationship with the bank marketing department too.

One day I was taking the bank gang to lunch. Headquarters was in the center of downtown Atlanta. Their “main branch” was the street level floor of the building.

As we walked through the lobby, one of the designers noticed that the branch manager had set up his own display. It was a step ladder, an empty paint can, a brush and a computer-generated banner that read, “ask us about home improvement loans.”

The designer complained and his boss agreed. The bank lost control of their branding when managers took advertising matters into their own hands. The display was “tacky and amateurish.”

I couldn’t get this conversation out of my head. The manager wanted a lobby solution. The marketing department didn’t have one. The agency hadn’t provided one either. The branch was doing what they knew how to do.

A designer friend of mine and I cooked up a “Bank Lobby Kit.” We drew storyboards showing danglers, point of sale type stuff and graphics for the teller windows. It was beautiful.

I decided to pitch it to the bank’s agency. That’s how my relationship had started. I was very excited as I pulled out my renderings and plowed into my dog and pony show.

The agency’s reaction? “Why are you pitching us ideas? You’re a printer. We’re the idea people. We don’t need your help in this area? Neither does the bank.”

I was hurt and a little pissed off. It was a good idea. It was an idea that was being fired simply because of who had it. I had crossed my boundary and it offended one of the world’s largest advertising agencies.

I took it to the bank. Guess what. They liked good ideas regardless of who had them. They didn’t know anything about boundaries. They had a lobby management problem and I shared an idea that might help.

Fast Forward: It took a year to happen but I sold the lobby kit program. We outfitted every branch in Georgia with ATM graphics, drive through graphics, lobby stands, check writing stand graphics and entrance decals. We produced the stuff, floor planned every location, held inventory and managed logistics and installation. It was a 7-figure sale…every year.

I share this to demonstrate that boundaries are in your head. They don’t exist anywhere else. The only idea wasted is the one you don’t share. Don’t let anyone else decide who you are.

I could have decided, “I’m just a printer. I’m not a creative dude.” Certainly, the agency said that. If I’m honest, the bank suggested so too in the beginning. Remember, they criticized the branch manager for cooking up his own solution.

Gang, the secret to selling more stuff with less pressure on price is ask more questions. Ask your client, “what if” or “have you thought of this.” You’ll change the way you’re seen and you’ll sell more stuff. Nobody can stop you except you.

Photo? What boundaries?

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.