No, this is not a loving message – just a confession, and a suggestion.
Although I can read your comments (and really appreciate them) I can’t or don’t know how to reply, so the confession is that probably I’m an IT-IDIOT.
The suggestion is that if you want to talk directly, just write me at drayton@draytonbird.com. I always try to reply; if I don’t, nudge me.
Oh, and Amanda, what do I think about the value of MBAs? Not a lot,to be honest. They’re a bit like University degrees, I suspect; they’ll get you a job, but not necessarily tell you how to succeed in it. What’s more most of those who teach are not successful practitioners.
(Personally I am a BA, failed – I got a scholarship to University and walked out after the first year, bored. My father never forgave me)
Years ago I had lunch in Paris with David Ogilvy and both the chairman and managing director of our biggest client in London. He asked the chairman if he had a degree.
“No” was the reply.
He asked the MD, who also said no.
Then he asked me – and I of course said no.
“Nor have I,” said David, “Haven’t we done well?”
Going back to your question, whatever I have managed to do has been by hard work, a prodigious amount of reading – most of it nothing to do with marketing, some kind people, and some competitors even dumber than me.
I spent a couple of years reading philosophy in my spare time. This did not make me as informed as my partner who actually is a doctor in that discipline, but it helped me to think a little more clearly.
When I was young I thought there were only two places worth working at. 1. Superb firms where you would learn a lot. Unfortunately they’re hard to get into. 2. Struggling firms that knew they were in trouble, needed your help, and had enough money to pay for it. Unfortunately most firms in trouble are there because their managements are too thick to know why – or do anything about it.
It’s a tough old world, Amanda.
Drayton,
A few months ago, I had some yo-yo waving his “marketing” qualifications in my face.
(he’d been taught to do direct marketing – in the form of google adwords – by the non-DM tech-heads at google)
And that led me to the question: how many famous marketers have ever sat a marketing exam?
I’m pretty sure none of these people have:
Ogilvy, Hopkins, Makepeace, Carlton, Collier, Bird, Jay Abraham, Dan Kennedy
I don’t know about this lot
Reeves, Schwab, Bencivenga, Caples, Halbert, Schwartz
But I’d guess that most of them didn’t/haven’t either.
So, I guess the question is: is this a reflection on marketing courses or does it say something about the sort of people who rise to the top in marketing/copywriting?
Steve Gibson
PS All the best for 2008.
MBA* is a good thing. It definitely helps. People who have MBA usually know more and are less nervous.
MBA = Massive Bank Account 🙂
I have also “normal” MBA and I do not thing it is such a huge disadvantage. 🙂
Full marks, Drayton.
May I make a few brief comments as one who has a BA from an Ivy League university and an MBA from HBS?
You must first do an assessment of yourself: If you have family money and influence and are willing to work, a higher education is unneccessary, subject, of course, to your following Drayton’s advice in re reading and learning for your own account.
An undergraduate experience may be valuable if you treat it as a wild holiday–go to a “party” school and make sure that you have enough funds to enjoy your youth.
Alternatively, if you are exceedingly charismatic and charming, a degree is likewise redundant. The same if you’ve *truly* mastered the twin arts of bootlicking and bullying that are required in successful corporate life.
Really good looks are a minor help, perhaps moreso if you are homosexual, or are willing to pretend to be for the sake of your career.
My degrees have gotten me admission to fields that are so competitive that the gatekeepers can require a Harvard MBA, for the same reason that dogs lick their genitals: because they can.
In addition, the MBA has gotten me investment funds–I was sort of verified by means of the degree.
To sum up, figure out your resources, and avoid university if possible.
Some may say I’m a cynic–but I’m not the only one.
hi Drayton,
Happy new year.
If you remember, you helped me get into my MBA course. I enjoyed it. I’ll let you know in a few years if it was useful, beyond learning new stuff.
I know for certain that I’ve learned from you, your books and those you recommended to me.
Whenever new grads start with us, the first thing I do is buy them your ‘Commonsense Direct Marketing’ & ‘Sales letters that sell’, Hopkins’ ‘Scientific Advertising’ and Caples’ ‘Tested Advertising Methods’.
They tell me they learned more in these four books about marketing than their four years in college.
Thanks again Drayton,
Paul Dervan
Dear Drayton
At the tender age of 37 i went to Uni to get an HND in Marketing and then was persuaded to convert this into a BA(Hons), I wish I could say that before this i was earning huge salaries and my ideas were discussed by millions, but sadly that was not the case, instead as a women i was always asked what is your qualification and having no degree my ideas were passed over. It didnt worry but I did feel that I would like to be taken a little more seriously. so got the qualification and guess what they did listen to my ideas and i was paid better.
I might also add that if I had not gone to Uni then I would never have sat in a lecture theatre and heard your wonderful words on DM and experienced first hand your fantastic sense of wit.
Ginny