Brain Surgery for Suits: 56 Things Every Account Person Should Know [Hardcover]

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."

In Brain 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

"An MBA may look good on the resume, but this is the stuff that really matters." -- Mark Goldstein, Chief Marketing Officer, Fallon McElligott

"Every smart client will buy a copy of this book for their agency account team." -- W. David Vining, Director, Customer Marketing, E*Trade

"Robert Solomon has compressed key insights gleaned over years ... into a succinct and highly readable guide." -- John Loden, President, FCB Healthcare

A colleague asked me, "Why did you write this book?" I responded, "Because no else did."

I scoured book stores, I searched Amazon, I came up empty-handed. I wanted something akin to Strunk and White's "Elements of Style", which provides practical, accessible guidance on how to write better. Since it didn't seem to exist, I decided to create it. "Brain Surgery for Suits" isn't the masterpiece that "The Elements of Style" is, but I did use that book as a model for mine.

I don't begin to know all there is to know about account work, which is why the book's epigram quotes Arthur Miller: "He who understands everything about his subject cannot write it. I write as much to discover as to explain." Writing the book helped clarify what I do know; it was the process of discovery Mr. Miller's quote so eloquently describes.

"Brain Surgery" was a collaborative effort. There's a wonderful introduction by agency veteran Mike Slosberg, brief insights from 15 other top industry executives, and ten very droll drawings from New Yorker cartoonist Richard Klein.

Account people often ask me what's the single most important piece of advice I can give them. It's tough to answer that question, but I'd say never violate your integrity, and never violate your client's trust. That's two things, not one, but both are equally important.

If you buy the book, I hope you'll e-mail me with your feedback. My e-mail address is in the book.

Until 1999, when he left his position as president of direct and interactive marketing for New York ad agency Ammirati Puris Lintas (now Lowe Lintas & Partners), Robert Solomon spent more than 15 years in senior account management positions at leading international advertising agencies. Last year he founded Solomon Strategic, which provides marketing counsel to ad agencies, dot.com start-ups, and other client companies.