Mediaweek Academy will host its third instalment on Wednesday, focusing on sales and negotiation skills.
MFA Hall of Famer and Mediaweek contributing editor Greg’ Sparrow’ Graham will lead the session, featuring a Legend of the industry sharing their career development wisdom and a Superstar discussing their insights.
This month’s Mediaweek Academy Legend is Genelle Sharples from Telstra, with Superstar speaker Philippa Noliea-Tani from Wavemaker.
Noliea-Tani spoke to Mediaweek about how she got her start in the media industry, the most rewarding part of her career journey so far and the key to great sales and negotiation skills.
Getting her start in the media industry
Many people in the media fell into the industry, and for Noliea-Tani, her journey was the same.
“I was 19, had just completed my SFX Make-Up for Film & TV certification, and wanted to take a breath before putting my newly learned skills into action,” she shared.
“Out in the city with my aunt one day, we decided to drop in and say hello to an old friend of hers, who happened to be leading the in-house media team for Paramount Pictures (UIP back then).
“It may have been the attraction of the upstairs theatrette and being paid, in part, to watch movies, but I didn’t hesitate to say yes when I was offered a 6-week contract to help while their assistant was on holiday.”
Those six weeks turned into 17 years, and Paramount remains one of her most important clients.
“I may have fallen into media, but I’ve never looked back,” she said.
While she never ended up going into SFX Make-Up, Noliea-Tani noted that her skills in that area did not go to complete waste, saying: “They’ve come in handy for every Halloween party since.
A glimpse into her role as chief investment officer
Noliea-Tani has been with Wavemaker for the past 17 years and has been in the chief investment officer role since October 2021.
“I have the privilege of working with some of Australia’s most iconic brands, helping marketers efficiently and effectively navigate rapid changes in the media landscape,” she said.
Noliea-Tani said that a great day for her is finding the perfect balance between leading the Wavemaker team, their clients, and their partners and delivering on her values and vision.
“I rarely get the balance perfect. However, I have incredible peers and leaders who remind me that imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together,” she added.
The most rewarding part of her career journey
For Noliea-Tani, meeting Kath Koschel last year – the globally renowned motivational speaker, author and the founder of the not-for-profit organisation Kindness Factory – was a career highlight.
“Hearing Kath share her remarkable story of courage, with such vulnerability and authenticity, rocked me to my core, in the most powerful and positive way, and hearing about how Kindness Factory came to be, pulled on my heartstrings,” she said.
“Kindness Factory is a not-for-profit organisation that exists to ensure the next generation grows up with a foundation of kindness – addressing bullying, mental ill-health, collaboration, cooperation, respect, and resilience,” she added.
Noliea-Tani said the opportunity to unlock the industry’s influence to scale the movement of kindness was a path she wanted to pursue.
“In partnership with VMLY&R, UnLtd, and with the generosity of our media partners, we brought to life the first major brand campaign for Kindness Factory.”
So far, 1,409,494 acts of kindness have been logged since World Kindness Day in November 2022
“Meeting Kath and the team at Kindness Factory and being rewarded the time, space and support to amplify their voice and positive societal impact has been a career highlight,” Noliea-Tani said.
The key to great sales and negotiation skills
For Mediaweek Academy attendees interested in the key to great sales and negotiation skills, Noliea-Tani highlighted the importance of relationships.
“Our industry is too small to burn bridges. We need to keep the short and long term in mind when selling, buying, and negotiating, striking the right balance for optimal value.”
“Many documented negotiation techniques do not take into account the importance of building long-lasting, highly collaborative relationships established on a foundation of trust and integrity.
“Such relationships are critical to delivering a sustained value exchange in an industry such as ours.”
Noliea-Tani also noted the importance of listening more than talking.
“Listen to the words being spoken, but also listen out for the unspoken words. You can’t hear clues or cues if you are talking over them,” Noliea-Tani suggested.
For those who missed out on the first and second sessions, Mediaweek will run eight more sessions this year. Sparrow urged those who missed out to come to the next ones.
“It’s going to help your career, get your promotion and really kickstart your journey in the industry. So, I’d say don’t miss out,” he said.
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Top image: Philippa Noilea-Tani