By Robert Kainz:
A sense of nostalgia settles on the souls of long-serving “advertising dinosaurs” when they recall the times when a handshake served as both protocol and contract, when the word RELIABLE still carried weight and meaning in daily business, and when decisions were made directly and immediately at the table.
How refreshing were those times when the agency’s points of contact were not career starters with business degrees—specializing in marketing—but when the counterpart on the client side viewed the agency as a partner in a shared mission rather than a supplier or a mere executor of theoretical marketing models.
How efficient and constructive were the times when pitches weren’t required for every new business card (ideally for free, of course), but instead—based on a solid briefing—solutions were developed that weren’t watered down by the endless approval cycles so common today.
How refreshing it was to receive a decision directly in a meeting instead of waiting weeks, as is the case today, for a statement that serves only to document and protect one’s own position. While it used to be the rule (I know, it sounds terribly old-fashioned!) for a counterpart to seal a decision with a firm handshake, today it involves a tedious process of securing approval across all levels of corporate hierarchy, resulting in extensive written agreements that often restrict rather than allow for creative freedom.
How refreshing it was to get a spontaneous reaction to a presentation at the table—instead of a poker face or helpless glances toward the supposed decision-maker. How invigorating it was to spar with a patriarch who found the verbal battle just as stimulating, who valued openness and honesty and practiced them himself. No empty phrases or platitudes, no hot air, but facts and unmistakable statements were the rule. And what was once the exception is now, unfortunately, the rule: meaningless clichés and vague ideas about what should be different, why, and how.
“Complaining doesn’t help!” one might conclude at this point. And no, it indeed does not help to reverse this trend. But one can and must remain true to oneself and to the valued quality and mentality of the handshake. One can continue to be among those whose handshake is not just a physical act but reflects a mindset. And should you ever do business with me, you can take my handshake for what it has been for decades: an absolutely reliable statement. You have my word!
