Who Are You?

When we begin working with a new client, one of the first things we do with that client is what we call a messaging workshop.  Having a clear and concise message allows you to build a solid foundation from which every other PR activity can build on.

The purpose of the workshop is to identify key messages that clearly articulate what your company does and the benefits of the product or service your company provides.

As we conduct this messaging, the first question we ask the company is what the business does?  I’m always surprised at how often people can’t tell us what their business does.  Usually, one person will start off trying to explain what the company does only to be interrupted by somebody else that usually says something different

The ability to accurately describe what your company does is critical to helping potential customers, partners and investors understand what you do and the value you add.  When I think of messaging, I always think of the episode on Seinfeld where Elaine can’t figure out a cartoon in The New Yorker.  To get an audience with the magazine, she creates a ruse where she tells the editor of The New Yorker that the J. Peterman catalog is thinking of adding cartoons to their catalog in the hopes that if people laugh maybe they won’t be so quick to return merchandise.

As Elaine is meeting with the editor, she questions him about the cartoon, specifically what it means and why it’s funny.  The editor tries to give a reason but it’s quickly evident he has no idea why the cartoon is funny. The editor even resorts to making up a word to try and disguise the fact that he doesn’t know why the joke is funny.  Elaine calls him on the made up word and the editor finally admits that he doesn’t know why the cartoon is funny and says that he published the cartoon because he thought the kitty in it was cute.

The episode is comical and uncomfortable because the editor can’t explain why the cartoon is funny.  When a business can’t explain what it does effectively it’s every bit as uncomfortable.

When creating your company message, to make it clear and concise, I recommend the following:

• Get to the point.  Don’t beat around the bush.  Simply say what it is your business does.  Approach it like you have a word limit and try to explain it in 25 words or less.  Once you can do that, build out additional bullet points that expand on the 25-word description.
• Avoid jargon.  Nobody wants to hear that your company or product is revolutionary or that it’s a turn-key solution.  These are wasted words that get used so often they have no meaning.  Avoid them and cut them out of your vocabulary.
• Be consistent.  Your description of what you do should be the same every time you tell it.  That doesn’t mean that you use the same words each time but that the message is the same every time.  If you tell a different story each time you talk about your business it will create confusion.  You’ll start seeing that as people talk about you or write about your business that what’s being said is inconsistent and inaccurate.
• Be honest.  People think that PR is all about spin and that PR professionals are spin-doctors.  That’s not the case.  PR people help you find the best ways to communicate your message and the best places to tell your company’s story.  When you get the opportunity to do so, be honest.  Don’t try to embellish to make things sound better than they are.  If you’re dishonest and a customer doesn’t get what they expect and are disappointed, they’ll likely talk to others and word will spread and cause more damage and create distrust amongst potential customers.
• Develop messaging around topics you don’t want to discuss.  The Boy Scout motto is to be prepared.  Even if you don’t want to talk about something, the question could come up and you should be prepared to discuss it.  If you’re not prepared and the topic comes up it can rattle you or cause you do lose focus.  These types of reactions can cast doubt and lead to more questions you may not want to discuss.  If you’re prepared you can avoid looking flustered and quickly move on to more relevant topics.
• Features and benefits. Everybody wants to know how working with your company or using your product will benefit them.  Be prepared to discuss the features and benefits and how they apply to your customers.  When somebody clearly understands the benefits of the product or service you provide it builds confidence and spurs sales.

A clear, concise message and the ability to present that message consistently are critical in communicating to customers, partners and others your company interacts with.  If the message you deliver is cluttered and inconsistent there is no chance your audiences will receive and understand it.  If they can’t understand the chance of them investing in your product or service is greatly diminished.

Author: Jeremy Kartchner | Google+

That’s Basic Math

Growing up, my best friend’s dad was a mechanical engineer.  He studied around the country and had a number of advanced degrees.  He was trained and had the expertise to do specific things within the aviation industry that very few in the country had.

He was very good at math and it was easy for him to calculate math problems in his head.  It didn’t happen all the time, but often enough that we would be talking and he would calculate some math problem in his head.  I remember wondering how he did it so easily.  My mind was not built to do that.  Math never really made sense to me.  I always thought with the other side of my brain and I’m sure that’s why I ended up in my field instead of being an accountant or engineer.

While I would marvel at his ability to calculate those things in his head, my friend would tease him about it.  He’d look at him, shake his head and say something along the lines of, “What a nerd.”  Or, if it was a particularly complex problem, my friend would laugh and ask, “How did you know that?”

His dad’s response was always the same, “That’s basic math.”  It got to the point that we would routinely finish his sentence when the math problem would come up.  In fact, it was common that we would embellish his “basic math” phrase and combine it with other common sayings he’d use.  We even began using it in other situations at school or as we’d keep score in sporting activities we were participating in.  If one of us was keeping track of our golf score in our head, it was easy to do because it was just “basic math.”

If the question came up about how many points Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls were beating our beloved Utah Jazz, inevitably we’d tell the other person the score and tell them to figure out the point differential. It’s “basic math.”

Quite often, it wasn’t basic math to me. Like I said, I’m not a huge math guy.  Sure, I can add, subtract, multiply and divide but anything past that, I prefer to use a calculator.

Many of the clients I work with are technology companies.  Everybody uses technology, but not everybody is techy or understands how the technology works.  One of the things I always tell my clients is to be careful as you explain your technology, product or service.  Don’t take for granted that everybody you talk to is going to understand or have the ability to get technical in a discussion about the product or service your technology provides.

I wrote for my high school newspaper and our adviser taught me the KISS principle.  This principle applies to any number of business functions.  KISS stands for Keep It Simple Stupid.  Write it or explain it in a way that an eighth grader can understand.

In the case of my clients, I recommend they explain things in the simplest way possible. If the reporter they’re talking to wants to delve deeper into the tech side of things they can always go into more depth.  I caution my clients to let the reporter take the lead or demonstrate to them that they have the ability to go into more technical details.

From a media perspective, if you don’t talk at a level a reporter can understand you’ll significantly decrease your chances of securing the PR results you want.

If you start out too technical, a reporter may not be willing to stop you or may be to embarrassed to admit that they don’t understand what you’re talking about.  This doesn’t mean you should explain it as if you were explaining it to a five year old, but you shouldn’t take for granted that a reporter is capable of going into extremely technical detail.

With my clients, I will talk to the reporter and do some research in advance to know and understand how deep their knowledge is and whether or not they’re capable of getting technical or not.  Once I know this I will guide my clients in the right direction and help ensure that the reporter is engaged properly.

These same principles can be applied to any industry.  Never assume that a reporter or anybody else you’re talking to possesses the same level of understanding or expertise as you.  If you take the time to understand your audience and their level of understanding you’ll go a long ways toward securing the results you desire.  You’ll also avoid becoming the butt of ongoing jokes like my friend’s dad was with our “basic math” jokes.

Author: Jeremy Kartchner | Google+