6 Keys to Good Networking

Regardless of business endeavor, meeting people and making new acquaintances is an increasingly important job skill.  Good networking forges relationships that are mutually helpful and beneficial whether or not one is involved in market research, market planning, public relations, advertising, sales or any other related activity that involves meeting people and expanding business contacts.

Despite its obvious importance, it is often the least well-implemented tool in a marketer’s kit.  Reasons for that vary, but experts say many people simply find it difficult to meet strangers and “ask for the sale” – whether that be a referral, recommendation, direction – or the actual sale.

Numerous sales training professionals have programs and methods to help people develop better networking skills, and nearly all have some elements in common.  Here are six basic keys to better networking:

Be Precise & Have an Objective

Ask for the result you want.  Don’t leave it to chance that a contact is going to surmise your need – and willingly provide exactly what you need.  Of course you don’t ask for something that’s beyond what someone you’ve just met will provide, but ask yourself: “Why are you networking and what would you like to achieve?”

Keep it simple.  You’re meeting people for the first time, so keep it light but focused.  If you have a typical profile in mind – then seek it.  If there’s a particular company exec you would like to meet – then seek contacts who can facilitate that eventual meeting.

Determine Who Can Help

Who can help you with your objective?  Does the person have the ability to make the connection, or can he or she lead to someone who can?  Are they willing to do so?

A common mistake people make is to exceed the capacity of a new contact’s willingness to help – or “over-ask.”  So don’t.  Instead, get to know the person.  Ask questions about them, their interests, and if they know anyone else at the event.

Align Your “Ask” to Their Capability

If the person can’t directly lead you to your objective, determine what they CAN lead you to.  Remember you’re networking – so network.  A new contact might not be able to help you today – but perhaps they can tomorrow.

You should also be contacting regularly – and a person who might not be able to help you just might be in a position to assist someone you know, or vice-versa.  Networking is a 2-way street, so good networkers look for opportunities to help others.

Ask for What You Need

At this point, you’ve learned a little about them.  Now, find out about their needs.  Offer any suggestions and / or display a willingness to assist them.  Typically, people will respond in kind and ask how they might assist you.

If they don’t, let them know by offering the same kind of information they provided in response to your casual questions about their needs.

Be considerate

In an appropriate way, show appreciation for the effort or help a contact has provided.  This is dependent on your personal style and the level of support provided.  A simple email or phone call will often suffice – but whatever you do, be sincere.

Maintain the Connection

Contacts are valuable – so keep in touch with the people you meet.  Remember – you’re building a network.  Maintain contact through an occasional email, phone call, or get-together for coffee or lunch.  As hard as it often is to network and build contacts – make an effort to keep them.

What’s Old is New – or “The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same . . . “

 Today more than ever, marketers are overwhelmed by a wave of new techniques and things to make us faster, better, more responsive and more efficient.  Today’s buzzword is forgotten history tomorrow as we’re bombarded by a constant stream of “new.”  That’s a universal and timeless trend that in 2013 is on steroids because of the technology-driven speed at which it transitions.

While technologies change and our capabilities are enhanced – underlying fundamentals of marketing remain the same.  Consider today’s hot buzzword – “content.”

It’s one we feel very strongly about and whether it’s content marketing, branded content, email marketing, social media content marketing, digital content marketing, or something else – we think it’s a good thing, but like many “new” things – not really new.

Were one to listen to the pundits and numerous “digital agency experts” adept at naming things they’ve just realized, one would get the impression that the numerous content-related techniques and topics are distinct areas the savvy marketer must master in order to succeed.  Like many other things, that depends on perspective.

The universal truth about “content”

The main consideration for good content is no different than it was for Franklin and his printing press.  Quality writing that provides something of value to an audience is – or should be – the foundation of all marketing communications.  Strip away the various adjectives dropped in front of the word “content,” and the core should be well-crafted and engaging, with a message that’s articulate, clear and matched to its intended audience.  That’s as old as written language but something many either forgot or never learned as they worked to master technologies and new software.

The message and it relevance to the intended audience is the key to effectiveness.  The idea is to articulately make a case that resonates with readers, viewers and listeners.  The means of delivery: email, direct outreach, eNewsletter, blog entry, Facebook page or all of the above — is an important element, but secondary.  Delivery vehicles enhance receptiveness, but message carries the day.

Just as traditional marketers need to adapt to the digital landscape in order to reach audiences; many new marketers need to value and deliver a quality message that’s of interest in order to engage their audience and be effective.  A wonderfully crafted message in the wrong medium is the same as a poor content sent to someone who opted-in to your data base: both are discarded.

On the other hand, a single well-produced article can have as much of an impact as dozens of keyword optimized back-page articles or hundreds of poorly targeted eBlasts.  Getting your message in front of a decision-maker or landing a thought-provoking, branded piece on the front page of a key publication can be time-consuming, but the exposure and credibility are worth the effort.

So, while many of today’s marketing buzzwords are new, incorporate a technical term and can be confusing, the reality is that the fundamentals remain the same.  “Digital content” still depends on writing quality, targeted message, clarity and an articulate discussion for success.  These fundamentals are too-often forgotten or overlooked in our race to embrace the latest technique – and present opportunity.  Savvy marketers who differentiate their efforts through quality writing will break through the cacophony of online marketing communications – and connect with their audiences!

Marketing Communications in a Down Economy – Evaluate, Engage and Empower

Down economy? Declining sales? Layoffs on the horizon? Hunker down and wait it out?  Never!  Any company that intentionally pulls itself from the radar screens of potential and existing customers will find itself on a slippery road to the scrap heap and seriously behind more forward-thinking competitors when things turn around.

Smart companies exploit an economic downturn by identifying and meeting customer needs that their competitors can’t.  Needs that customers don’t even see.  The market is changing, the world is changing.  Companies can’t just stay on the sidelines and wait for the playing field to level out.  Customers need new and innovative products and services.  These are things your company has the brainpower to design, develop and bring to market.  Unfortunately, this outlook is counter-intuitive in many traditional types of firms.

Faced with economic hard times, many companies look to eliminate communications and marketing budgets as a way to reduce costs.  However, the actual effect is to reduce revenues, and the medium- and long-term consequences are often worse than the illusory short-term benefits.

In this era of near-instant communication and media saturation, an opportunity lost is not easily won back. Conversely, absence from the marketplace sends the wrong message to customers, suppliers, potential investors, employees and bold competitors.  For these reasons, it is vital to maintain a presence, engage the marketplace, and be visible – with the right message – to all stakeholders.

Communicating during a recession is not business as usual.  A recession should shake up the creative juices of a company.  The phrase – “but we’ve always done it that way,” should be banished from a company’s vocabulary and replaced with “what can we do that is different?”  “How can be of greater value?”  A recession creates the opportunity and motivation for shift in thinking and opportunities for success.

If your marketing and communications activities have been operating in their own little world, now is the time to evaluate, engage and empower – partnering inward focus with outward success.  This is the heart of what we call our P2R E³ Process™.

Evaluate – review and audit perceptions and programs.  This can be done by interviewing company executives, managers, sales force, admins, customers and suppliers, industry and media, and assessing company marketing materials and brands.  This method produces some surprises, but in the end almost always leads to a stronger company with a more thorough understanding of their strengths, their market and opportunities for growth.

Engage – with the information garnered from the evaluation stage, create a road map for your communications, utilizing all the elements and attributes of your business and marketing plan – both informal and formal.  Leave no constituency unattended.  This unique approach helps companies cut through the clutter and reach customers, investors and other key audiences with a clear, unified message.

Empower – give employees the power to create and strategically execute the new marketing communication plan, fully aligned with business objectives, and launch it through employee and external communications.  Address all stakeholders.  Leave no stone unturned.  Now is the time to innovate.  Build on your strengths, radiate optimism, seize the initiative.

Many companies think that the job is done when the communications program has been launched.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Companies need to constantly monitor communications programs, assess progress, re-evaluate and adjust if necessary, re-engage audiences and track success.  Get rid of what doesn’t work, refine and hone what does. Reach out to customers, employees and all other stakeholders. Question assumptions, encourage adventure and reward smart thinkers.

The continuous improvement cycle brings a focus on objectives and a freshness the effort. It maintains a “front-of-mind” presence with your stakeholders through the positive messages you create, making you – not competitors or external forces – the manager of your reputation and the keeper of your brand. Success should be measured against pre-determined metrics established during evaluate and engage activities.

Developing and maintaining a consistent cadence of information to the marketplace is crucial to communication, marketing and branding success.  The idea is to keep your message constant and your voice clear.

Wise CEO’s refuse to let other priorities cloud a steadfast focus on their marketing, brand communications and public relations. Instead, they work to build and leverage their brand reputation through integrated communications activities directed to all stakeholders.

During a recession, many companies grow.  After a recession, some companies grow faster than the competition.  This is more likely if they have new products and services that fit customer needs better; engaged, enthusiastic people who creatively collaborate; an absence of assumptions and an aligned and streamlined business that continues to execute its strategic vision.  Communication is a vital, integrated “force-multiplier” for a business and as critical to its success as cash management.  Indeed – it is a fundamental driver of cash-flow, stability and long-term success.

P2R Associates Awarded Another Hermes Creative PLATINUM Award

P2R Associates today announced it has received a prestigious Platinum Hermes Creative Awards sponsored by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals for its mobile app development work. This latest award brings the total of number of major professional awards P2R has won to 27 for its work since 2007.

P2R’s latest award is in addition to one Automotive Public Relations Council – Excellence in Automotive PR Award, two International Association of Business Communicator Awards, 20 MarCom Awards and three Hermes Creative Awards previously presented to P2R for a range of integrated strategic public relations and marketing communications programs, crisis communication strategies, mobile app development and print and broadcast publicity achievements.

“P2R is a small agency that produces big results and these awards make that point,” said Cole.  “Our trademarked e³ Process™ results in unique programs that deliver success.”

For more information on P2R and our e³ Process™, visit www.p2rassociates.com, email us at info@p2rassociates.com or call us at 1-248-348-2464.

What’s New @ P2R Associates?

We’re both streamlining and expanding – yes at the same time! – our marketing efforts to better serve our clients.

• We’re redesigning our web site.
• We’re redesigning and combining our newsletter efforts. The P2R Perspectives newsletter will continue, but our Aerospace & Defense, Non-Profit and Economic Development newsletters will change.  Look for new newsletter offerings soon from P2R that will be available as a subscription e-blast or download from the new P2R web site and mobile app.
• We’re launching our P2R web-optimized video production capability.
• We’re launching our P2R mobile app development capability.

In the midst of all this, we managed to win six more marketing industry awards in 2012, including awards for:

• Mobile App Development
• Company Launch Communication Planning
• Special Event Planning & Implementation
• Media Relations
• Radio Advertising Campaign
• Print Advertising

What have you done in 2013? Let P2R Associates help you to Evaluate / Engage / Empower your company to greater success.

Call or e-mail us today at 248.348.2464 or info@p2rassociates.com

P2R to Start 2012 with B2B Outreach Ad

Look for our ad in the 2012 North American International Auto Show Guide. http://fb.me/1hrqKb9x2

Happy 4th of July!

Here’s wishing a Safe & Happy 4th of July to all of our valued clients and followers.

Advertising – The Fundamentals Still Matter

A colleague recently shared the insight that people don’t like advertisers.  That comment intrigued me and so I quickly found that Forrester Research ’s had recently produced a report drawing that conclusion and pointing out that more than half of American households use some form of ad-blocking technology or software such as Tivo, a spam filter or a pop-up blocker.

A little more research revealed a wide range of comments, likes, dislikes – and a widely varying degree of technical sophistication on the part of consumers in general.  This last point stuck in my mind for two reasons.  First; it seemed the greater one’s “technical comfort level”, the greater the expectation for non-intrusive, entertaining advertising.  Second; what’s old is new…

A message is either targeted to its intended audience – or it’s not; or by design, it’s targeted to a broad-but-related range of targets and some drop-off is expected.  Advertising has always been a dynamic function.  Technology and the typical users of its various flavors have only made it more so.  The upshot is that fundamentals haven’t changed, there are just more delivery options. 

I would add that a lot of advertising is poorly done — either in execution or targeting — and that often advertisers don’t take into consideration the pervasiveness of advertising that people are exposed to — and this works against otherwise good, effective work.

Sometimes the net result of messages from print, broadcast, the internet, mobile – add up to being too much for many people, making it ever-more important to consider the volume across all media to which an audience is being exposed.

Volume will only continue to grow – but messaging will become better-coordinated. What we think of as the “messaging environment” also will continue to shift, making successful strategy increasingly seem like grabbing at sand unless we accept and overlook being a half-step or so behind emerging trends — and that is not a bad place to be.

I can think of a highly successful car company that has surpassed its rivals by never being in the vanguard, but rather introducing technology that’s proven. That particular brand is known for quality and reliability – not bad things in the car business.

Translating that to advertising: simple, clear, well-targeted, non-cutting-edge campaigns might not win awards – but may well produce the best results for clients.

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Crisis Communications Planning – Is Your Company Ready?

When crisis strikes a company, it can be difficult for an unprepared management team to effectively respond to demands from the media and stakeholder groups for information and action.

There are a myriad of “disasters” that could impact your business to the point that you are forced to focus your time on putting out fires instead of pro-actively executing your growth strategy.  Companies that have anticipated these events and planned communication processes with key stakeholders (employees, customers, suppliers, etc.) and the media will be in a better position to emerge from a crisis with their corporate reputation intact – perhaps even enhanced.

Handling a crisis badly can have severe long-term, negative consequences for an organization, its executive team and employees.  In some instances, poor response to crises can lead to a company’s demise.  To avoid this, companies need to respond immediately and remain proactive to minimize the need to continually react to rumors and unfounded accusations, and to allow the company to emerge with its reputation intact.

Many crises can be prepared for, even if they cannot be predicted or prevented.  A company that handles a crisis well can mitigate lingering effects at a minimum, and in many cases, can emerge from it with its reputation enhanced.

For more information, including a complimentary crisis communications assessment, contact Gordon Cole at gcole@p2rassociates – (248) 348-2464 – or visit www.p2rassociates.com