The FaceFacts Intern Chronicles | Welcome to the Party

9:00am Arrived coffee in hand ready to kick off my 9 to 5 working day with a buzz. I was allocated a desk and laptop at the spacious and well decorated Marketing office and promptly introduced to my colleagues, two Yorkshire born and bred interns. We bonded rather quickly over a hilarious tale of the would-be intern who vanished on her first day of work using some sorry excuse for 'getting her lunch' and just never coming back. Guess some people just can't handle the pressure of a part-time internship.. sarcasm very much implied.

Set up my 'professional' social media accounts, then commenced work on the first item on the day's agenda - cold calling professionals to clarify address details for posting FF business info. As graduates with virtually no telesales experience, this was a daunting task. Some of the listed contacts were managers of mega corporations, such as Virgin, EMI Music and McDonalds! (the latter of which I reaped my first and only sour experience of the day, good thing I haven't eaten there in over 3 years now - and maybe they sensed that.).




So we started off like scared rabbits tossed out into the wild for the first time but by midday we had our flow, dialling and hanging up like clockwork.

Following several trial runs, I picked up on the tact of keeping things short and sweet - going in, getting the information and getting out. Based on it's association with call centers, I also learnt to stray from mentioning the word 'market research' unless asked what their address was needed for. Most of the time though, people didn't seem to second guess it. Hmmm.. well, maybe it's just me but I for one wouldn't be keen to share my personal details with a stranger on the phone. Thoughts?

3:00pm Meeting with digital marketing PR agency Clearsilver regarding the rebranding of Face Facts Research's sister organization, The Method, which was established to provide events and conferencing opportunities for professionals within the market research industry - a function similar to the industry go-to MRS, only with more flair.

From the outset, ClearSilver were definitely there to make an impression; sharing with us an impressive slide presentation that provided an overview of the company. After the exchanging of creative briefs, the FF execs laid out their vision for The Method. Watching these two companies discuss their ideas was a great oppurtunity on my part to learn about B2B collaboration and the planning process of new marketing initiatives. It's one thing being taught in a classroom but when you get to witness it in practice, you notice the subtleties of how to engage with business partners effectively. Pointers that I took away from this particular meeting include:

• When working with new companies, building lasting relationships takes precedence over short-term gains.
• Creative briefs are exchanged as a formal procedure and articulates the plans of both parties on a specific project.
• Budget must be a key consideration when negotiating what services to acquire.

4:30pm I was assigned to update the company Facebook page with the Movember moustache of the day, a cute idea that not only reflects the amiable nature of the company but also engages with followers. Uploading a picture of the Ron Burgundy (the face of Anchorman) complete with witty caption, was in its own way, a move that cemented me as a fixture in the FF dream team.



I really enjoyed that first day at the Face Facts office. My colleagues are all friendly and capable people who made office work far from dull. Despite working on a nonpaid basis, I have gained valueable insight into the realities of the working world and marketing; and in the end, this the kind of knowledge that is priceless.