We don’t know Jerry Comyn from a hole in the wall, but we can at least appreciate the man’s bravado after reading a letter he sent last night to those on his mailing list. Comyn, you see, has been a national account manager on-and-off for OOH advertising giant Titan for the last few years, but now it appears that he’s done some soul-searching and wants out of the biz for good. We’ve reached out to Comyn to make sure he still feels this way the day after and are waiting to hear back. But anyhow, on with the show (the full note is after the jump):
“Hello all,
Having spent the past 18 years of my life in advertising sales, TV, Radio and Outdoor, I’ve always wondered why I was in a business I detested. For years, I couldn’t figure it out, and then I realized what was motivating me, MONEY! There are few careers where one (we called ourselves a business of C students) could earn so much money for doing very little.
Update: Comyn himself says the letter is not referring to any one company, but was written in general terms and encompasses his experiences of years in the advertising/media business.
The hardest I ever worked were the first 5 years of my career, from 1994 to 1999. This is mostly because I spent my days making my boss look good. I earned him/them a lot of money by making sure the media buyers were kept happy. Let me tell you, back in the mid 90’s, NYC buyers were animals. If you weren’t at the top of your game, they would eat you without salt. As a result, I believe, I learned ‘the business’ from the best.
Over the years I learned that I was part of a ‘club’ I had no desire to be a member of. By the mid 2000’s I found myself lashing out at the very corporate system I had signed up for. Had I sold my soul? No, there was no way I could have done that. Alas, I realised I had indeed sold my soul for the almighty dollar.
Recently, I decided, once and for all, to leave the industry I have dedicated the last 18 years of my life. The reasons are numerous but following are a few:
* I was trained to lie to clients and cheat as much as possible.
* I was encouraged to dismiss FCC regulations on clients business.
* 99% of Advertising Sales Reps spend their days figuring ways to rip off clients
* 99% of Advertising Sales Managers got their positions by lying and stealing their way to the top.
* Most competing TV and Radio Stations COLLUDE on rates.
* Most vendors are ripping off clients by up to 80%
* Reps WILL rip off their bosses (through expenses) if you treat them like crap.
* Most reps are managed through fear, the worst motivator, in my opinion.
* There are few leaders left in a business that once promoted leadership
I know most of you will think these are the bitter words of a disillusioned ex-rep. Maybe you’re correct, but I like to to think of my words as coming from someone who is finally calling BULLSHIT on the ad sales world, both in the USA and Ireland.
I wish you all good fortune and good luck.
Jerry”