Vocabulary

Video: Success Through Beer

Transcript

Stephen Allan, CEO, MediaCom: “You need to be relentless. Consistently trying to push ahead.”

This CEO used a surprising tactic to begin his journey to the top.

Stephen Allan, CEO, MediaCom: “When I was about seventeen or eighteen years old, I wanted to pursue a career in advertising.

The problem was, I didn’t know anyone in advertising — I mean no one.”

But these days, Stephen Allan is global CEO of MediaCom; it is one of the largest media agencies in the world, handling campaigns for the likes of Tesco and Gillette.

So how did he do it?

Stephen Allan, CEO, MediaCom: “I wrote eight-two (82) letters; I got 82 rejections. Eighty-two “thank you, but no thank you.

In the meantime, I continued to talk to anyone that I could, to see if there was anyone that knew anyone that could at least help me get my foot through a door.”

Then I found a particular pub in Soho in London where the advertising industry were known to go and water.

And I literally went in there as a cheeky eighteen (18) year old and started buying strangers drinks.

Amazingly, one of the people that I bought a drink for told me that he worked in an advertising agency.

And he said to me, “if you come back this evening at six o’clock to our offices, which were nearby, I’ll get you in to see my CEO.”

So I turned up at those offices at quarter to six, and asked to see first the gentleman I had met in the pub. But no one had any record of his name.

But eventually after a lot of searching, they found him — he was the projectionist of the agency. So he was the man who was spooling up the ads to show the clients in the in-house cinema.

But it didn’t matter — and you know what? He did get me that introduction.

And I think the lesson there is treat everybody with respect. You never know where opportunities may come, however important or maybe unimportant you think people are, treat everyone the same. It’s the right thing to do in any event.

Questions

 
Office Clerk. At present, Stephen Allan is an ordinary office worker. True or false?

Receptionist. At the start of his working life, did he apply for work at three different companies?

Office Manager. Steven received several calls for interviews. Is this right or wrong?

Bookkeeper, Accountant. Did he attend an advertising trade fair or exposition to talk to recruiters?

Finance Manager. Steven went into a pub and started flirting and dancing with attractive girls. Is this correct or incorrect?

Human Resources. Was the person who invited him a company executive or manager? What happened in the end?

Recruiter. What is his advice or words of wisdom? How can you explain what had happened?
 
 
 
Employee. Have you applied for work at different companies? What were the results?

Boss, Supervisor. How do your friends and people in your city find work?

Middle-Level Manager. Have you or your friends experienced serendipity, or a lucky break? What happened?

Upper-Level Manager. What can you say about networking, connections and word-of-mouth recommendations?

CEO, CFO, President. Is there a bar, pub, club or association where people in your industry frequent (gather)?

Board Members, Chairman of the Board. What might happen in the future?