Smart People Aren't PR People

Now, how many ways could that headline be misinterpreted? Probably alot. I'm going to add to this statement to make it sound even worse. Smart people aren't marketing people either. So, being a marketing and pr person, does that mean, I'm not smart? No. The statement doesn't say PR people or marketing people aren't smart. Let me explain.

In my line of business, I work with many many smart people. Some are office managers, some are front line staffers, and some are the ones that get the big bucks. The doctors and lawyers, the engineers and accountants. I don't know about you, but in general when I think of those people, I think of them as, well, smart. They've probably had more schooling than I have. They're probably much better at numbers than I am. Therefore, they are smarter than me right? Maybe.

Here's the rub. Many smart people believe that because they are smart, they understand the nuances of public relations and marketing better than someone who has spent their life honing the skill. This can be very frustrating for a person who has chosen this profession. I promise not to question your court proceedings or consult on your surgeries if you promise to stop telling me that the only thing we need to do for marking is... (add some no cost, ineffective statement here like, "put up yard signs") I can hear lots of my colleagues nodding their heads.

Now, don't get me wrong. I will be the very first to listen when someone has a valid point. I want to improve my skills and look for ways to do so every day. But days like today, I'm reminded why I ended up in PR instead of say, law. It's a well-known fact that lawyers and PR people generally do not get along well. Lawyers want to say "no comment" all the time and PR people just don't. I'm not categorizing ALL lawyers - in fact, one of my favorite people who works for one of my favorite clients is a lawyer and we have a mutual respect for each other's profession. That's the part that is often missing. The other part is called, tact.

The dropping of the bomb
Yesterday, I was informed that a lawyer, who I never met, ripped apart a press release I had written. That's ok. I have thick skin. He then went on to say that for the money they were paying me, my writing was lousy and the press release earned about a "D" in his book. OUCH. That hurts. I never even got a "D" in my english classes at school. How could I possibly have missed the mark so badly? He then sent a revised version of the release with tracked changes that completely obliterated the document.

My initial reaction was, "Oh my gosh. I am totally in the wrong profession. If I can't get a simple press release right, I better turn in my badge."

Then, as I looked much further into the document, I saw that although I didn't agree with all of his changes, some definitely improved the document. But I realized that he stripped the release of all emotion. It no longer had a hook. Instead, it was a sterile, lifeless document that would probably get no more than a brief. That was when I was able to stand up, dust myself off, check the bruises and dive in for a compromise. I realized that he was writing for his intended target market - a well-educated business person. I was writing for a totally different target - a reporter. I know, because I've worked in this profession for so long that these are two different targets. If I can't catch the eye of a reporter with an intriguing headline and strong lead paragraph, I'm finished. That was when my confidence was renewed. I am not a lousy writer. I just don't write like he does. That's ok with me.

The bottom line, after licking my wounds, I have to say that I'm thankful for this experience. Every once in a while, you need to have someone totally rock your world in order to see where you can improve. If my clients are always happy, that's great, but it can lead to complacency. He was right about some things - although he didn't label them right. He stated that there were punctuation, spelling and grammar errors. That's not accurate. There was one typo and some writing that could have been tighter. That made me step back and say, "How well did I proofread this?"

When we are writing, we become involved in the process. It's a good practice, if there is time to step away from the document for a day if possible. When we return, it's easier to see in a new light. I guess my lesson learned from this is to slow down and rethink. Afterall, these people are really smart. Sometimes they have some good ideas and input. Sometimes they don't. It's our job as PR and marketing people to determine which make sense. Then, because we are communications experts, we'll avoid using the word lousy and say instead, "Perhaps this might be a better way."

Lesson I learned from my 9-year-old
I'll wrap up this story with a short analogy. Earlier this week, my son's U-10 soccer team went confidently into the play-offs undefeated. First play-off game was against the lowest rank team in the league. The slam-dunk game ended up to be 4-2 in favor of the other team. My son's first reaction was to blame the ref, blame the kid that kept slide tackling, then, blame his team for not working together. After recovering from this devastating loss, he realized that it may have been his team's fault that they lost.

Now, they have to really fight for the championship. The next game, they won with a resounding 8-3 victory and are revved up for the last game on Saturday. They were beaten, they re-evaluated their strengths and weaknesses and came back on top. That's what we as adults have to do sometimes too. It's easy to blame the referee (lawyer) when you don't do your best. But it's not until you look in the mirror that you find that the solution to the problem is looking right back at you.

Veteran's Day Tribute

It wasn't long ago that my children's grandfather's and uncle would be pleasantly surprised by a telephone call from my kids. As young as they were, I made them make the call every Veteran's Day and say, "Thank you for fighting for my freedom." The gesture was a little overwhelming each year because sadly, it was usually the only call those special Veterans had received and they didn't expect it. As time has gone on and my father passed away, I will admit, that I've lapsed in my patriotic duty to thank the Veterans. But something this year really hit me as a positive effect of social media. Today, on my facebook pages, it is overwhelming to see how many people really do appreciate our country's finest. I've read about people thanking 100+ year old Veterans, Veterans from several wars, Veterans who gave up their legs, their arms and often their lives so that we, their fellow Americans can live in our country in freedom.

It saddens me so much to watch our country bicker. We are so divided on many things, but yet, if you really look at it from a macro view, because of those brave Americans, we are strongly United. We may hate Obama. We may have hated Bush. Half of us agree with everything going on now, half of us don't but in the end, we are ALL Americans. We all speak the same language, we all worship the God we choose, we all have the ability to use our ingenuity to earn a living - even if it's not the living we necessarily want right now - we have the right and ability to earn money. We all have the right to disagree with each other without a terrorist faction threatening to kill us if we disagree. We get into verbal wars with each other, but no guns are brought into Congress. No bombs in the Senate. We argue. ALOT. But when push comes to shove, we are all Americans.

Alot of wars for a peaceful nation
Our Revolutionary War veterans assured that we would have these rights. Our Civil War veterans fought to preserve our unity. Our World War I and II vets defended us from foreign enemies. Our Korean vets - sorry - don't know much about Korea other than what I learned from M*A*S*H and that my father-in-law was stationed in San Francisco. Our Vietnam vets taught us that they could follow the orders of their government, fight bravely and face unspeakable rejection when they returned home while retaining their dignity and gaining their honor as we grew up and stopped blaming them. Our Desert Storm vets gave us a new found courage in the first war many of us would remember. We'll never forget those blessed scud missles. Iraq and Afghanistan vets are fighting to protect us from an enemy we truly don't understand.

For a peaceful nation, we certainly have been in our share of wars. Interestingly, only one was Civil. I know I left a couple out, but I think I made the point. When we thank our Veterans, do we really think about what they have done or are doing for us? It sounds like rhetoric sometimes when we say, they are fighting for our freedom, but think about the alternatives. Whether or not we agree with the current war is irrelevant. Most of us commoners do not have the inside Intelligence that our military leaders have. It's easy to play armchair quarterback when thousands of lives are not being held in the balance by our hands. It's easy for us to get a tiny bit of information and make a vast and far reaching decision. Just for a moment, let's imagine what would happen if our soldiers are defeated in Afghanistan. I don't mean withdraw - I mean wiped out. It happened in biblical times. What if it happens tomorrow. Our country would become completely vulnerable to any other military force in the world. Which one would you choose?

We can complain about our government. We can complain about our president, but I ask again, which country would you prefer take over? China? I hear they have a pretty strong military. Any of the muslim countries? I hear they are pretty staunch in their religious beliefs. Which country would be better than ours if our military fails us?

Could we be turning a corner?
I'm feeling a slight amount of hope for our government with the process the health care reform bill is going through. I don't know if the end result will be good or bad for the American people. I really don't. But what I'm encouraged by is the fact that some Democrats jumped party lines because they wanted to do what they believed was for the good of ALL the people. Not just one party or the other. Until the abortion issue took front and center, did you know that most Catholics were Democrats? It's true. Look it up. That's why JFK was so wildly popular among the Catholics. Not just because he was one, but because he was a democrat, and so were they. Our country has become warped, but I think that the ice melted just a little tiny bit over the past couple of weeks. In the paragraph above, I asked you to imagine the unspeakable. Now, I ask you to imagine what the world would be like if our elected leaders did what was right for the people instead of the politics.

Communication Now and Then
So, now I have to tie a PR concept to this blog. I guess, the closest I can come is to give an official nod to social media. I truly hope Veterans everywhere are reading the wonderful comments being posted. I also want to reference the unparalleled ability to keep in touch and know what is happening with our loved ones over seas. A mouse click. A text message. A facebook or myspace contact. It's all so easy now.

I will end with this memory of me being 4 years old and my big brother Chip was in Vietnam. We had a telephone conversation with him and everyone was so excited. I was very young, but I do remember this.

"Hi Colleen. Over."
"Hi Chip, when are you coming home. Over."
"Soon, I hope. Over."

He did. we met him at the airport. For some reason when his plane came in and everyone ran to greet him, I felt that it was my responsibility to gather everyone's coats and carry them so that no one stole them. So when my brother came in from Vietnam, I was carrying the coats.

These days we don't talk very often. He's not much of an email or facebook person, but I hope and pray that he knows how much I love him and am proud to say that he was a brave soldier in the Vietnam war and received a purple heart. Thanks Chip. And thanks to all Veterans. Over.

How are we doing?

OK, I'll start off by saying, I know that I'm going to sound like a grumpy old curmudgeon who likes to complain about simple things. While the tendency for most is to say, "Just get over it and stop sweating the small stuff!" I simply must post about this because it seems to be happening more and more and it keeps bugging me on a regular basis. What could cause such angst? The simple greeting I've been hearing from servers at restaurants lately. "How are we doing?"

I'm not sure how to answer that question. I know how I am doing. I have no idea how you are doing. I've only laid eyes on you 10 seconds ago. Do you mean, how are we - the restaurant doing? Well, I'll let you know after I've had my meal. Sometimes when I'm feeling a little ornery, I'll say, "I'm doing fine, but I'm not sure how you are doing. How are you?"

I know, I know, you're saying, "Be nice! Servers work hard to make you feel comfortable. Don't give them a hard time." I won't. I promise.

One time when I mentioned this awkward question to a server, he told me that he was trained to say that so that guests would feel included. At that point, I invited him to join us for lunch. That way, he would make me feel included. Because, in fact, we would then be a "we" instead of an "us and you."

Picky, picky, picky

Picky? Yes. But hear me out. Especially if you are a restauranteur or business owner. Don't make your employees learn some stupid gimmick to make people feel comfortable. Train them to be courteous and friendly, but don't make them use the word "we" when they really mean "you."

This is an item of contention that annoyed me when I worked in the corporate world. Customer service gurus suggested using words that we don't mean. I am not very good at that. In fact, I hate to do that. I like to be genuine. Sometimes, that offends people and when it does, I apologize and move on. I'm not saying that I'm totally tactless. Just real.

One time, I was called out for sending an email that said, "I need you to (insert whatever it was I needed here). Can you let me know if you have what you need to get this done?"

The complaint, which did not come from the email recipient, but a manager who happened to be with me at the time, was that I was too abrupt in my request. Personally, that's the way I prefer people converse with me. There is no question about what was required or who needed to perform this particular task. Supposedly, it would have been better to say, "We have a project that needs to be completed and would greatly appreciate your help in this matter." Um - who's we? All of this inclusiveness is driving me crazy. I can understand if it's a real statement, such as, "We are so pleased that you have chosen our company to ....." But why does some expert somewhere believe that by using the word "we" everyone's self esteem will go up?

I've never been accused of beating around the bush or being unclear with how I'm feeling about something. Sometimes I really wish that I could be a little gentler (see apologizing in previous paragraph) but overall, in communications, I am a staunch believer that the goal is to make it very clear.

Keep it simple - and real
Managers, if your employees are genuine and truly care about their customers, it will be obvious by the way they interact with them. Personally, I as a consumer do not need a false "we" thrown in to make me feel like I have a whole new set of friends at the restaurant. To me, it sounds just as patronizing as "hon" and a bit less genuine.

Thank you for allowing us to get that off our chest. We are feeling much better.

"What if?" "Why not?"

Sometimes something happens that causes you to pause and think, "Have I done that lately?" Thanks to Dr. Terri Ann Bailey, an assistant professor at Florida Gulf Coast University and very smart woman, I had such a moment. As a recent guest speaker at PRSA, Dr. Bailey reminded us long-time pros that we sometimes become somewhat complacent and get caught in a rut of just doing what we do because we know it works. We get caught in the act of churning and doing instead of developing and creating. Yes, we know a press release will get coverage. We know what garners news and what is simply folly that won't get a second glance from a reporter. We know what messages work and what ones don't right? Maybe. But how can you be sure. That's one thing fresh-faced rookies bring to the field of marketing and public relations that us old farts sometimes forget. They come with a whole new (old) question.... "What if?" and the age old question, "Why not?"

We're all pretty savvy when it comes to identifying our target markets, right? Well, "What if" there is a whole different market that we're missing who could prove to be crucial to the success of our campaign? Dr. Baily offered up an example of one of her student groups who searched for target donor audiences for the Animal Refuge Center (ARC). The old stand-bys were easy to target: Animal lovers, animal owners, wealthy philanthropists who had a reputation for giving money to animal shelters, etc. But the kids didn't stop there. They dug deeper and looked at a philosophy to find another market. "Why not" target Pro-Life advocates. Know why? Because ARC is a NO KILL animal shelter. Hmmmm. Interesting.

Make a chart
Sometimes, inspiration can come from the very simplest, most basic practice. Make a chart. In that chart identify: Target Audiences/Key Messages for each target/Intended outcome or action/Appropriate channels.

When you create a chart like this, it forces you to write down and think about who you are trying to reach, what you want them to know, why they are important and how you plan to reach them. Then, the challenge is to expand on those things. Write the easy ones first. Then, go get a nice glass of wine (or an amazing Samual Adams beer - blackberry something or other - it's amazing! Just had one this weekend!) and look at the list again. Are there other potential targets, messages, etc. that may meet our objectives better? What if there's a big market that doesn't fall into a standard demographic? Why not target a group that hasn't been reached in the past?

I object!
That's where I have to bring in an old fart caveat. Unlike our dewy-skinned counterparts, we actually can answer the "Why not" question in very short order. The "Why not" could be because our budget is not unlimited and we have to reach the most lucrative markets before we hit the fringe. But I challenge all of those who are, shall we say nicely seasoned, to disallow the "Why not" answer to stop our flow of creativity.

"Why not?"
The potato industry said, "Why not" go against the anti-carb craze and introduce the Delicious Nutritious Potato? "Why not" get involved with the biggest heavy weight in the weight loss arena and get Weight Watchers International to endorse the healthy consumption of potatoes? "Why not?"

"What if?"
"What if" your best idea is still cooking in your mind and you just haven't unleashed it yet? "What if" you are so stuck in the day-to-day grind that the solution to a multi-million dollar problem is just sitting on your desk waiting for some repackaging? "What if" something you never thought of before is the answer to the problem you've worried about for weeks? "What if?"

Lou Holtz said, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got."

He was generally referring to complacency. I can see that in our profession, but not necessarily in a totally negative way. If we always follow the rules and do what we know, we'll probably get good results.

BUT "What if" what we've always done is think totally out of the box? Wouldn't we always get something completely unexpected and fresh? It's worth a try. "Why not?"

One more note for those professional wordsmiths who cringed at every quotated "Why not" and "What if." I know it's grammatically incorrect - I just did it for emphasis. "Why not?"