advicesfor the future

plannersby Igor Saraiva

10

1. Understand people.A lot!

account planneryour boss

art director creative dir.the client

Know that...All these people have expectations about the project.Get to know them even before you take the first step.

Flickr Orange County Archives

programmercopywriter

you

Besides, a good planner understands people beyond the interviews. He dissects people's behavior to comprehend entirely their needs.

And there are a lot of needs beyond those from answers. So, ask "why?" at least 5 times in order to uncover and to determine the root cause of the problem.

Facebook channel on YouTube

My car will not startproblem

(1st) why?

(2nd) why?

(3rd) why?

(4th) why?

(5th) why?

- The battery is dead

- The alternator is not functioning

- The alternator belt has broken

- The alternator belt was well beyond its useful service life and has never been replaced

- I have not been maintaining my car according to the recommended service schedule

...{ "5 whys" from Toyota}

This will let you understand the subtleties of human behavior

Why did you buy this bag?

"When I was 15 I was mocked at school, my parents were poor,

my colleagues used to make fun of me; now, I want to show how

much I've improved"

"I bought it because of its quality and because it is

long lasting"

source: Martin Lindstrom (Buyology)

vs.This is not the kind of answer that you need!

2.Question everything.

2.Question everything.Then, question it again.

What the client asks for is really the best for him? What lies behind this brief?

"il contro-brief"

Therefore, look at the project from a new perspective: ask Why Not instead of Why.

Flickr Vu Bui

Criticize, reflect, analyze. Use Lateral Thinking and don't be limited by common project issues: money, time, messages etc.

Personal file: BlockPain's strategy

And if you decide to defend an idea that is outside the client's expectations, then surprise him with the quality and linking of your planning.

Personal file: UnimedRio's strategy

Plan your planning.

3.

Flickr Ian McWilliams (macaz1977)

Like all infoseekers, you will want to dive into data, infos, reports, researches. But you have to know where to dig.

Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images

Plan your planning: write a scope, a guide, a strategic summary before digging out here and there. When you're heading the wrong direction, digging deeper won't bring you anything new.

Start backwards.

4.

Flickr Alexandre Battibugli

In the world of advertising everything is for 'yesterday'. Keep in mind the whole project, using the bird's-eye view. Know your deadline, then work backwards.

And remember: speed is different than hurry!

Get off that chair right now!

5.

Assumingthat you

will find your answers by

doing a Desk Research is

a hugemistake

Personal file: grïngo

Flickr santospat

Going to the streets and talking to people is mandatory. Think culturally. Socially. Psychologically.Question. Suspect. Reflect.

Your answer is out there!

Be on other people's shoes and see how they act and fell. Then, discuss your findings with someone who is not in the project.Your team may be addicted to the infos already obtained.

3 4

1 2

personal file

6.Don't be aT-Shaped person. Be aComb-shaped!

t-Shaped

The vertical axis is your deeper knowledge, usually your graduation field: design, advertising, marketing, engineering.

t-ShapedThe horizontal axis is the knowledge you possess in other areas such as anthropology, sociology and psychology, for example.

The vertical axis is your deeper knowledge, usually your graduation field: design, advertising, marketing, engineering.

Comb-shapedYou got to have more than a superficial knowledge in these areas.This will transform you from a generalist into a multi-expert.After all, every planner needs to know about everything. But a lot!

multi-expert

t-Shaped

deep knowledge in different areas

7. Develop your entrepreneurial spirit

As a planner you definitely will position or reposition companies in the market. So think of them as if they were yours.

Flickr naughton321

And do it fondly.

This path you're drawing, does it make you happy or fearful? Confident or insecure? Is it a certainty or a risk?

Flickr brianokellypictures

It is thinking through the customer's perspective that you can understand the acceptance of your insights.

Therefore, start something yours. Build something to manage even if it is very small. It will make you confident.

Flickr A30_Tsitika

8. Tell good stories.

The art of persuasion = the art of storytelling.Learn how to involve the relevant people and put them into your story. Let them freely participate.

9.And remember: you're more than a planner!

Usually, when someone asks who you are, your answer begins your job title: "I'm a lawyer, I'm a dentist, a doctor or I am a planner of agency X".

Flickr John_Scone

You are much more than a simple and stupid Job Description and should do more than what's written on that paper.

But don't expect to receive more money because of that. Or even recognition. But do it anyway.Always do more, because one day this will payoff.

believe me!Maybe you won't understand it

now, but in the future, when you connect the dots, you'll

see how worth it was.

10.Don't plan like us planners plan...

Flickr -TJPhoto-

"Even to take a great leap forward, you must run a little behind"

So, knowing how the planning world is nowadays, why don't you take it to the next level?

jumper: Felix Baumgartner

Dick Fosbury was the first man to make a high jump on a very unconventional and strange way; but that was much more effective. Soon, this new approach was adopted as a standard by all athletes.

http://bit.ly/fosbury

The Next Level

Knowing the past and working on the present, you planners have the possibility to write the future of planning as we know it.

The Next Level

"Within 5 years from now, you will have wished that you have started today!"

Give it a try!www.IgorSaraiva.com

@IgorSaraivaLinkedIn

head of planning at