When you work with musicians, lots of fun things happen. At the outset, the excitement is palpable — so many cool things you’re going to do, so many great ideas, and that new album is going to catapult the artist into the stratosphere. A few months later though, it’s not all that.
As a marketing guy, you’ve done everything you said you would, and there’s a solid, measurable improvement over what happened previously, but it’s suddenly like the end of a relationship. You know you want to see other people, but you just can’t break it off. Meanwhile, the client doesn’t have anything going on either. It’s not that they want to date other people, it’s just that you’re not what they need in their life right now.
Perhaps the metaphors are a bit mixed, but you can see where this is going. It’s time for the consulting/marketing arrangement to end. Your little chickadee needs to fly forth on their own. Sure you’ve known this day was going to come, but when it does, it’s frightening.
As a marketing guy, you’re comforted by that check coming every month. And the client is relieved to know that you’re watching their back on every Facebook post, blog, and newsletter. In fact, you’re the guy putting most of those together!
But now you’ve got to strike out on your own, find love (well, a check … ) again, and hope to re-create that magic all over again. The client gets tense as well. They’re not accustomed to managing things alone. That first newsletter without you is going to be impossible. And how do I know if my blog posts are interesting? Who’s going to correct my typos? Who’s going to stop me from unintentionally referring to Lisa Minnelli?
Now, brave marketing consultant, you’ve got to be strong! When it’s over, it’s over. You can’t keep going back for a quicky. Not unless the client pays for it. Stay strong. He was paying you before, so why give it all up for free?
You’ll get through this. There’s a lot of other fish in the ocean.
You’re better off now.
Really.
