Barbara Maldonado

If you haven’t picked up on this yet, I am one of those people who is continually trying to improve.  I utilize a lot of self-analysis/reflection and critique to facilitate that process.  Also, as a part of the blogging and public speaking engagements I do, a few times a month I have coffee meetings with people who have read my career story via my blog or have heard about me from others, we talk about my career journey and theirs – oftentimes they are looking for advice to help grow their business or jump start a job search.  So I talk a lot about my start in the working world, the lessons I have learned, the good and bad experiences I have had, and lastly how I have been able to reinvent my career over the last few years.

I have been trying to put into context how much I have learned since moving to Chicago, figuring out how even though I have been out of school for ten years, my thinking and approach to business completely changed since moving to Chicago.  Last night…I figured it out.  Maybe it was simple and obvious to everyone around me – but it became crystal clear yesterday.

My entire way of thinking changed for the better when I went into Business Development.  You read correctly…it was going into Sales that changed EVERYTHING.  When I accepted a new job in Business Development in 2008 at a boutique agency in downtown Chicago, I had been in client services and project management for 8 years.  I had been unbelievably lucky enough to have worked on projects for Kraft, McDonald’s, Miller Brewing Company, Bank of America and Philip Morris.  I worked with the client, secured vendors, managed deals, hired staff, executed programs, learned about Interactive Marketing – but I was lost in the details of each particular program.  It was that focus and dedication that delivered results, proactive problem solving, and successful programs.  It was also that dedicated, “heads down” mentality that limited me from looking up and seeing beyond that program to the possibilities of a new way of thinking.

So when I say that everything changed for me, it did…

Gone were the daily status updates, event execution planning, contracts, BETA testing, contingency plans, negotiating with customs in Mexico…my number one responsibility was to bring in new business and build relationships.  I knew that in order to be successful, I couldn’t present the ideas that I had been executing for the last 8 years because that wasn’t new and relevant.  I had to step back and evaluate my past experiences and figure out what had changed in the experiential marketing industry, what was changing, and what conversations were taking place about the future.

The President of the company I was with at the time did not have a structure, did not mentor or provide suggestions…he just let me go.  My job plan was to bring in X amount of sales.  There was no strategy, thought, the evaluation of good opportunities was measured on how many zeros were on the budget.  Although I thought it was very progressive that I didn’t have a plan – I needed one so I could focus.  I set out to create my own path.

I learned as much as I could about everything.  I joined the Chamber of Commerce, networked, met with different people, sent emails, asked for introductions, passed along introductions, attended seminars and looked for every possible way that I can glean information, I jumped on it.  I read every industry publication I could, subscribed to blogs, set up Google Alerts and searched for insight and information in unique places.  Because I was learning so much and was evaluating case studies from my competitors and trends, I began to pull away from the details of a campaign and start looking at the big picture.

What do you want to accomplish?

What was the last program you executed? Was it successful?  What can you change about it?

How do you measure success?

Why are you looking for a new agency?

What has been your most successful program?

What are your expectations?

Who is your customer?

Where do you want to talk with your customer?

I began keeping a journal of all of the ideas I had, talking points from seminars, and questions I wanted to ask my clients.  I refer to my first journal so much I had to tape the binding of it because it completely fell apart.  Unfortunately I think I went a little overboard because now there are journals, notepads, articles all over my apartment that I need to organize.

I began integrating social media into my research and learning process back in 2006.  First LinkedIn, then Facebook and finally Twitter in 2008.  Tapping into the social media community to research trends, articles and thought leaders was akin to pumping adrenaline and caffeine though your brain every single time you sit in front of the computer.  Twitter especially is like having thousands of instant message communications, thoughts, insights, articles and information coming to you on an instant, continual basis.  For someone like me on a quest to learn as much as I can everyday…it is the most exhilarating to see that information stream come through on the computer screen.

So as I began to learn, continued learning, I put together new business ideas and presentations for prospective clients.  I look for unique ways to integrate my service offering into their goals and objectives.  I turned that confidence I had in the experiential marketing world where you had to go with your gut and sometimes make some quick decisions that would determine the success of a multi-million dollar project within minutes…into confidence about my thinking, approach and ability to walk into a room full full of skeptical brand managers and account directors and give a new business presentation.

I still have much to learn and improvement to embark on.  I can always improve on listening better and getting the client to make a decision quicker.  But I am on my way.  The thirst and hunger for learning and presenting clients with a unique way of thinking…that has just begun.

Barbara Maldonado

@bmaldonado / @pipelineb2b