Influencers and how to become one yourself

Influencers: The Stakeholders who own you and the Stakeholders you can lead

 

When living our lives no matter whether as individuals or as a part of organizations and the business we often make choices or have opinions which do not represent who we truly are. Sometimes we “catch” ourselves making those unnatural steps but most of the time we become unknowingly who our choices make us. The reason is that we are not born free. We are limited in so many ways by laws, culture, education, religion, etc. that we have grown up used to the idea that we must obey the rules.

Rules are indeed very important, if not the very core of society in all its forms. However, growing so obedient we have become slaves to many more rules than it is necessary in reality. Examples can be fashion, music, group rituals, diets, exercise, lifestyle in general, etc.

You will probably ask why we buy certain clothes or go to a certain club? You will not be the only one. Every business no matter how big or small wants to know that.

We do so because we are “told” so. Among us who obey there are also the so called influencers. Those are individuals who are a part of the groups to which we belong and who do not always stay ahead and behave as leaders. Those are simple people who speak the language of the crowd and understand its mechanisms. Of course, influencers are also often also public figures who beforehand have groups of followers.

Influencers are important for business from two points of view – as possible promoters/anti-brand activists and as trend creators. In the first case we talk about marketing efforts or restoring brand communication. Needless to say, this may mean the success or the failure of a brand. In the second case we talk about researching and detecting future trends predicted by behavior of influencers. Using this method can help channel the business efforts in the right direction.

This is also the reason why companies try to attract influencers as their employees or as their loyal consumers. But they fail to understand that being an influencer by “buying” an influencer’s voice is not the best practice. The reason is both that public figures are overused as corporate faces and “private” influencers are often individuals who succeed as such thanks to their strong, honest voice rooted in SOME principles. That is to say that there are no universal influencers. Somebody who is known as knowledgeable in nutrition will without a doubt be as useless to McDonald’s as they would be to Siemens if they start promoting hamburgers after swearing off all fast food throughout all their lives.

There are of course many “sneaky” ways to include an influencer’s voice in the corporate marketing but one should always beware that if an influencer is used in an attempt to manipulate the public and this information is leaked out of the organization great damage might be expected brand-wise.

The truth is that the times of manipulation are over. The only winning strategy for a company is to answer the demand, be honest and responsible. Getting the attention of influencers depends on a company’s ability to predict trends and act on them, cooperate with the public and always be a step ahead of competition.

This is the only way a company can become an influencer itself. However, besides being a market leader one way or another, the company should understand what makes one an influencer – a strong honest voice, rooted in clear principles. Companies need to understand that if they have a stand there will be somebody who will want to listen. And follow.

Front desk no-go: not knowing is not okay

Case   The secretariat is asked to give information about who within the organization manages a specific business area. The secretary’s answer: “The person you are looking for is… . You can find them on the following number and e-mail address.” “I am not sure who the manager responsible for those projects is. I will check and get back to you/I will now refer you to my colleague who will be able to answer your query.” “I am sorry but I have absolutely no idea who that might be/what you are talking about.”

We as people are taught that not knowing is nothing to be ashamed of as it is our thirst for knowledge that makes a difference. However, in business context this does not prove to be true. In different contexts it might signal laziness, lack of interest, lack of motivation, lower intelligence. In organizational context it signals dysfunctional communication, lack of transparency, lack of employee inclusion, miscommunication, dishonesty… the list goes on and there is not a single positive characteristic on it.

The first answer provided above indicates a company where all processes are controlled and information is shared at an appropriate level. Normally, consumers and partners trust such companies the most.

The second answer points to a company where either size, branches or business structure makes it difficult to manage everything from the headquarters. The company probably has a higher level of independency of structure or employees. However, navigating through the structure presents only a minor difficulty. Consumers and partners generally trust such companies but do get frustrated while trying to navigate through different departments in order to find the one they need.

The third answer is an example of an organizational mess. Consumers and partners generally do not trust such companies as they perceive them as unprofessional, inefficient, possibly dishonest, excluding employees from policy, lacking control over the business.

In addition, one should consider that wasting time on finding information or getting a service will deter many consumers or potential partners who do not deem the company or the service irreplaceable.

The company’s reception or service desk is the company’s face. As incredible as is it a rude receptionist could do a lot more damage than a minor marketing setback. One of the reasons is that nowadays people buy much more that products and services. They buy experiences. For them it is important to receive a positive experience in connection to a purchase. That is why being tossed around from department to department while finding the right one or being served by an impolite and resentful employee is often a deal breaker.

In B2B communication the need to make 3 or 7 phone calls in order to talk to one person means losses. Time is money indeed. Therefore it is expected that if such situation occurs business prospects in many cases will decline. Rudeness at organizational level means directly closed doors. Of course, here has to be considered the importance factor. There are those companies who one would wait as long as needed to talk to and who can allow themselves to be as rude as they like.

However, practice shows that such companies do not do well in the long run. Being thoughtful and careful with your partners and customers is one of the requirements of contemporary business. Therefore it is a must to provide a splendid customer service that will fulfill all requirements your stakeholders might have. The information paths should be clear and easy to follow and employees should be educated in the importance of serving customers with the necessary respect and care and, just as importantly, in a timely manner. Do not risk a company’s image on a “don’t know”!

DIDI

Telemarketing

We all know that there is nothing more annoying than telemarketing. And the reasons for that are many – telemarketers are intrusive, persistent, and almost never give up on selling us something we do not need at all. However, in Denmark right now there is a real boom of telemarketing. I would suppose that it is the crisis to blame. Or maybe the fact that the relative stability of the economy has made companies believe that marketing is not necessary and now when it actually is necessary companies make the biggest mistake – go for the quick kill, find customers right now and sell to them in that minute. Kind of shortsighted, is it not?

But I guess it is a valid point that you do it because it is your last recourse. I do agree that an unknown company needs to reach out – first to survive and then, if things go well, to grow. Telemarketing though presents more of a danger than a survival tool and its popularity only points to lack of market experience. It is dangerous because in many cases it damages the image of the company. Nobody wants to become a customer of an annoying company intruding their lives as nobody can predict how annoying that company might become in the future. It is a question of image, trust, and expectations.

When it comes to B2B telemarketing, the situation is slightly different. There, if done according to careful planning and in accordance with a strategy, telemarketing can create awareness and relations and boost the business. However, unfortunately this is rarely the case. If done correctly, telemarketing will not be called telemarketing. It will be just a part of a stakeholder management strategy. If done wrong, you risk once again your company’s standing, your network and your prospective customers or partners.

I would not at all comment on end-consumer-focused telemarketing as I find it not suitable for any decent company. It is indeed not in accordance with any set of business ethics rules. If we concentrate on the B2B telemarketing, my comment would be that it is something you do on your own risk and it will most likely do more damage than good to your company but at least from an ethical point of view you are in your full right to do so.

Let’s assume you are not convinced that telemarketing is a bad idea. Here I will present to you a list of the most common mistakes that will ensure you a ruined company image. Avoiding them does not guarantee you success as telemarketing is much about personal skills and abilities and grasping the situation as it comes and develops. But it might help you minimize the damage you otherwise will cause. Remember: no matter what branch you are in there is only a limited number of potential partners/consumers. Do not waist opportunities!

Most common mistakes with telemarketing:
1. Inability to speak short and precise;

2. Inability to present a valid reason for contacting the other side;

3. Inability to comprehensively (in short!) present the main features of your product/service;

4. Inability to present a unique feature/competence as grounds for the customer to choose you;

5. Inability to engage the other side;

6. Inability to answer all questions with confidence;

7. Inability to listen and understand the position/need of the consumer;

8. Inability to provide a flexible product/service fitting the consumer’s needs;

9. Inability to take a no and finish the conversation in a positive manner leaving open doors;

10. Inability to demonstrate knowledge and interest in the business of the other side and present an offer that is tailored specially for that consumer/partner in that very moment;

11. Inability to innovate and develop the product/service in time;

12. Inability to see one’s mistakes and adjust the strategy due to lack of strategic insight and control.

Once again, my advice is just to not do it at all or to do it only in very serious situations where the company is facing bankruptcy if no customers are found that very minute. If you, though, have made up your mind and do not see other solutions to your business dilemma, then try to plan the whole process very carefully.

First, you need to decide on a product/service/market niche and make a list of possible contacts. Research them thoroughly including financial data, market segments, image, vision, mission, network, recent activity, planned activity. Try to prioritize and make the list again including only those companies which you mean are suitable for your goals.

Then you should consider the different ways you may contact those companies – you can call, send an e-mail, regular mail, visit. You could always research your network and try to find referents who can help you to come in contact with those you need to reach.

If you are not sure what is the best way to present your company or service/product, that is, if you never before had done something similar and you have never received feedback on it, it is recommended to make a trial. Choose a few companies from the list who are of least priority and try out a few different methods of contact. It is a good idea to use the same method on at least 4-5 companies to be able to make some sort of a reliable conclusion. If you though operate in a sector with not so many prospective customers/partners you might want to consider additional advisory before doing anything as every company contacted in a wrong way is a loss for you.

Last but not least, you have to consider implementing effectiveness control. Without it you risk to lose track of what is happening and end up with no results at all. You are advised to undertake a small-scale bench marketing to estimate average success rate for the branch. Then you can use it to evaluate your own results. Results that do not meet the average success rate mean that your strategy is not working and revision is necessary. No matter how many times you change strategy, remember to always implement result control.

My advice is, however, do not do telemarketing. Working on a proper stakeholder management strategy will not take much more effort but it will guarantee you long term results and image enhancement. Saving the business today is not a long-term plan and if you want also to have your business up and running tomorrow you will need a bit more than just a momentary financial injection.

It is simple – think strategically!

 

DIDI

Communication Strategist: Fight bad marketing decision making

Sometimes being a communication consultant is an easy job which only implies responsibility about the company’s direction, action and stakeholder management. However, every now and then we stumble upon management that either underestimates the importance of communication or has a strong desire to control the whole process, no matter how much they actually know about communication.

I have been in such situation where the top management disregarded my advice concerning a comprehensive marketing strategy and implemented something which they called a marketing strategy even though it was not even close to such.

The strategy plunged towards a disaster already with its launch. Management thought it was a good idea to set corporate goal disregarding resources, market analysis and without any corporate vision or mission. The result was simply something dysfunctional, a waste of time and resources.

As I was still a relatively new employee my advice was not taken seriously from the beginning. However, I did not give up. I continuously pointed out that there is need for change of strategy. Interestingly enough, my boss seemed to agree with me but did not change anything in the line of what he called marketing.

The complete crash that followed convinced him though that another approach is necessary.

Unfortunately as communication consultants we cannot allow ourselves to fail that way. Therefore a more strategic internal communication strategy is crucial. The first step we take should be locating the decision makers. We should not forget that sometimes power lies not where we expect it to. Than communication channels must be established to ensure that the decision makers can easily be reached. Of course, as next step follows the need to develop trusting relationships with those decision makers. Here an additional remark should be that sometimes decision makers are hard to reach as they are eager to follow the established communication channels and hierarchy in the company, no matter how functional they are. In such cases it is necessary to start your work as a communicator with evaluating existing internal communication channels and suggesting changes in a report supported by hard evidence.

The point here is that sometimes it is necessary to skip hierarchy levels or stubborn managers in order to avoid crashes. There is also almost always an additional challenge for new or young professionals as their opinion is often disregarded and they are perceived as inexperienced, thus not trustworthy. In such cases especially but in all other cases just the same it is a good idea to support your strategy suggestions with data. Research a lot, read a lot and create a flawless presentation of your ideas.

If that does not work pull back for a while and closely observe the communication process as ordered by management. React already with the first sign of failure or dysfunction. Prepare and present a comprehensive analysis of what is happening, why and how the company should react.

If that doesn’t work, turn to other decision makers and point out the problems. If even then nothing changes, well, better look for another job as there is obviously no place for reason where you currently work.

DIDI