“The customer is always right,” is the mantra of a marketing agency where things have gone very very wrong. They stand by this tired, abused, and misleading cliché as the gospel that will not lead them to glory, but will at least keep the lights on for a bit longer.

This is the YES MAN Agency.

Maliciously obedient to clients, they deliver bullshit with a smile, trading integrity and creativity for security. At least until the client fires them for doing what they are told or the company folds.

Though the YES MAN Agency usually lives to fight another day, it only has dull tools in its arsenal. Its equity decreases as their portfolio of reputable work diminishes. Star employees move on so they can actually shine. Soon it becomes a pale imitation of the agency it aspired to be, surviving by preying the naivety of their clients.

So where exactly do these YES MAN agencies go wrong? Sacrifice. The “S” word is something that cannot be avoided. There is, however, a choice of what you are willing to give up.

A decent living can be made snatching the crumbs that fall down the cracks from the adult table, hanging on the purse strings of clients. Or, you can choose to stay thin and trim, learn to say “Thanks, but no thanks,” and move on to clients that are more worthy of your talents.

Your choice.