Brain Surgery for Suits: 56 Things Every Account Person Should Know
In the world of advertising, writes agency veteran Robert Solomon, superior account management is closer to an art than a science. "Account people get little or no training.  They work in chaos.... Results are hard to quantify.... So much of the best account work gets done in the moment--often in private conversations, often in a quick reading of a room--it is nearly impossible to codify what makes a great account person great."InBrain Surgery for Suits, Solomon has distilled the lessons he has learned over the years in the business and organized them into a straightforward, accessible, easy-to-digest manifesto covering the most important information account people need to know.  His 56 ideas are presented in 10 punchy, fast-paced sections, and are complemented by funny, high-quality cartoons by Richard Cline. The result is a work that takes less than an hour to read, but that outlines practical, no-nonsense strategies for building and maintaining client relationships, preparing for meetings and presentations, communicating more effectively with colleagues, improving the creative product, and more. Solomon's tips and suggestions should also come in handy to sales and marketing types, as well as any professional who has to deal with clients.  And although his advice will most likely not come as a radical surprise to readers, this may well be because the most important lessons are often the most obvious ones--and confoundingly, the hardest to learn.--Svenja Soldovieri