Be Excellent To Each Other

I am currently going through the selection process for an internal job at my place in the marketing team and as such, I have been asked to prepare a short presentation on how I would propose to increase the profile of the marketing and events team internally. (I'm sure that should be raise instead of increase but I've just copied that off the email I had)

Anyway, without being too specific about the job, I need a bit of help as I've never had to do this before.

I think I'm going to do an action plan type thing that will show my aims and objectives, how I will do it and a chance for feedback/follow up from my colleagues at the end of it.

Has anyone got any more ideas? Basically raising the profile of a marketing team within a 200+ people organisation.

Do not succumb to the urge to scratch your balls in the interview, complete rookie mistake.

Does the marketing team have a website internally? If not perhaps an intranet with profiles of each team member and a description of their role? This way if someone else in the company needs marketing skillz, they'll know exactly who to go to.

How is the business organised? If there are individual groups within the team, you could arrange to attend one of their meetings on a 'what we can do for you' basis. We get such things all the time here.

I feel sorry for TheVision, this forum is not a good place for suggestions that aren't piss-takes. C'mon people, be useful. I made a gag and *then* said something useful. That's the way.

That one's a very good idea. Insinuating yourselves into the business on a monthly/quarterly basis or something.

I like that "What can we do for you" idea too!! I might be adapting that one. Thanks Kern!

And Thanks ComicalGnomes!! We do have an intranet but at best it just acts as a directory showing names and phone numbers. I'll be using your idea too!

I knew this place was the best place to come!!

To be fair, I do usually try and do both but in this instance I couldn't think of anything particularly useful beyond an Intranet or Newsletter type article but that's already been mentioned.

I suppose one option is for them to organise some kind of charity event thing. That happened here throughout the year with different departments running different events. Might be worth a go, even if it's just a quiz or something.

Assuming you know who you're going to be presenting to, find out a little about them and what they do.
Being able to drop something like "and this should reduce the time it takes requests to get to the pickers, which I'm sure would be helpful to you, Steve."
Also, get/steal Powerpoint 2007 if you haven't got it - it can make very pretty slides.

Kern's (now oddly deleted) post is a very good idea. We've had marketing people do this at places I've worked at, and it's worked well, as the more they know about what we do, the better they can market us. HOWEVER - it is important to ensure that the marketing department's involvement isn't in any way a burden to the commercial department concerned - marketeers are generally resented and undervalued anyway, so you don't want to make that any worse! So you'll need to play up how your involvement would be at no effort to the other people in the firm but will be entirely to their benefit ("win win" etc).

You'll want to raise the marketing department's profile through non-intrusive means, that don't involve non-marketeers having to make any effort to help them to do so.

Oh, and - Mods deleting posts without a committee meeting! You cunts! YOU'RE WORSE THAN STU etc.

You are, apparently, blind.

That's odd.. Kerns is back now! It had gone.. then it came back... odd!

Anyway, Thanks MrChris. I like what you've done there.. I'll be using that too!!

Grim...'s best is an idiot.

Or the mod what deleted it put it back sharpish.

Good luck, Mr TheVision! When's the interview?

Next Tuesday morning at 10am. Gives me the weekend to prepare I guess but I had planned on going out Monday night. Never mind.

I've done a fair few of these and the most important bit of advise i can give for internal interviews is *dont* assume that anyone in the room knows you or what you have done in the past.

I've interviewed people and asked them questions and I *know* they have the perfect example for this and have all this great experience they can bring out and the fumble around or say something like "oh yeah i dealt with the X case"

Now I know exactly what this is and all the hard work and effort etc that went into this project but none of the other people in the room do.

Interviews can be very akward for some people but dont forget to "blow your own trumpet" and especially for a marketing position try not to use any negative language.

And as for the presentation dont forget all the typical stuff like making eye contact , clear speaking voice , being receptive to questions (and inviting them at specific points) , avoid repetition , etc etc

Provide biscuits.

Everything else will follow.

Kern's idea is good, and a general feel of "what we do/can do" sounds sensible. Perhaps even to the point of what software and equipment and contacts you have in case anyone needs them - stuff like that can go on the intranet as well. It's often the smallest things that help people out and introduce people who've worked for the same company for yonks - one day one of them needs a particular bit of kit or phone number or something as trivial as the right kind of paper, they find out by chance or desperation that another department has it, and from then on they've made a friend and a little link to someone helpful.

Plus what zaphod said. And, crucially, smile. Don't force it - it can be a little nervous if you are, but try to anjoy yourself. Stuff like this can be fun if you let it, and don't think of the audience as an enemy to be overcome or test to be passed. That way, even if it doesn't work out, at least you, and therefore probably they, had fun.

For those of you keeping score, I just had this interview... Fingers crossedl! I'll let you all know when I find out.

Thanks for the help y'all!! It is much appreciated!!

Do let us know

Good luck!

Good luck mate!

I also recommend going to Alec Baldwin for advice on how to conduct meetings...

"Remember, ABETEO, let me chalk it on the board there. A - means Always. Be - Be. E - Excellent. T - To. E - Each. O - Other. Always Be Excellent To Each Other. You fat fucks don't remember that, you may as well let the door hit you in the fucking 'ass when you walk out of here, crying to mama. What's that Lemmon, you stupid fuck? What if you can't think of anything excellent to say? Fuck you. You're so slow. You're so fucking slow. You're like a fucking tortoise Lemmon. Do you want me to cut your leaf up for you? Huh? You couldn't be fucking excellent if you tried. I'm not..." etc.

Thanks to everyones help... I got the job!!

This forums the best. One of my ideas that I mentioned in my presentation was that we should have a moderated forum on the intranet. This way we could share ideas, leave messages, provide feedback etc... Sound familiar?

I didn't go as far as saying we should all be excellent to each other but it was close!

Anyway, thanks for everyone who gave suggestions! ComicalGnomes, Kern, Craster, Devilman, Grim..., Mr Chris, Myoptika, Zaphod79, Sinister Agent, The Rev Owen and Nervouspete... I owe you all one!!

You guys rock!

hahaha awesome dude, well done

As stated in my advice-giving terms and conditions, I'll require 10% of your earns from here on out.

Err, I didn't help at all, but thanks. Grim...'s best is an idiot, though.

Nice one.

well done

Malc

Congratulations!

Excellent news.. congratulations

Word of warning - they tried a forum in my last job and just became a chat board for those skiving off. Got to admire the cheek of folk though considering anyone could've read what was posted and realised they weren't doing any work.

Perish the thought!

Still, BETEO has turned out pretty cool