Two Golden Rules for Employees of Product Manufacturers

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A recent conversation with a friend who works for a global manufacturing company focused on his horror at colleagues who had shipped product offshore before obtaining regulatory clearance to sell the product in the destination country. He was incredulous that this could happen at such a large corporation. The potential for a disastrous outcome (fines, inventory sitting in customs unable to be retrieved, rejection of the shipment resulting in additional shipping expense, loss of revenue due to delivery delays, possible lawsuits, etc.) was significant.

I was reminded of two rules that I learned early in my career while working for an industry-leading manufacturer whose products were known far and wide.

1. Don’t do anything that will result in shutting down production.

2. Don’t do anything that interferes with a product getting to market on time.

Large companies have a complex web of employees contributing to the product lifecycle. Although there should be oversight at every phase of the process, it’s easier than most executives would admit for some steps to fall through the cracks. Even so, we each bear a personal responsibility to do our jobs to the best of our ability. That includes mitigating risk and evaluating daily decisions against both long and short term objectives.

If you work for a product manufacturer, don’t flirt with disaster in the name of expedience. Keeping these two rules in mind may help you make better decisions on the company’s behalf.

Why “No Comment” Is Never the Right Answer

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In professional communications, protecting the client’s image/brand/reputation is at the top of the priority list. In a crisis, this means promoting your version of events, managing the media coverage where possible, and minimizing the damage. It never ceases to amaze me that organizations of all shapes and sizes believe that the best method of doing so is to say or do nothing, which is the worst possible response in most cases. The second worst choice is to say, “No comment.” Unless you’re a criminal lawyer or a Hollywood publicist, you just won’t get away with it.

Although it may look like a fast, safe way out of a sticky media confrontation, “no comment” is not your friend. It is stonewalling, pure and simple, and it looks and sounds that way on camera. It also won’t prevent you from appearing on the news. Just ask Lieutenant Detective Mark Gillespie and at least two other officials from the MBTA. There is nothing more unsettling than a montage of “no comment” employee sound bites on the evening news.

If you have something to hide, “no comment” will make you look guilty as sin. You’re far better off crafting a statement that makes clear your version of events. A well-crafted statement makes sure that your message is heard, no matter how hot the situation. Don’t worry about sounding rehearsed. Better to sound rehearsed than to appear immersed in a cover-up, adding more fuel to the fire.

If you don’t have anything to hide, “no comment” is your worst enemy. I’m continually shocked by the number of successful business people who think it’s the right response when they’re simply unprepared. Nothing could be further from the truth. At best, it will make you look uninformed. At worst, it can create controversy where there previously was none.

In my career, I have tried to eradicate “no comment” from my clients’ lexicon. Here are five ways to make sure your organization’s reputation doesn’t fall victim to the “no comment” trap:

1. Have a crisis communications plan in place, long before a crisis hits. The plan should include a prioritized list of spokespersons along with prepared scripts and response procedures to address likely scenarios (if you’re a chemical manufacturer, for example, you might want a plan for a spill at a manufacturing site, an accidental poisoning, or other somewhat foreseeable events). Even if you are a small business or a non-profit, hire a public relations professional to help you create the plan and to be available to assist in the event of a crisis.

2. Make it someone’s job to be the media liaison. Depending on the size of your organization, it can be anyone from the owner/CEO to the office manager. Then make sure the person has the tools to do the job effectively: media training, writing and speaking skills, access to management, and the ability to obtain professional PR support when needed.

3. Don’t stonewall; be helpful. Reporters have a job to do, and it isn’t usually smearing reputations. They just want accurate information. Do what you can to provide it for them, in a way that serves your interests and casts you in the best possible light. If they get what they need, they’ll actually go away — at least temporarily — to file their stories.

4. Avoid letting your lawyer craft your message. Your legal team is there to provide you with advice and minimize exposure; you should embrace the solutions your attorneys recommend. However, they may not be trained to use language that plays well to the average news consumer. Have a PR pro help you adopt the right content, tone and style to get your message heard.

5. Train all of your employees to deliver the right message. You don’t have to provide a detailed script for everyone to memorize. Just designate one person to handle all media inquiries, and make sure your employees know how to refer media members to the designee. That way, they can be helpful without actually divulging any information. I can say with a high degree of confidence that an employee who is approached by a camera crew for a comment will not appear on the air when the response is, “I don’t have enough information to answer your question. You should really talk to Jane Smith at 555-5555.”

In short, erase “no comment” from your vocabulary. You and your organization will be better served as a result.

 

The Trouser Dilemma

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I admit it. Workplace fashion finally has me stumped. As Americans have migrated from business attire to business-casual-to-the-point-of-PJ’s, I find myself standing in retail stores — and in my closet — with more questions than answers.

The line may be fuzzy for men, but it’s all but invisible for women. I think we can all agree that t-shirts and sweats probably cross the line, but what do the rest of our choices say about us?

For me, it all boils down to one sticking point: pants or skirts? Millions of women before me fought for the right to wear pants to work. But should we? Does wearing pants say that we’re practical and down to earth, that we didn’t bother shaving our legs this week, or, worst of all, that we’re holdovers from the ’90s? Does wearing a skirt tell the world that we want to be perceived as feminine, or just that we have a date after work?

Fashion magazines are no help. There has been a resurgence in the popularity of dresses, but how do I know when to wear one to the office? The last time I “dressed up,” my coworkers asked me where I was interviewing. Speaking of which, are pants ever OK for an interview? Does wearing a skirt suit make you overdressed?

Where do you stand? Do you want to “wear the pants” in the workplace or skirt the issue?

Media Mix 101: Work Backwards

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In an effort to get corporate messages heard above the clutter, many communications pros have resorted to blanketing the marketplace with continuously overlapping web updates, Facebook promos, tweets, online coupons, YouTube videos, sales incentives, micro sites, consumer/end user promotions, online and offline ads, and as many other tactics as their frazzled brains can generate.

You may be able to get better results and save money by turning down the volume. Although I’m a big fan of repetition to keep your message top of mind, successful marketing is not solely about the number of places your message appears. It’s about reaching the right people in a way that compels them to act. And the best way to do that is by working backwards, from the result you hope to achieve to the best ways to get there. Here are four key questions that will help you determine the best media mix for your message:

1. Who is your audience? Chances are that you have more than one. Don’t assume that your audience is a homogeneous group, e.g. “the general public” or “big box retailers.” Do a little segmentation. If you’re reaching out to consumers, what is their age, gender, economic status, lifestyle? If you’re talking to business people, are they owners or employees, how large are the businesses, and how familiar are they with your company/product/service?

2. What action do you want audience members to take? Do you want them to buy a product, interact with your company, remember your brand, or something else?

3. What do you need to say to get the desired result? Remember that the message may be different for members of each audience segment. Make sure you lead them to the conclusion you want them to reach.

4. What are the best media to showcase and deliver the message effectively? Be sure to take into account audience demographics, timing, and the competitive landscape. Are you trying to reach twenty-somethings? You may want to avoid email and ramp up YouTube. Is your message very time-sensitive? Maybe Twitter is the right channel. Is your message likely to blow the competition away? Then you might want to be in the same places as your competitors to be compared favorably.

In short, start with the end game. If you know what you want the result to be, it will be easier to figure out how to get there.

Right Down to the Last Punctuation Mark. Period.

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“Marketing is everything, and everything is marketing.” — Regis McKenna

If you don’t agree with that quote, you should visit The Land of Relentless Marketing. Yes, I’m talking about Disney World. Don’t get me wrong — I’m an admirer. These people are brilliant marketers, and the evidence is everywhere.

Better yet, they are superb communicators. Effective marketing strategy would not exist without successful communication. Here are five (of many) elements of communications that I’ve experienced personally and that Disney has down cold:

1. Your customers are “guests.” They don’t have to buy what you’re selling, even when you’re the only game in town. Make them feel special, and tell them how much you appreciate them at every opportunity.

2. Repetition works. This is old school communications practice at its finest. Say it often enough and people will believe.

3. Your brand proposition is your life. This is the promise you make to your customers, and adherence to it is not optional. Every marketing thing you do should support the promise.

4. Consistency matters. See #2. Disney adds new technology, media, design elements and experiences to keep itself relevant, but the core messages and key identifiers (like the “When You Wish Upon a Star” refrain) remain unchanged. There’s a reason for that.

5. It’s not about price, it’s about value. Make no mistake, a Walt Disney World vacation is no bargain, especially if you stay inside the park. However, the experience is nothing short of amazing, there is nothing else like it, and Disney makes sure that its customers know it. Everything runs smoothly and the presentation is seamless. Look a little lost or confused and a cast member (employee) comes to your rescue with a smile. The company even pays folks to blend into the crowd of tourists and surreptitiously pick up any bit of litter dropped by a visitor. Despite the cost, nearly 70% of visitors to WDW’s Magic Kingdom are returning customers. Clearly, they value the Disney experience enough to keep coming back.

In short, communications excellence abounds at Disney. It’s a formula that works for the rest of us, too.

Back From the Hiatus

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I’m back. Quick synopsis of my time away: job hunting, five family birthdays, HUGE July 4 barbecue, job hunting, interviews, networking, job hunting workshops, two new BEAUTIFUL baby girls added to the family, one girls’ day out, and more job hunting. Oh, and a surprise (more like a shock, actually) birthday party for me.

I’ve been writing, just not in this space. But I’m back now. And, so, it begins again…

 

All Right, People. Enough.

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I am watching in horror the televised aftermath of two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The Boston Police are reporting 2 dead and 23 injured. There are some things I need to say about this appalling event.

To those who would perpetrate violence in the name of anything: Stop it! Just stop it!! We don’t care who you are, we don’t care what your agenda is, we don’t care about you. Hurting innocent people makes us care even less, not more. Inflicting seemingly random physical and psychological trauma on the rest of us redefines cowardice. I’ve already given you more time and space than you deserve.

To the victims: My sorrow and sympathy can barely be expressed adequately. No one’s life should ever be jeopardized in this way. I pray that you and those who love you will recover, emotionally as well as physically. I hope that you will take some small comfort from the knowledge that the good people of our city will come together to help you in any way we can.

To our first responders: Thank you — for running into disaster rather than away from it, and for doing what you do better than the rest of us can imagine.  We are all grateful.

To our legislators and government leaders: I know when home became a war zone. I want to know when it’s going to stop. This is the U.S.A. We don’t negotiate with terrorists, so why do we put up with them? Enough of acting helpless in the face of mass mayhem, regardless of the source. Do something about it. Something that has teeth. Big, scary, in-your-face, this-is-gonna-cost-you-big-time teeth. And do it now. We’re tired of this.

To other law-abiding citizens: Have you had enough yet? I have. When are we going to get serious about making the carnage stop? We need to make noise, lots of it. Right now. And we shouldn’t stop until the violence does. Please, please use the power of your voices and your votes to bring an end to intentional, senseless violence.

Can we agree on this, people? Enough is enough.

Where’s the Shoe Fairy When You Need Her?

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My husband says I have a Shoe Problem. He thinks the Shoe Fairy visits me at night and blesses me with shoes he’s never seen before. I like to think of my shoe collection as a personal strength, as in “I’m ready for any shoe challenge you can throw at me.” (Maybe “throw” is a poor choice of words — there are a lot of shoes in that closet.)

Right now, though, I would like a new shoe. Just one. I know that there are websites that actually offer just one shoe, a blessing for amputees and others who have a genuine need. My situation is more of a wish than a requirement. On my right foot, I now sport Frankenboot. An unremarkable shade of industrial gray — and I’m being generous here — it matches nothing in my closet in hue and, more importantly, in height. Why is that? Shouldn’t there be a matching height shoe for the other foot? (Not to mention a more attractive offering for Footzilla. Just sayin’.) One comfy-but-not-quite-right Merrell Jungle Moc will have to do.

The resulting awkward gait has my children calling me “Peg.” (I’m perfecting my “Arrrrrhhhh!” and may add a faux parrot to my shoulder.) Worse, though, is the stress on the hip and knee above my broken ankle. And I’m not exactly the worst-case scenario. I have new respect for anyone with any kind of foot/ankle/leg issue.

So, folks at Aircast, here’s the challenge: are you up for the role of Shoe Fairy?

Welcome to (Part of) My World

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Full disclosure: In addition to being a recuperating orthopedic trauma patient (stupid ankle!), I’m a professional marketer and communicator. I have a passion for creative, effective solutions and love to share.

Sometimes, within these pages, you’ll find articles, opinions and shared resources that are intended to provoke thought among professional communicators.  Whether you work in-house, as an independent practitioner, or at an agency, whether in advertising, marketing, public relations or other media, what you do (or don’t do) as a communications pro shapes the way your clients are viewed.  It’s important work and critical to success in an era of information overload.

You’ll find that I have an opinion or two (just ask my friends :)) about how to do the job well.  I hope you’ll find these posts interesting and fun to read.  I also hope you’ll share your take on them in the Comments.

Enjoy!

So, THIS is how it starts…

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I’ve always wondered how people find the time to blog. Now I know: broken bones.

I broke my ankle. In a bouncy house. With a 2-year-old. Who escaped unscathed while I was writhing in searing pain face down on a giant inflatable. It’s OK, you can laugh. I mean, who breaks a bone in a bouncy house? I’m sure there’s a life metaphor in there somewhere, but I’m not going there.

So I can’t drive for a while. Yes, I’m trapped in suburbia. The good news is that I now have a bit of time to write. I’m planning to jump in with both feet, figuratively speaking. No holding back, no fear. Let’s hope we both enjoy the experience.

Veni, vidi, blog-i. 🙂