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Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
One of my professional goals for 2018 is to hone my business-development skills, and multiple people have recommended the book, “The New Strategic Selling,” by Robert B. Miller and Stephen E. Heiman, as an excellent foundation with which to begin.
As I read the book in the weeks ahead, I’ll share some of my key takeaways in a three-part blog series. This post will address part one, which focuses on selling strategically.
At its highest level, The New Strategic Selling focuses on how to manage sales processes in a “complex sales cycle,” which is defined as “one in which several people must give th
eir approval before the sale can take place.” This seems straightforward enough, but it was valuable for me to understand the various elements involved with that complex sales cycle, including:
• The buying organization has multiple options;
• The selling organization has multiple options;
• In both organizations, numerous levels of responsibility are involved;
• The buying organizations decision-making process is complex – meaning, it is seldom self-evident to an outsider.
The reality is that there is never a single way to enter into a complex sales or buying process, and there is never a single decision-maker when it comes to complex sales situations. Recognizing that the process is multi-faceted and complex is the first step in determining how you then build out your sales strategy.
Miller and Heiman then lay out the key roles involved with a complex sale: 1) the economic buyer, 2) the user buyer, 3) the technical buyer, and 4) the coach.
In order for a sales campaign to be effective, it has to resonate with every one of these buyers – not just one – and connect with their motivations and responsibilities. The economic buyer, for example, will likely be focused on the return-on-investment and overall value provided by the seller. In comparison, the user buyer will be more involved with the product on a day-to-day basis and will likely care more about its ease-of-use and performance, or its ability to help them in their current role.
What’s enjoyable about this book is that its lessons apply not just directly to sales and business development, but to how we as PR and communications professionals counsel our clients about their businesses. In our case, when an organization decides to bring on a PR and communications agency, there are often several stakeholders involved with the decision-making process. These can range from the CEO, CFO, marketing and PR managers and other business unit managers.
Recognizing that our clients have multiple stakeholders involved as they sell and promote their products has also been valuable for me to understand, in that the PR and communications programs and tactics that I recommend need to align with the needs and priorities of my clients’ stakeholders (my colleague Colleen Moffitt recently posted about ways to secure stakeholder buy-in here).
The New Strategic Selling also lays out multiple premises of strategic selling, including this: “In the complex sale, a good tactical plan is only as good as the strategy that led up to it.” This echoes much of the business model we employ at Communiqué PR, in that all of our activities – every press release, every media pitch, and so on – must align with our clients’ business and communications objectives. At the end of the day, our activities must help our clients to move their businesses forward. Which is similar to the messages in The New Strategic Selling: “Strategy is a pre-requisite for tactical success. … Strategy is, in fact, the single most neglected element in selling today.”
Too often PR becomes associated with simply pushing out the next press release versus taking the time to pause and evaluate how the news (if there is, indeed, a hard news element) will impact the business on a strategic level. Do the activities being recommended address the needs of all the key stakeholders involved?
Beginning to think in this way will have far-reaching benefits not just for business development purposes but for client counsel and account management.
I look forward to continuing this book, and to sharing my findings in my next blog post. The next portion I’ll be discussing will be around how to “Lay the Foundation of Strategic Analysis” and creating uncommon solutions to common solutions.
One of the many tasks that public relations (PR) agencies perform on a regular basis is tracking editorial coverage. In most cases, we track coverage that is expected, such as a story based on a press release, or a by-lined article placement. On other occasions, we may be looking for unexpected coverage, for instance from a crisis. Whatever the scenario, coverage tracking is important and can take significant time.
Luckily, there are quite are a few tips and tools to make coverage tracking and analysis more manageable. For those starting out in PR, here are some of my tips:
- Set up Google Alerts. Google alerts are a terrific way to track coverage. To set these up, I recommend brainstorming key words on the topic you want to track. For instance, say you are interested in following breakthroughs around treatments for Glioblastomas. In this case, in addition to setting up alerts for “Glioblastoma-Treatment,” you may want to create an alert for the name of the doctors or institutions working on finding a cure.
The next step is to consider how frequently you want to the receive the alert. Google allows you the option of choosing when to receive the alerts: as they happen or at a specific time. When following a breaking news story or crisis, it may be best to have them delivered as they happen. For less serious matters, having all coverage appear in your inbox at a specific time may be more convenient. Google allows you to choose how many times you receive the alert as well: at least once a day or at least once a week.
- Create a coverage tracker. Once you have flagged the coverage, you’ll want to keep track of it in an Excel workbook or Smartsheet. I recommend when you set this up that you consider the information you’ll want to review and analyze over time. For instance, I like to track the article headline, date, the name of the journalist who wrote it and the publication’s domain authority. According to Moz, domain authority is “a
search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs).” I like tracking domain authority because it provides me with a way to easily evaluate the strength of the publication relative to other news outlets. I can then see, for instance, if my client is receiving coverage in news outlets with the higher domain authorities. It’s always nice when we can show a client that they’re securing positive coverage in tier-one publications. - Double check your links. When sharing coverage with others on your team or with clients, it is important to double check that all links are accurate and working. The client expects us to do the work in a timely and accurate fashion. Any inconsistences in accuracy may hurt our credibility and diminish a client’s trust in us. Taking the extra step to double, and even triple check work before it is sent out is a safety net that eliminates most mistakes.
- Identify themes. While tracking editorial coverage is good, you also will want to review each article to ensure it is accurate and to gain an understanding of the information contained in it. Some questions to ask yourself as you read the articles include: What information is presented? Are there any biases around the presentation of the information? If so, what are they? Finally, if multiple news outlets have covered the same announcement or event, you may want to describe the range of narrative themes explored across all the news outlets.
Being aware of coverage is important to a client on many levels. A lack of awareness of editorial coverage could catch a company and its spokespeople off guard. Being ahead of the media storm can potentially make or break the public perception in a crisis. Tracking coverage for clients can be a very helpful task, which allows them to focus on other internal activity. Feel free to drop a comment and let us know how you and your team tracks/monitors editorial coverage.
The last few months Facebook has been the center of the media’s attention. In case you haven’t sifted through the articles, the gist of the story is this: Cambridge Analytica, a political data firm hired by President Trump’s 2016 election campaign, gained access to private information from millions of Facebook users. The backlash has been extensive and this week, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been testifying in front of Congress to explain how this happened.
As I was reading about the latest developments, I came across a Wall Street Journal video that looks back at how Facebook’s messages have changed over the years. As a young but powerful company with significant reach, it is interesting to see how Facebook’s messaging has evolved to adapt to the changing services the company offers to its users. The video pulls directly from a variety of interviews and speeches Mark Zuckerberg has given over the years about Facebook’s mission and vision.
Below is an overview of the messaging at each stage.
Connecting with People. In 2005, shortly after Facebook was founded, Zuckerberg said, “Facebook was about connecting people.” This could mean you’re connecting with old friends, such as friends from middle school that you haven’t seen in awhile, Zuckerberg noted. He also shared that it was a useful tool to look people up because “people feel comfortable sharing.” Note, at this point, Facebook had only been launched at Harvard and several other college campuses.
Sharing Information. Three years later, the social media platform made itself available to anyone over the age of 13. The message was no longer about connecting people, it was about “helping people share information and share themselves.” The company had been focused on building different services that enabled people to “share parts of their personality.”
The Social Platform. Facebook was working to become the underlying social media platform for the internet. After some criticism, Zuckerberg altered his message a month later, emphasizing the importance of people maintaining control over their information. He stated, “When people have control over what they share, they are comfortable sharing more.”
Making the World More Open and Connected. At Facebook’s 2012 IPO, Zuckerberg noted that the company’s mission was not to be a public company, but that it was to make the world more open and connected.
More than Social Media. In 2013, Facebook explained that it could have a role in politics, but it was all positive. At this point, Facebook was used regularly to facilitate communication and share news, but Zuckerberg thought it could go beyond that. He saw Facebook as a potential tool that people would use to choose their government and sign up for healthcare.
Responsibility. Following the 2016 presidential election, Facebook realized how the platform could be used to spread misinformation and that organizations, political parties, or other groups could use the platform in ways they hadn’t intended it to be used. Facebook recognized that with its reach to billions across the globe, the company had a responsibility “to make sure [its] tools were used to create the most benefit for people around the world.”
A New Mission. In December 2017, Facebook officially changed its mission to “bring the world closer together.” Zuckerberg noted a divided society and that he wanted Facebook to be used to help people join communities.
Under a global spotlight, Zuckerberg is currently testifying in front of Congress, addressing their inquiries about Cambridge Analytica’s use of Facebook member’s data. Undoubtedly, in a crisis of this magnitude, he would have developed messages to address the questions he knows will come. However, what will be interesting to watch is how Facebook’s message continues to evolve following the testimonies. Facebook cannot simply focus on the idealistic mission it has laid out. The company and Zuckerberg will need to focus on rebuilding trust with Facebook users and assure them their data and information is safe and secure.
Whether it’s an strategic PR plan, an important customer announcement or a new message to reach your audiences, obtaining buy-in from key stakeholders ensures that everyone understands and supports the recommended approach. Securing consensus also provides the opportunity to obtain additional ideas and perspectives, and to understand objections that may not have been apparent to you at the outset.
As well, building consensus for PR and communication programs can be helpful in developing relationships with key stakeholders in the organization. Stakeholders that are included often feel empowered knowing that their opinion and insight is valued. By building consensus, key decision makers will also likely feel more responsibility for the success of the program.
Failing to secure agreement on the approach, however, can create significant challenges in the short- and the long-term. Without consensus, stakeholders may make decisions or operate in a manner that is contradictory to your approach, or undermine your program’s success. Consider the following shared in the Forbes article, “How To Get Real Buy-In For Your Idea,” by Harvard Business School Professor John Kotter: “Our research has shown that 70 percent of all organizational change efforts fail, and one reason for this is executives simply don’t get enou
gh buy-in, from enough people, for their initiatives and ideas.”
When you have shared buy-in, you will find that everyone is more likely to be communicating the same messages and have shared expectations.
Below are some tips on how to obtain buy-in, which we included in our book, “Strategic Public Relations.”
- Identify all key stakeholders – The first step is to identify the key stakeholders in the organization. Oftentimes the key stakeholders are the individuals who control the company’s strategic direction and its financial resources. Additionally individuals who are required to execute the program are important stakeholders.
Another way to evaluate and identify key stakeholders is outlined in the book “The New Strategic Selling.” The authors define stakeholders or buying influencers in “four buying roles.” These include the economic buyer, user buyer, technical buyer and coach. Identifying the individuals in your organization who fit into these various roles is important and will help clarify from whom you need to secure buy-in.
- Understand the stakeholders’ interests – Understanding each stakeholder’s interests will enable you to sell your program and, long-term, develop a stronger plan. Take the time to understand each stakeholder’s perspectives, objectives and any biases. This will inform the development of your plan and how you position the plan in order to secure their buy-in.
- Frame your pitch/talking points for each specific audience – Once you understand the stakeholders’ interests, tailor your pitch to address the issues and interests they care about. Demonstrate how your program, plan or campaign will accomplish those objectives. As you frame your pitch, remember that it is important to focus on interests, not your position.
The authors of the book “Getting to Yes” share, “When negotiators bargain over positions, they lock themselves into these positions. The more you clarify your position and defend against attack, the more committed you become to it. The more you try to convince the other side of the impossibility of changing your opening position, the more difficult it becomes to do so.”
Rather than digging in and taking a fixed position about your program or plan, you will be more successful if you listen openly to understand the interests of the stakeholders, map their interests back to the goals the program/plan will achieve, and focus on mutual gain.
- Update stakeholders regularly – Building consensus is not a one-time effort. To be effective it should be a continual effort. If you are asking stakeholders early on for their buy-in and support, you’ll want to circle back to them to provide updates, to demonstrate that soliciting their buy-in was not a token gesture, and that you valued and respected their input. In the absence of any updates, stakeholders may assume nothing has happened. Similarly, it is important to reset expectations as factors change. This can help mitigate any surprises or disappointments.
We hope this provides some helpful guidelines for securing buy-in from the key stakeholders in your PR or communication program. As stated above, it’s a continual, ongoing effort to make sure that the right stakeholders are involved throughout the process, each and every time.
Do you have a good example of when you were able to secure buy-in for a PR campaign or activity? What worked well? What did you learn from the experience? Tell us here, in the comments.
Ahh, spring ‒ flowers are blooming, birds are singing, allergies are emerging, and clutter is accumulating! I’m not just talking about the junk in your closet ‒ public relations “clutter” tends to build up throughout the year and can inhibit your ability to produce effective PR results. Give the same attention to your PR strategy as you would your overflowing closet and do a little spring cleaning! Here are five suggestions for giving your PR strategy some deserved TLC this spring time.
1. Clean up your master press list
Remember that massive press list that you spent hours developing? With the dynamic nature of our industry, chances are some of those journalists have switched roles, moved publications or changed their contact information. Instead of wasting time pitching journalists with emails that will bounce, take an extra couple of hours to make sure the master list is up to date. It will be well worth your time in the long run!
2. Dig around for some new publications
New publications are popping up on the internet on a daily basis. A plethora of new outlets that could be a perfect fit for your client are out there ‒ it is up to you to find them! If you find yourself pitching the same outlets over and over again, it might be time to find some fresh targets. A great way to do this is through Google searches, Cision and monitoring HARO for new outlets that are posting queries.
3. Take a new look at your key messages
Now is a perfect time to review your key messages to ensure they are still communicating the right messages to your target audience. In your PR spring cleaning, take time to evaluate the changes or rebranding that occurred in your client’s business within the past year to ensure that the key messages are relevant and reflect the business’ core values.
4. Analyze your media coverage
Looking at past coverage can help you determine if the target audience is reached with the publications you pitch. For example, if you are trying to reach fruit producers, landing coverage in The American Lawyer probably was not worth the pitching effort. It can also be helpful to examine the Domain Authority and the unique visitors per month of each publication that you have landed coverage in. This can help you understand the amount of web traffic your coverage is getting. For more on Domain Authority, you can read this blog post.
5. Consider switching up your pitching style
If you are anything like me, you probably have a go-to template that you use for every pitch. Not only can they be mundane to write, similar pitches bore your media contacts too! To make them a little more fun, try making a specific reference to something the journalist has written in the past. You could also spice things up by coming up with a silly or clever subject line that is sure to grab the journalist’s attention. A tried and true way to achieve coverage is to explicitly state why the journalist’s readers will value the information you are presenting ‒ don’t make the journalist do extra work by having to decipher why your pitch is relevant to them.
Cleaning out the extra crud in your PR strategy is sure way to get you on the road towards achieving the PR results that you want. Happy spring cleaning, PR pros!
As a general rule of thumb in PR, every pitch should offer a dedicated spokesperson. Without losing sight of the foundational steps of ensuring your listed spokesperson is approved to speak on behalf of the company and prepared to speak to your pitch, consider the benefits of offering multiple spokespeople.
This strategy is particularly helpful when you’re attempting to illustrate a wide range of impacts and expand the perspective beyond just one company’s experience. Multiple spokespeople from different organizations help fill out the story and broaden the value to appeal to more readers.
When offering several spokespeople in a pitch, it’s helpful to provide additional context to help the reporter make the connection as to why these individuals are relevant to the story, and clearly articulate what is unique about their perspective or viewpoint.
Having multiple spokespeople available also allows you to strategically deploy different people to handle different mediums. You might use a knowledgeable but not as charismatic technical expert to handle print interviews and perhaps a less knowledgeable but more charismatic leader to handle broadcast interviews.
Finding the right spokespeople is critical to the success of your pitch. There are a few essential elements to consider when on the hunt:
Demonstrate subject matter expertise
In addition to offering your client’s perspective, identifying spokespeople who can provide specific subject matter expertise strengthens your credibility on an issue. For the best chance of exposure, aim to link your subject-matter expert’s knowledge and experience directly to the topic you’re pitching and clearly outline how the expertise will provide additional value. When applicable, draw parallels with relevant world events in the news cycle. Not only does this demonstrate your attention to timely topics, it also translates to a wider audience interest.
Provide a counter point
Offering a spokesperson with a counter point to the conflict you’re addressing demonstrates a big picture understanding about the situation that goes beyond just your client’s point of view. Journalists are always looking for a fresh approach, especially if an issue seems one-sided on the surface.
Leverage influencers
The more influential a spokesperson is in your niche, the more relevant your company is likely to become in the industry. Most people with authority have influence and a large following behind them. Consider who is top of your field and with whom you could cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship. Steve Olensky in Forbes describes influencers as “personalities who are perceived as having an impact, an influence, with a business’ purchasing client base.” For additional insight into influencer marketing strategies, check out a recent Communiqué PR blog for a deeper dive.