Shape of Things

Marketing and PR people say a lot of stuff that they don’t really believe. Or, that they’ve convinced themselves is true. And when it gets into the public’s hands, it invariably rings false.

How often do you see a press release or marketing piece that describes a technology product as “robust,” “intuitive,” “flexible,” or “setting a new paradigm?” Or a corporate announcement larded with exec-speak that obscures any meaning and annoys the average person?

Here’s a little exercise the next time you’re working on a press release, marketing brochure or corporate speech: Make believe you’re talking to your most cynical friend. The friend who brings you thudding to earth when you get too grandiose or preachy. The friend who has no compunction about telling you that you’re full of it.  Now write something that this friend can swallow and digest — possibly even enjoy.

You have little to lose but your pretension.

In software development, it’s called “feature creep.” Here’s how it’s defined in Wikipedia:

Feature creep is the proliferation of features in a product such as computer software. Extra features go beyond the basic function of the product and can result in baroque over-complication rather than simple, elegant design.

Increasingly, the equivalent of feature creep is invading our written communication. It comes in the form of annoying traits that have embedded themselves like killer algae in our text. Here are my 10 creepy things in no particular order. I’d love to hear yours.

1. Those annoying quotation marks everywhere. Thanks to Lynne Truss for telling the world about this in Eats, Shoots & Leaves, and to Seth Godin for reminding us recently.

2. Improper use of apostrophes (thanks again, Seth).

3. Turning nouns into awful verbs. Don’t incent me, please.

4. Avoiding the active voice.

5. Misleading headlines and hard-to-identify jump heads.

6. Typos – they’re everywhere despite (or probably because of) spellcheckers.

7. The 50+ word sentence and 20-line paragraph.

8. Indirect sentences stacked up like planes at LaGuardia.

9. Excessive adverbs and exclamation points.

10. Jargon-filled corporate speak that only insiders understand.

When organizations let these things happen – in brochures, on web sites, in press releases, blogposts and tweets – one can only surmise that they don’t care whether people think they are stupid, careless and insensitive. You are what you communicate.

It’s late Friday afternoon and you’re thinking about the weekend.  The phone rings and it’s a reporter from the local newspaper with an unexpected question about your company’s financial status.

No matter how well-prepared you think you are, there’s always the chance of this kind of phone call. Here are a few guidelines to help you through a media call, whether it’s positive or negative.

• You don’t have to answer the question on the spot. If you aren’t prepared, tell the reporter you’ll call him or her back. That way you have time to formulate a complete answer.
• Don’t leave the reporter hanging; if you cannot help right away, provide updates and let him or her know you are working on answers.
• If you feel that you are not qualified to answer the question, find the person in your company who is and coach him or her on a good answer as quickly as possible. Be sure to sit in on the interview so that you can handle any follow-up questions.
• If you will be the one answering the question, be sure you have met with the experts at your company and formulate three or four talking points before calling the reporter back. One question always leads to another, so be sure to stick to these points.
• If the question is one that you cannot answer, never say “no comment.” This sounds as if you are trying to hide something. Reporters tend to respond better if you simply say, “I can’t answer that question at this time, but I will be sure to contact you if or when I am able.”

Most of all, be helpful. Don’t succumb to pressure or sow the seeds of an adversarial relationship.

How close are you to your clients?  Do you know their preferences, their hot buttons, their areas of interest, what kind of information they need to do their jobs better?

For many, PR means stamping out press releases.  But at a higher level it should stand for personal relationships with your clients – not only the clients paying you, but also members of the media and social media, who also should be treated like clients. Here are some things that separate a true PR professional from a release slinger.

• A true PR pro knows the client well enough to soothe the friction that can often occur in stressful business environments.
• A true PR pro keeps the client’s best interests at heart and knows when to shoulder responsibility.
• A true PR pro forgives, but also expresses concerns.
• A true PR pro is always honest.
• A true PR pro is a partner, helping the client out in times of need.
• A true PR pro knows enough about the client’s business to offer analysis, consulting and constructive criticism.
• A true PR pro will hold the line on a client’s possible excesses.
• A true PR pro will direct the client to information he or she might be interested in, just like one would do for a friend.
• A true PR pro sees his or her clients as people, not faceless companies.

With all the buzz about social media, it’s sometimes forgotten that the traditional story placement in a trade, business or local publication is an incredibly valuable asset. Here are tips on getting stories in print or pixels.

You’ve written the press release, taking pains to quantify the benefits of the product or service in easily understood terms.  You’ve documented the significance of your announcement with quotes from analysts, customers or other third-party sources.  The story is free of puffery and bombast.  In short, you have news.

Or, perhaps you’ve written a great application story, one that concentrates on a unique process or technology being applied in innovative ways.  You have a valuable asset, but now you need to leverage it.

You have a good targeted press list, and perhaps you’ve added some vertical-market publications or technology editors from general-interest outlets that might be interested in the story.  You’ve sent it out to your mail list and perhaps to a wire service.  Now, you need to secure coverage.  Here are key things to keep in mind: 

• Prioritize follow-up according to those publications that are most important to your client. Using Bacon’s or other media-listing services, determine whether it is best to follow up by phone, e-mail or fax.
• Determine how to position the story, review questions and answers, and make certain that you understand the key elements of the story and/or announcement. Be prepared to answer questions and speak naturally about the product and/or story.
• Coordinate timing of follow-up to coincide as much as possible with the publication’s deadline date and when it is best to submit stories, and the best time of day, week or month to contact the editor/writer.
• Make sure you are reaching the proper editor/writer and targeting your presentation to the proper section of the publication.
• Plot out your presentation so you are emphasizing newsworthy aspects as concisely as possible. Write out a script or keep notes handy if necessary, but try to sound natural. Make sure your follow-up provides information of value: an offer of images, a fresh perspective, an opinion not offered in the original story, an update on the original information.
• Be pleasantly persistent if your news item or story is rejected without any reason given. Ask the editor or writer: “Can you tell me why this isn’t considered a significant story?” Present your case based on knowledge of the publication’s past coverage, and why the story is important to the publication’s readers and the industry. Be polite, but firm. If the answer is still no, try to end the conversation on a positive note: “I’m sorry you don’t see the story the same way we do, but I appreciate the time you’ve taken to explain your decision. It should help us to prepare future stories that are more relevant to you.”
• Establish a personal rapport with your press contacts as much as possible. Compliment them on a story that you think was well done. Follow their work, and not just when it involves a client. Thank them for getting a client’s story right or positioning it prominently, saying something like “I thought your treatment of the story reflected its importance to the industry,” or “I thought you honed in on the most important aspects of [our client’s] new product.” If your press contact shares personal information, take note of it and ask about it in the future. Provide your contacts with editorial leads, especially if they are not related to a client. Let them know you are paying attention to what they are doing. Be more than another voice on the phone asking for something.
• Be an advocate for your clients. Be enthusiastic. Let editors know you are disappointed if coverage doesn’t appear. Let editors/writers know how important their publication is to your client and state the client’s case forcefully when necessary.
• If a story idea is turned down, appeal to a higher authority if it can be done tactfully and without undercutting a regular contact. This action should be taken especially if your contact says something like, “My editor doesn’t think this is an appropriate story.” Your reply should be: “I’d like the opportunity to present it to him/her personally. If it is still rejected, at least I’ll know exactly why and it could help me in the future.”
• If your story doesn’t get the coverage you expect the first time around, try repositioning it a couple of months later. Do a shorter version. Emphasize another aspect of the story. See if you can get an update that might make it more newsworthy.
• After a placement is confirmed verbally or by e-mail, check the issue of the publication in which it is scheduled to appear. Call immediately if the coverage does not appear. Don’t place blame, but stress the importance of the coverage to the client, reiterate why the story is important, and push for coverage in the next issue. Inform the client of your actions and the results immediately.
• Conduct a web search after the release goes out and report initial results to the client. Also conduct a search before preparing a clipping report.

Getting good media placements for your clients is the result of having a good story to tell, developing long-term relationships and mutual respect between you and your media contacts, offering deep knowledge of your clients and their technologies, and being gently persistent.