The Great PR Recap
“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times,” said Charles Dickens in his classic novel A Tale of Two Cities. It sounds very academic to begin a blog post this way, but actually we don’t need Dickens to tell us that we live in a era with astonishingly good PR and also in a time where people and companies can fail epically in the same arena. How do we rank among the best and avoid the worst?
We talked quite a bit last week about how to handle negative PR. And we agreed that there are certain things that really should be avoided at all costs. Pretending that there is no crisis is perhaps the worst way that you can possibly handle negative PR. If you don’t believe me, there are a number of scandals that ate up headlines in the news this year that we could point. Any number of politicians, for example, who refused to admit that they had made any error in any way until they were essentially hit over the head with the evidence and then were forced to make a shameful confession. I’ll say it again, because it bears repeating, confront mistakes head on. Admit to them. Own them. Move on. Don’t wait until comes out in the headlines of the newspaper or Twitter can’t keep up with the gossip. Great PR can often come in the form of damage control.
We have also talked a lot about how PR, like almost any aspect of business, comes from creating a positive relationship with your customers. There is, of course, the old cliché that “the customer is always right,” and anyone with any sales experiences knows that this expression is hyperbole. But it contains an element of truth to it. Think about the firestorms that several large companies created this year by introducing new fees to highly used services. Especially in a time of slow economic growth, as oil prices continue to rise, new fees added into basic services are not welcomed by a cash-strapped public. Naturally, businesses want to make profits. New ways of making profits are always going to be sought. But keep in mind that there needs to be a balance. Is your new policy fair? Does it keep in mind the concerns that your costumers have? Are you keeping within industry trends? Sometimes being too eager to increase that profit margin can have very negative consequences. Always think about how your company will be viewed in light of your policy changes. Keeping a positive relationship with your customers is an essential key to great PR.
Finally, great PR always remembers its audience. You want to be certain that what you have to say is noticed. You want to be fresh, unique, and creative. But speaking before thinking has caused a wide range of problems for anyone in the public eye, including companies, CEOs, politicians and celebrities. Keep your message professional. Remember differences in view points and senses of humor. Several publicists and companies ran into trouble this past year by attempting to be funny or use current events to drive their own sales. It tends to end poorly; no matter what media outlet you are using (newspapers, interviews, or even Twitter). Say what you have to say well to insure great PR.
In short, confront problems, be positive, professional and articulate so that you can avoid “the worst of times” in public relations and just focus on the best.
Keeping Up Appearances
At this point in a presidential election year, we have already had the opportunity to see public relations in action (both positive and negative examples, from all candidates and incumbents alike). In many ways, political campaigns are nothing but exaggerated exercises in public relations with each candidate attempting to exalt their own qualities and minimize the damage from their opponents’ critiques. Perhaps, in its simplest form, that is a large portion of what public relations is really all about.
Or it might be better to say that the purpose of public relations is really two-fold: to inform and to promote. It has a lot to do with maintaining a positive public image, since it is difficult to convince people to buy your product (or to elect you) if they have a poor impression of what your business is and what it stands for. We have already talked a lot about various methods of getting information out to the public: through press releases to newspapers, advertising campaigns, and social media. But what about that very important second portion: promoting? How can you make certain that your business is maintaining a positive public image?
Start by building positive relationships with your costumers. As with sales, you can accomplish a lot of positive PR through word of mouth when you have treated your costumers well. The best things about this type of public relations are that it is 1) free and 2) genuine. People are likely to believe good things about your business and your product if they have had an account of a great experience from someone who knows firsthand.
Keep people thinking of your business in positive ways by looking for ways to step outside of the focus on products and profits and look at ways you can give back to your community. The Target Corporation has, for example, instituted a policy where they give back a specific percentage to the schools in local communities. Charitable donations are not only generous, but they aim to show consumers that they are a company that cares about the larger community. While smaller companies may not be able to donate a portion of profits, there are a number of ways that you can become involved and give back: from organizing fundraisers, sponsoring blood drives, or donating time as a company. The news coverage that you may also gain from such benevolent actions will also keep your business’s name in the mind of the general public. This is not to suggest that you should become charitable for less than charitable reasons, but it is true that giving back to the community can end up in many forms of benefits for your business as well.
Hopefully any negative PR that you encounter will be minimal, if any, but it is always good to be prepared. Nothing can always be just sunshine and roses. If you do encounter a PR crisis on some scale, the best action is often to respond if the event is at all significant. Simply pretending that no mistake was made or that nothing has happened to damage your image, when everyone else knows it to be otherwise, will not go far in regaining respect. Acknowledge error with a carefully worded, but sincere, response. Outline how the issue will be handled. And then move on. Work towards rekindling positive relationships. Continue to run your business according to your mission statement. The only good thing about negative PR is that is usually is not long-lasting and that people can forget it. Just be certain that you are remaining genuine and sincere in your approach to PR in all its forms. After all, no one likes to feel as though they are listening to some kind of spin….just tune into politics and see.
PR Meets Social Media
It doesn’t seem possible these days to talk about much of anything these days without admitting to a certain recent shifts. From communication, to politics, to entertainment, to any realm of business: “the times they are a’changing,” as Mr. Bob Dylan would say. The area of public relations is really no different. There was a time when the term “PR” invoked “press release” and beyond that perhaps the reference to the occasional interview, advertisement or publicity stunt. Today, however, “PR” extends to a whole host of social media outlets that can be used for promoting, establishing relationships with clients, and generally driving your business.
I suppose it would be safe to say that PR was never an aspect of business that was only concerned with the 9-to-5 work day. But in this age of social media, it can easily become a constant fixture in your daily business operations. To be used effectively, social media must be used frequently. If you are only updating once every six months, you can bet that you won’t have very many people who are dying to catch up on what you have to offer. The speed of media these days is simply too fast for that kind of delay. So what does that mean, exactly? Do you need to sit up until 2 am every night so that you can update your Twitter account every two hours? Well, not exactly. The other danger becomes over using these outlets as well. Facebook updates that occur five times a day and do little more than virtually wave at your fan base through cyber space is the equivalent of spam emails. They will simply be deleted, blocked, and tuned out. Announcing multiple times a day that you are “super psyched about your latest project” won’t count as positive PR in the long run either. The key is, as with most things in life, a little bit of balance between the extremes. Make certain that you are using the social media tools effectively and regularly but moderately.
Content is also of great importance when it comes to incorporating social media into your company’s PR. For those of us who have personal Facebook or Twitter accounts, we have all seen the inane posts where casual acquaintances feel obligated to tell us on a daily basis that they have “had a long day” or run through a litany of what they are cooking for dinner (some even supply us with their own snapshot of their meal). Perhaps you stop and think to yourself, “Why are you telling me this?” The same is true of the information you provide for your business pages. So please: stop and think before you post any tidbit of information. Maybe even ask yourself that all important question, “Why do they need to know this?” Keep the tone of your posts friendly but professional as well. There seems to be this pervading feeling that grammar rules don’t have jurisdiction over social media outlets; I would argue that nothing could be further from the truth. Posts that feature grammatical, punctuation or spelling errors will leave a negative impression with your potential customers. You are still representing your business, even in the somewhat informal world of social media, so be sure that you have something worthwhile to say and say it well.
What the Super Bowl Can Teach Us About PR
Last Sunday marked the end of football for yet another year. Some of us watch for the thrill of the game, some of us for the nachos and pizza, and some of us watch simply for the promise new and better commercials. It is that time of year when we expect that advertisers will put out their best work and come up with something really new and interesting to watch. Some of these ads fall well short of the mark, while others leave a lasting impression. All of the ads are focused on selling various products to the American people, but there are a few that are looking to build up positive public relations.
Perhaps the ad that stood out above the others (or at least one of them) this year featured superstar Clint Eastwood simply for its public relations value. The company behind the ad is Chrysler, but Eastwood didn’t spend a lot of time trying to sell you on the merits of the new Dodge Ram or how the Sebring was the most affordable luxury you’ll ever need. Instead, the message was directed at presenting a positive image of the city of Detroit and the American people as a whole.
Not so long ago, some of the Detroit auto makers received a large amount of federal dollars as part of the bailouts. GM took funds right along with big banks like AIG, which then received a host of backlash for paying huge bonuses to CEOs after being on the verge of bankruptcies. It would be possible to argue that in a nation where jobs continue to be somewhat difficult to come by, where people are still struggling, large corporations (especially those who received government help) might be seen in a negative light. In light of this, Chrysler looks to build up a positive public relations campaign. Yes, it admits, times have been hard. Yes, we’ve had a rough few years and companies have dried up. But no one here is the enemy. No one here is beaten. We will rally together. We will make a comeback. We are a team and we will pull through. The Eastwood commercial focuses on inspiration, the celebration of successes, and confidence in the American ideals of perseverance and self- motivation. It is hard to feel negatively about a company that is saying: You can do it. Better times are ahead. We are determined. We are strong. To make the impact of this message felt even more keenly, Chrysler focuses on the Motor City itself. Part of that choice, I would imagine, is practical. Detroit is home to the auto makers. But I would also argue that it is the very image of Detroit that makes it such an excellent target for this public relations campaign. There are few major cities that have been hit as hard, economically, as the city of Detroit. With a reputation tarnished by criminal leadership and dying industry, Detroit has lost most of its prestige. It has become known for scandal and poverty in the recent years. Chrysler’s message that: “if Detroit can do it, so can the rest of us” may seem somewhat ironic in a city where countless people were put out of work as jobs in the auto industry dried up. But ultimately, Chrysler’s inspirational message gives the idea that they are pulling for Detroit and for all of us.
After the Super Bowl, no one stood around the water cooler on Monday morning and talked about how some of the other commercials stood out for creating such positive emotions. Chrysler did more than attempt to sell its vehicles. It worked to establish a strong, positive public relationship with a disenchanted public. With the help of Mr. Eastwood, they are achieving great success. Great PR for the auto manufacturer!
Getting Started With PR
It is impossible to run a successful business without delving into public relations. “PR” is a term that concerns how people view your company as well as the things that your company does that qualify as “newsworthy.” The more that you are able to present your business in a positive light in public spheres, the more likely you are to enjoy increased sales, profits and company growth. The bottom line is really this: if you are going to succeed in business, people have to know that your product exists and they have to like it.
Boiled down to that level, of course, public relations sounds pretty simplistic. Public relations is much more involved than waving your arms over your head to get attention or joining some sort of popularity contest to ensure that you are going to win friends among your potential customers. But getting off on the right foot with public relations can be a fairly straightforward matter.
Your first taste of public relations will come with the launch of your company or your newest product. The best thing to start with is a good handle on the knowledge of your product. After all, when you contact publications to get your launch noticed among the populace, journalists are going to wonder what your product does and what makes your company special. Be sure that you have sufficient answers for them before you start knocking on their doors (figuratively speaking). If you don’t have much to say about who you are and what you are looking to accomplish, you can bet that they won’t feel obligated to give you much in the way of press space. And speaking of knocking on doors, it is also very helpful to make certain that you have targeted the journalists who can really do you the most good. We have talked at length about the fact that no product on earth is going to appeal to every single person. Every company has a target niche. The same is true for publications. Think carefully about the market for each publication before you begin to send off press releases or call various reporters. If they aren’t working in the same market that you are, then any publicity they are able to give you will be fairly pointless.
When you do contact a journalist, make certain that the information that you are sending them is helpful and precise. Remember your audience as you write your press releases. They should contain important information regarding your product or event, stay away from industry jargon that could confuse readers. You are writing for everyone to be able to understand you and be interested in your product. You are not writing for grants for funding, an application for an industry award, or your personal memoires. A few quotes may be helpful, but try not to get bogged down in your Vice President telling us all how wonderful the product is. Tell us WHAT it is and HOW it is different than what is out there and WHERE we can get it and WHEN. If you are ever in doubt as to your own writing skills, hiring the services of a copy writer may help you reach the polished and professional tone that you are hoping for.
Writing a press release is, of course, only one component of having successful public relations. But it may well be the first step towards building a strong reputation for your company that will help you to ultimately grow your business for years to come.
One Way to Handle That Objection
Have you ever attempted to argue with a five year old? A particularly determined five year old? As you attempt to apply logic and reason to a situation (perhaps why they should put on their snow boots when the drifts are three feet high), they stick stubbornly to their objection and dig their heels in. As soon as they open their mouths to protest, you feel the need to jump in and defeat the argument. It becomes a battle of wills. Unfortunately, in sales, the same scenario can take place as well.
It is important to remember that a potential client is not, actually, five years old. Right now you are thinking, “Well of course not. What an obvious thing to say.” However, you would be surprised that in that moment when an objection presents itself, your instincts will be to react in the exact same way. There is a tendency to wish to jump in, to correct, to deflate the protest before it ever even gets properly stated. There may be this fear that if it is left hanging in the air for too long, it will somehow unravel your sale before your very eyes. This is, in reality, not the case. The first thing to do when a potential client begins to object to your proposal is to wait for a moment. Allow them to really finish their thought and flesh out what the objection is. The reason for this is twofold: 1) it is much easier to provide a counterargument if you know what the initial argument truly is and 2) when you attempt to argue over the top of the client you give the impression that not only are you not really listening, you also have something to hide. A sales call should never turn into a shouting match.
Some experts would even suggest that after you have waited patiently and hear the client out, you should even take the exercise one step further: ask questions. You may be thinking: “I’m sorry, what? You want me to have them continue to focus on the objection by asking them questions about it?” But the truth is, most objections are not successfully handled by simply brushing them under the rug. Asking questions may help you dig a little deeper and discover what is really at the base of their objections. It may also provide you with facts and evidence that you can use to ultimately handle the objection. If nothing else, it shows that you are not afraid to have the discussion and that there is nothing that you feel obligated to hide. It may not be appropriate to ask questions in every situation, but it certainly a tactic that is worth considering.
Sometimes it is even best to have all of the “unpleasant” conversations over at once, if you want to think of handling objections as unpleasant. A familiar tactic in sales calls is to ask if there are other objections that they may have that you can answer for them. Again, this gives the impression that you are willing to hear them and to answer their questions. In many ways this approach will help you derail any further stalling attempts and work your way more swiftly towards a close. Think of it as both you putting all your cards out on the table, to use the familiar phrase.
This specific approach may not work in every situation. But you may find that these standard tactics of handling objections will come in very handy in sales calls…although they may not help you out of that snow boot argument.
Successful Selling
There was a sketch on Saturday Night Live several years ago, mocking the faux cheerfulness of some in the customer service industry. Airline stewards were targeted in particular in this instance, as they cheerful force passengers to exit from the plane, bypassing, ignoring and arguing with various customer complaints. As each passenger came forward they were greeted with the same: “Thank you, Buh bye now” regardless of their unique, individual situations. And there is laughter at this spoof because we have all experienced this at one time or another in customer service situations. It doesn’t matter how cheerfully (or not cheerfully) you have had a complaint ignored; you walk away from the situation feeling frustrated. It is not likely that you would want to make a purchase from the person who just refused to address your concerns.
We say frequently that a career in sales is really about building relationships. Many people underestimate the importance of this component of the profession. But the cold, hard fact is that sometimes a potential client will object to a sales pitch not because of any underlying concern with the product, but because of a distaste or distrust for the company or the person doing the selling. A career in sales is really about being able to make excellent first impressions, and if you have not been able to successfully accomplish this you will likely find that you will be stumbling across many roadblocks in your sales pitches. Moreover, one of the fastest ways to create a poor first impression is to mishandle objections raised by a potential client or to have conducted yourself in a less than professional manner.
Sometimes, in an effort to show that you have a firm knowledge base, you may find yourself wanting to argue with a client over the benefits of your product or concerns that they have raised. It may seem so simple to you: “Why would they think this option has too high a price? Just look at the cost analysis!” However, remember that selling is really about staying positive. You never want it to appear to your client that you are aggressive and attempting to show them up. Address concerns, but be sure you don’t pull out stacks and stacks of research to negate them as if they are stupid for even bringing it up. A potential client should feel as if you are working with them, not against them.
While it is possible to over-answer concerns, in a way, it is also possible to make the opposite mistake. Some people will hear a concern and simply ignore it, perhaps even with empty promises to come back to the problem at a later date. This sends the message that you have something to hide (whether that is true or not) and instantly makes the client distrust you, the pitch and the product. Be careful to really listen to what the customer is saying to you and take the time to respond honestly to what you hear. Provide answers. If you don’t have an answer readily available, thank them for the question, let them witness you make a note of it, and respond to it as soon as you have the necessary information. Never ever ignore a concern altogether. You want to cement a positive relationship with the client, which means listening and communicating effectively.
Remember that many times it is how the client reacts to the salesperson that will close a sale. Your product and company have much to offer, but many times it is ultimately how the seller comes across that will convince a buyer that this is a worthwhile partnership to build on. When you keep the focus on people, not just the product or the growth charts, you will find that your sales pitches will become much more successful and you will not encounter objections directed at the person, rather than the product. Give the type of customer service that you would like to receive and don’t find yourself enacting a sketch from Saturday Night Live: “Thank you, Buh Bye now!”
Those Pesky Stopping Objections
Everyone remembers those days, a decade or so ago, when one of the most hated creatures was the infamous Telemarketer. These villains would, allegedly, wait until you were sitting down to dinner with your family after not having had lunch and want to bore you endlessly with a worthless product that you had never laid eyes on. No matter how you attempted to get off the phone, they talked on doggedly until you were forced to yell: “NO! NO THANK YOU!” and slam down the receiver in self-defense. Today most of us lack receivers to slam at all and with No-Call Lists and improved sales tactics, the existence of this type of sales approach is on the decline. Still, many of us still cringe remembering this stereotype of selling. However, there are positive things we can take away from the telemarketer generalization. We can learn how to handle stopping objections, because we have actually used them ourselves.
At times it is getting started with a sale that can be the most challenging, especially when the potential client would prefer to delay the discussion or stop it entirely. There are a number of ways in which they will attempt to do this, some of which come from legitimate concerns and some of which are merely stalling tactics. Once you determine what the real objection is as it is being raised, then you will be able to better answer it and continue with the sale.
Perhaps one of the most common ways a customer will attempt to stop the sale is to say: “I really have no use for this product.” If you have done your homework properly and are following up on solid leads, this is not likely to be the case. Before you shake your finger at him or her and shout “Liar, liar, pants on fire” (never a good sales technique), stop and think about what is really behind this particular objection. Is that the customer does not really have a firm grasp on what the benefits of your product are? Do you need to provide more accurate and through information? Is it that there are concerns about the costs and this “I don’t need it” will soon transform into “I can’t afford it”? After all, a lack of money or an objection about price is also some of the most common objections that you are going to come across. A potential customer may also claim that he or she doesn’t have the authority to make the decision. You can spend quite some time being shuttled back and forth between various individuals while they argue about whom really is in a position to hear your pitch. It’s frustrating to say to the least.
When you encounter these types of statements, designed to stop your sale in its tracks, take a moment to consider what the real objection is. Do they perceive the competitors’ product to be superior? Is there a pricing concern? Is there a concern that you can’t meet their specific needs (just as having six units ready by next Wednesday)? When someone says: “I don’t really need this,” or “I simply can’t afford it,” or “You would have to talk with Sue about this; I can’t sign off on it,” don’t just wave the white flag and go home. It may be that a sale will not be possible, but first take a minute to ask a few questions to see if you can address the issue that is really leading to the hesitation. You will find that many times you can overcome their concerns by providing them with the important information that they were missing. If you really do need to talk to Sue first, or if it takes them a bit to decide if Sue is the one you should talk to, stay pleasant and don’t miss an opportunity to sell to each person you talk with. Don’t be waylaid by a stall tactic, like the ones we all used on those poor dinner-time telemarketers not so long ago. Stay positive and keep your customer informed. Chances are good that you will be able to close that sale after all!
Welcome to 2012!
Only a few short days ago we celebrated the start of a brand-new year. As the eye-catching, light-covered ball drops in New York City to welcome in January 1st every year we feel it is a fresh start. We all cheer for brighter days, bigger accomplishments and happier endings. We make lists of all the things we are going to change about ourselves and our lives. The possibilities are limitless and you are certain that you are going to fulfill your pledge to read a book a week, take off the extra weight and land that big account. This is all well and good at midnight on January 1st. But today it is January 5th, which has brought a return to the work week after a hedonistic holiday season. You remember why it was you never wanted to get out of bed to hit the gym at 6am in January; it is so cold that you can’t feel your toes. You keep meaning to pick up Crime and Punishment, but the new episode of Survivor will be on and after a long day at work reading Russian novels can be taxing. And what about that big account…have you made that first phone call yet? The truth is that life comes with obstacles. How we handle those obstacles and objections will determine whether or not we are able to ever reach success.
There are those who are intimidated by the sales profession because they are convinced that it is full of rejection and obstacles. This is only partly true. You are going to face objections, but these can be looked at as challenges rather than stumbling blocks. Once you have become comfortable handling objections, you will find that there is really very little to be intimidated about.
An objection is simply anything that a potential customer may say or do that would inhibit the closing of a deal. It may be concerns about costs, the product, or the partnership. It might be because they are already comfortable with the status quo and aren’t certain they are interested in change. It may be that they like what both your company and product have to offer, but they struggle with making decisions and tend to waffle back and forth. It may be that they simply want to be certain that they have all the information and want to know how deep your own knowledge base is. Whatever form the objection may take and whatever reason is behind it, the first thing you should be aware of is that an objection does not equal a failure. Some experts have said that possible clients who end up making purchases have, on average, 58% more objections than those who don’t buy.
Over the next few weeks we’ll talk about different types of objections and possible strategies for how to handle them. Since a sale is truly about building relationships, there are no pat answers that will work in every situation. Much of dealing with these issues will come from individualized responses to individualized circumstances, but there are some general tips that can help you meet these challenges. The first important thing to remember about sales, however, is that while they will come with obstacles (like those familiar New Year’s Resolutions) it still possible to successfully close those important deals. So keep working towards that big account (and stop hitting “snooze” on your alarm). The year is young and the possibilities are endless.
The Power of Words
Words can have a tremendous amount of power. They can spark political scandals, inspire nations, and change the course of people’s lives. Words on the internet can have a tremendous amount of power too; unfortunately many people just aren’t sure how to use them in the most efficacious way. People look to keywords as the magical ticket to driving more traffic to their websites…if only they could be sure which words are really “key.” People attempt to use cast wide nets, so to speak, using as vague a term as possible in the hopes that it will land in more favorable ranking spot on search engine results. They pepper their websites with phrases and terms and links, as if it were some sort of code that grants them success in their businesses. Now, it’s true that words are powerful things, but (as with many things in life) words alone do not possess any magical properties that will make your website king of the internet.
We would be amiss if we didn’t discuss the concept of keywords in our discussion of SEO and SEM. After all, there is a large part of search engine marketing that is structured around using keywords. The use of keywords is an important part of achieving search engine rankings, of assuring your potential clients that your website is the one that they have been hunting for, and for encouraging other sites to link to yours. But people often make the mistake of assuming that the more general the phrase, the better it is for their business. SEO experts explain that trying to land a top ranking in search engine results with generic phrases is difficult, costly, and often ineffective. If we stop and think about it, that really does make perfect sense. After all, the things that we are looking for in our own online searches are often very specific. Let’s revisit our puppy example from a couple of weeks ago: Customer A is looking for a Cocker Spaniel puppy from a breeder in Grand Rapids, Michigan. At the end of the day, that’s really what s/he wants, not a German Sheppard puppy, not a puppy in Alaska. So, if you are a puppy breeder you may feel the pressure to be the top result in with the keywords “puppies for sale.” But with keywords that generic, it is still unlikely that Customer A will find you or, just as frustrating, the customer seeking German Sheppard puppies in Alaska will find your site which is selling the Cocker Spaniels. Neither one does you any good at all. So, focus your targeted keywords with more specific and descriptive phrases so that customers who really want what you are selling are able to find you. There does need to be a sort of balance when it comes to keywords, it’s true. If you get too specific, you’ll find that you have narrowed the market rather than expanding it. But in all the clutter of the internet, make sure that your keywords are precise so that they are directing the right kind of traffic to your website.
Don’t feel that you have to put all your eggs in one basket either, when it comes to keywords. Remember, there are no magic properties when it comes to keywords and searches. There are actually multiple searches that would apply to your website and your business. It is advantageous to work towards healthy rankings in a variety of searches that really focus on quality leads. Be sure to give your website extra weight as well by insuring that your content meets the customer’s expectations. Keywords are all well and good for search engines, but if you have only superficially sprinkled them in your website or made it difficult for the customer to find the information once they have landed on your page, you are going to lose business. Make your words powerful by giving them meaning within your website as well. At the end of the day, it is content that will really optimize the internet as a sales and marketing tool for your business.
