The Rizzuti Five

I don't know much about the advertising industry, but I do know that agencies have had to reinvent themselves many times over the past twenty or so years. That, or they are one of the many bankrupt ad agencies littering the landscape. One of the wily veterans of the industry who has found a way to reinvent himself over and over is John Rizzuti.

John sub-leased space to my partner and me when we started our first company, Launch Associates. His advertising agency was called Rizzuti.com at the time - a reinvention of his prior firm. I got to know John fairly well, and what I came to like about him most is that John is a survivor. He's an entrepreneur who has seen the best and worst of times in the ad business. And, he's a salesman's salesman. He can recite Alec Baldwin's famous scene in Glengarry Glen Ross by heart. And he believes in the message.

One day I was packing up after a long day of cold-calling prospects. I was just about to leave when John stopped-by to say good night. He asked me what was up and I told him that I was headed home. He looked at me and gave me a big grin, held out his hand as if to show all five fingers and said, "Make five more calls". At this point in the day I was totally exhausted. Making five more calls was the very last thing I wanted to do. And it was approaching six o'clock.

I just rolled my eyes and laughed and kept packing my stuff, letting John know that I was done for the day. "Done-zo" as my kids would say. I don't remember his exact response, but it was something about being dedicated. He knew that we were just starting out and that we needed every break we could get. He challenged me to make "just five more calls" even after I had packed up. He was basically calling me a sissy if I didn't.

So I put my stuff down, flipped my computer back on, and made five more calls. And then it hit me. It wasn't so much about making five more calls as it was about going the extra mile to be successful. John had learned the hard way that if you're going to succeed, you don't pack up your gear at 5:00 and call it a day. You make five more calls.

I've referred to the "Rizzuti Five" many times since then. I have challenged reps to make those five extra calls when they think that they're done for the day. Some have grasped the concept and gone one to do great things; others have just laughed it off and gone home. Back to being mediocre.

My challenge to you is to make the "Rizzuti Five" part of your weekly plan. Consider a day where you can do something extra to give you an edge. If your routine has you packing up at 5:00, go ahead and pack up. Then grab the phone and make another five calls. You'll be outside your comfort zone, but you'll find the process exhilarating and it will motivate you to do even more. And, when you're done, do the math. If you make the Rizzuti Five a weekly occurence over 50 weeks, that's 250 extra calls you've made in the year. That could be the difference between hitting your number or not.

I look back fondly at my experience with John and Rizzuti.com. I'm grateful to John for the generous use of his space and his friendship. But I'm more grateful for the Rizzuti Five.