Do We Talk Too Much?

For those of us active in the social media space, I’m not talking about listening to what your customers say about your brand by monitoring “listening tools” like Twitter Search and Google Alerts. I’m talking about actually listening to people sitting across the table from you.

A fellow PR pro I’ve know for a few years called me to say that she was helping develop a new business presentation for a potential client. They were using a PowerPoint deck that was typically used by the agency for its credibility discussions with potential clients. She was struggling with the fact that it was more than 80 slides and all 80 were about her agency. She felt like it was a bit over the top and wanted my opinion.

For the record, she didn’t divulge the potential client or any information from, on or about the PowerPoint deck other than what I’ve just told you.

Here’s my opinion. Too many times we marketing types talk way too much and don’t listen nearly enough. We spend the entire hour or two in that first meeting with a potential client talking about what makes us great, what makes us different and what previous work sets us apart.

The first problem, in my humble opinion, is that we don’t actually sound that different from each other. I’ve seen credibility documents from other agencies and you’re fooling yourself if you don’t think that a lot of the time agencies sound the same. I’ve even heard some folks on the corporate side say as much after a glass of wine or two.

Of course some of us work hard to truly differentiate ourselves from the pack and actually be different. But even then we can fall into the trap of talking too much. So here’s what I said to my friend.

• What if you spent as much time in that first meeting talking about them as you do talking about you?
• What if you spent half the time (or less) sharing your agency’s background, two or three relevant case studies and a couple tidbits that show how smart you’ve gotten about their category in a short amount of time?
• What if you asked what keeps them up at night?
• For that matter, what if you asked more questions altogether?

The truth is that people can tell how smart you are as much by the questions you ask as by the things you say. So what if we asked more questions and engaged potential clients in conversations, instead of leaving five minutes at the end for Q&A?

This doesn’t only apply to potential clients, by the way. We should be listening – really listening – to all our clients. As I’ve said before, your clients are someone else’s potential clients. As my friend Leo Bottary says, client service isn’t always about doing what no one else can do; it’s about doing what anyone can do, but just doesn’t.

I challenged my friend to nicely push back a bit with her supervisors if she felt strongly enough that the presentation was too long and too focused on the agency. In the end, though, it won’t surprise me if that presentation doesn’t change much. After all, we’re human. And humans like to talk about themselves.

Do you think we listen enough? What practices do you incorporate to help you talk less and listen more?

*Image by Striatic.

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Stop Stealing Ideas

I’ve seen it happen a few times and I’ve heard stories of many other instances. Every once in a while, a brand initiates an RFP only to hijack ideas from agencies without any plans to ever hire one of the them or pay them for their ideas.

New business is one of the life bloods of agency folks, so we get excited at the opportunity to pitch a new client. But the RFP process is a very vulnerable time for agencies.

People – junior, mid-level and senior – spend hours pouring through research and background info to develop a killer strategy and rock solid tactics. And they do this on top of their current client work, which means they’re giving up evenings and, often times, weekends for the pitch.

Sure it sucks to lose a pitch after all the hard work that goes into it. But that’s part of life. Having your ideas stolen, though, is ridiculous. Whether the culprit *suddenly* realizes it loves the incumbent agency it spoke so harshly about during the entire process or slinks away without hiring any of the agencies in review and cherry picks from the spectrum of free ideas to execute in house, it’s unethical.

It also completely disrespects the true value of both creative ideas and the time and sacrifice of developing those ideas.

Older colleagues have always just shrugged their shoulders and said something like, “that’s the risk you take with new business” when I’ve asked about it. Is that an acceptable answer? Can anything be done to limit this practice?

Here are a few ideas:

• Agencies that make it to the final rounds of a pitch get a flat fee as compensation for their ideas.

• If a brand doesn’t choose an agency, but likes a particular idea it presented, it could compensate the agency by providing some fees for the idea.

• Create a public blacklist of brands who have hijacked ideas. The list would be governed by a third party – say PRSA, for example – that would investigate and confirm the claim before posting.

Of course the last option is a bit dangerous. I doubt I’d actually vote for that one. But I do think this is something we shouldn’t just shrug our shoulders about any more, especially given the current economic state and the fact that more brands are cutting back on marketing budgets. Those circumstances increase the likelihood that a few misfits will venture down the path of looking to get more for less – or for free.

Would any of those ideas help? Do you have a suggestion to toss in the pot?

*Image by Saxon Moseley.

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Are You Contagious?

I was on a conference call today when it hit me.

A few colleagues and I were chatting with some fine folks who founded and run a non-profit agency, which we had decided to help on a pro bono basis. As we talked about why they created the agency and what their hopes and dreams are, their enthusiasm reached through the phone and grabbed me. Their passion was contagious and I had caught it.

Many non-profit staffers are unashamed evangelists for their agencies’ causes, of course. They usually sign on with the agency – or in this case, create it – because it serves a need they are passionate about. My question, though, is why can’t more of us who work on the for-profit side exude the same energy about our brands?

Sure, our days are long, our colleagues sometimes difficult and our pride is often swallowed. But those are all things those in the non-profit world face, too. The difference is that they believe in the brands they serve so strongly that they look past the lows and forward to the highs. And that is what makes the difference.

We don’t have to work at a non-profit to believe in our brands. We just have to find the right agencies, the right clients or the right companies to hang our hats at every day. Of course, those places will be different for each of us. But we can join the cause with those whose visions we believe in and get thrilled by the prospect of helping achieve them.

Whatever the profession of choice is, life is far too short not to be passionate about your day job. As I told a recent interviewee who was applying for a position at my agency:

“I spend more time each weekday with my colleagues than I do my family. And I love my family. So if I’m going to spend more time with colleagues than with people I actually love, then I want them to be passionate about working here, too.”

Yes, we all have rough days in this business, but are you energized by your work more days than not? Is your passion contagious? What ways do you keep priming the pump so it pours out every day and positively effects those around you?

Update – *After posting this, I bounced over to my Google Reader. While scanning through my RSS feeds, I found that Geoff Livingston wrote a post earlier today along the same topic. It’s well worth a read, so I wanted to share it with you, too.

*Image by Alex de Carvalho.

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Does PR Really “Build Awareness?”

If I had a dollar for every time someone said “Goals must be measurable,” I’d have a nice little lump in my wallet. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen “Increase awareness of brand X” as a goal with no plans to measure pre- and post-awareness levels, I’d have to open a savings account.

We rarely prove if we actually built awareness. Many times we infer and imply that we built awareness based on media relations outcomes like impressions and advertising value equivalency. But who really knows if more of the client’s target customers actually are aware that the client exists?

Where’s the disconnect? If we PR folks say goals must be measurable, why do we still throw in that benign “raising awareness” goal that we know will never be measured?

If, for whatever reason, we can’t measure awareness for a particular client, why can’t we focus on goals we can measure? If you’re going to track total media hits and impressions, create goals for that. If success is a certain number of consumers actually interacting with a product, create goals for that.

The title asks if PR really builds awareness. Of course WE know it does. But are we proving it to others on campaigns where we’ve listed that as a goal?

So, ultimately, my question is this. Why has “increase awareness” become an acceptable, un-measurable goal for us? If CMOs are expecting measurable goals at the beginning of a PR product launch plan presentation, why aren’t we giving them goals we’ll actually measure and show whether or not we achieved?

*Image by Aussiegall.

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Three Ways to Get Your Agency’s Best Work

What do you do when the honeymoon is over?

That’s a question clients and agencies find themselves asking too often. After the excitement of the RFP process or pre-launch planning is in the rear-view mirror and the account settles into execution mode, the day-to-day relationship can sometimes grow a little too mundane.

I’ve already shared some great ways that agencies can keep the relationship fresh and exciting. Todd Defren touches on a couple things clients should think about when they feel a little neglected. I wanted to extend Todd’s thoughts and focus on are a few more ways clients can help the relationship stay healthy.

Think of the Agency as Strategy Central – Don’t get stuck in the maintenance weeds. We live in a dynamic marketplace, so remember to look to your agency team for ongoing strategic counsel. It’s always good to get objective perspectives from smart people who don’t live within the walls of your company 24/7.

Share the Data – Maybe some clients have a legitimate reason for not sharing sales figures, revenue numbers and market-specific data with the agency, but I think those reasons would be limited to very few industries. I’ve heard too many stories (and experienced a few of my own) of client who guard this info with their lives and refuse to share it. This severely handicaps the agency and its ability to adjust efforts, course correct or deliver strategic ideas that could have big impacts on your business.

Manage The Agency Well – Would you pay an intern $100 or more an hour? Some clients use the agency to pawn off all menial tasks. I’m not saying the agency is above doing that work. Most agency folks are happy to help however they can. But you aren’t going to get the full value that a strategic agency partner brings if you bog them down with that level of work. If you find that there’s too much time-consuming, low-level tasks on the plate, hire an intern for the semester or a temp for a few weeks.

What would you add? How else can agencies and clients keep the working relationship in top shape? What are your tricks of the trade?

*Image by Terren.

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Why PR in an Integrated Agency Rocks

Michael Bourne, my colleague at Mullen, wrote a blog post recently at relentlessPR about working in PR at an “Ad agency.” I’ve had the pleasure of working at both PR-only shops and integrated agencies, including Mullen. So I’ve experienced both sides of the agency fence. There are pros and cons for each, but in my opinion, working at an integrated agency rocks.

Stretching isn’t just important for runners. Being around other smart folks who look at marketing challenges from a completely different mindset stretches you to think beyond traditional PR tactics. There is incredible work going on in other disciplines that gives me ideas for my clients that I may not have thought of otherwise. So being exposed to this work makes me smarter.

Not everything that’s contagious is bad for you. The energy is just different in a full-service agency, primarily thanks to art directors, copywriters and digital and design types. Different disciplines attract people with very different personalities, so you end up with a wonderful mix of passionate people. This isn’t to say that there aren’t PR-only shops with great energy. But I think the vibe is different in most.

It’s as good to give as it is to receive. Working in an integrated shop makes people from all disciplines smarter and better at what they do. People know when you bring value to their clients, regardless of what department you’re in. There are two advertising teams that regularly invite me to their brainstorms. A couple of our digital media folks invited me to a chat about a new campaign and one of my ideas is central to what they are now proposing to the client.

While this environment and the opportunity to be exposed to and think about things beyond “traditional PR” may get my motor running, clients are the ones who ultimately benefit from this level of collaboration across areas of expertise. As Michael Scott from The Office would say, “it’s a win, win, win.” I win. Mullen wins. Clients win.

What about you? What do you love about working at an integrated agency or your PR-only agency? If you’re on the client side, what are your thoughts on working with an integrated vs. PR agency?

*Image from Jason Rogers.

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In Plain English, Please

I’m tired. And the sense I’m getting from others is that they’re tired, too. It becomes more exhausting every day to decipher what most of our fellow marketers are trying to actually say or recommend and I think I know why.

We want to make sure other people know we’re smart. So we overpopulate whatever we’re writing – emails, presentations, etc. – with as many big words, buzz words and “ize” words as possible. The problem is that most people don’t have time these days to peel apart unnecessary layers of hype and jargon to get to the meat of what you’re really saying. If a client or colleague has to re-read your recommendation three times to understand the essence of what you’re actually recommending, that’s a problem. It doesn’t show how smart you are. It shows you don’t respect their time.

The truth is that we’re all pretty smart. Well, most of us. We know a smart strategy, idea or insight when we see it, hear it or read it. Wrapping up a bad recommendation in elegant wrapping with a beautiful bow on top doesn’t make it a better recommendation. Likewise, great thinking is great on its own. Don’t muddy a great idea by bogging it down just to show how many words you have in the arsenal.

This is also a big problem when social media types try to explain what they do. Tossing around things like “emerging media,” “social capital,” “open source” and the names of every social media platform on the Interweb as fast as you can just makes most people feel lost. I believe one reason more brands aren’t using social media initiatives is because we don’t talk about them in ways that are inviting. Instead we overwhelm them with a whirlwind of jargon.

To be clear, I’m not saying words aren’t important. I’m saying the opposite. Words ARE important. Be clear. I believe we’ll get more done that way.

Let’s start a movement on this one. Who’s with me? Maybe we can get the LeFevers of Common Craft fame to do a video on Speaking in Plain English.

*Image by Chris.

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3 Truths Marketers Should Live By

What guides you?

What are the nuggets that guide us professionally every day, whether we’re discussing product development, crafting marketing strategies or drafting news releases? Those things that we remind ourselves – or should be reminding ourselves – of as we plan how our brands will be presented to news media and customers.

Here are three truths that I try to live by daily.

It’s not about me.
By me, I mean the brands I represent. Of course I think they are the best things around. I drank the Kool-Aid. But most consumers don’t care that your brand has been around for X years or that your business led an industry-wide revolution in 1983.

We consumers are a selfish bunch. I want to know how your product or service helps ME. The burden is on the brand to show how it makes my life easier in a meaningful way and that should shape everything from product development to marketing messages.

It’s not about my gut.
We sometimes make broad generalizations about a demographic based on our individual association with it. I can’t tell you many times I’ve seen female marketers blurt out assumptions about all females. Or marketers with children make assumptions about all consumers who happen to be parents.

I bet you’ve seen this, too. You’ve probably been guilty of doing it. I know I have. But I don’t speak on behalf of all white males in the marketing industry who are married with two kids. I remind myself of that often.

It underscores the importance of research. Seek insights about the group you’re reaching out to even if you fall into its demographic. On second thought, ESPECIALLY if you fall into its demographic.

It’s not about yesterday.
What worked last year, may not work this year. Likewise, what didn’t work last year, may work miracles this year.

I was in a meeting during which a new employee shared a promotional idea. A wet blanket was immediately tossed on it by a 20-year veteran because a similar idea didn’t work in the 1990’s. The new guy’s boss asked about the previous execution. They decided to give it another shot while tweaking the specifics. Six months later it was the most successful promotion the company had to date.

If someone brings up an idea that the brand tried before unsuccessfully, don’t automatically kill it. Talk about what didn’t work the last time and whether changing the specifics may lead to different results.

That brings me back to “It’s not about me.” I’m interested in your insights. What truths do you live by professionally?

*Image by Paul Downey.

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