I shout this just about every day. In fact, in a recent "client-facing" consultation with a young MBA wizard, when I was asked whether our strong suit was marketing or B2B sales, I felt compelled to remind the client the reason they had brought me in the first place--i.e. our tag line "We Connect the Tag Line to the Bottom Line"
TheStreet.com has a columnist that was compelled to post a recent article from Entrepreneur.com's Mark Stevens; "Sales and Marketing. Separated at Birth?" which suggests that either the media so deprived of content that it needs to fill space with business wisdom taught in elementary schools, or that there might be some people left in the world that don't understand the interconnection between marketing and sales.
Yes, it takes a certain skill set to create the "image" and "package" it,and another skill set to "sell" it. But if those two skill sets aren't continuously working hand in hand, whoever owns that business might want to think about changing careers.
And, if you've got employees that don't understand the link between the two practice areas, save yourself some time and energy and simply fire them. If they don't get it by now, they never will.
Click on the link to the article, its a good read. Especially for high school students that won't be able to afford to pay for college or graduate school in this period of economic reflection. If your MBA-trained managers need to read it, that's really scary.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Somali Group Offers To Buy Citigroup
We couldn't resist: The art of the press release...
November 20 (Bloomberg) -- The Somali pirates, renegade Somalis known for hijacking ships for ransom in the Gulf of Aden, are negotiating a purchase of Citigroup.
The pirates would buy Citigroup with new debt and their existing cash stockpiles, earned most recently from hijacking numerous ships, including most recently a $200 million Saudi Arabian oil tanker. The Somali pirates are offering up to $0.10 per share for Citigroup, pirate spokesman Sugule Ali said earlier today. The negotiations have entered the final stage, Ali said. ``You may not like our price, but we are not in the business of paying for things. Be happy we are in the mood to offer the shareholders anything," said Ali.
The pirates will finance part of the purchase by selling new Pirate Ransom Backed Securities. The PRBS's are backed by the cash flows from future ransom payments from hijackings in the Gulf of Aden. Moody's and S&P have already issued their top investment grade ratings for the PRBS's.
Head pirate, Ubu Kalid Shandu, said "we need a bank so that we have a place to keep all of our ransom money. Thankfully, the dislocations in the capital markets has allowed us to purchase Citigroup at an attractive valuation and to take advantage of TARP capital to grow the business even faster."
Shandu added, "We don't call ourselves pirates. We are coastguards and this will just allow us to guard our coasts better."
Courtesy of our wry friends at JLC Group...Hey-put that bottle of rye down! :)
November 20 (Bloomberg) -- The Somali pirates, renegade Somalis known for hijacking ships for ransom in the Gulf of Aden, are negotiating a purchase of Citigroup.
The pirates would buy Citigroup with new debt and their existing cash stockpiles, earned most recently from hijacking numerous ships, including most recently a $200 million Saudi Arabian oil tanker. The Somali pirates are offering up to $0.10 per share for Citigroup, pirate spokesman Sugule Ali said earlier today. The negotiations have entered the final stage, Ali said. ``You may not like our price, but we are not in the business of paying for things. Be happy we are in the mood to offer the shareholders anything," said Ali.
The pirates will finance part of the purchase by selling new Pirate Ransom Backed Securities. The PRBS's are backed by the cash flows from future ransom payments from hijackings in the Gulf of Aden. Moody's and S&P have already issued their top investment grade ratings for the PRBS's.
Head pirate, Ubu Kalid Shandu, said "we need a bank so that we have a place to keep all of our ransom money. Thankfully, the dislocations in the capital markets has allowed us to purchase Citigroup at an attractive valuation and to take advantage of TARP capital to grow the business even faster."
Shandu added, "We don't call ourselves pirates. We are coastguards and this will just allow us to guard our coasts better."
Courtesy of our wry friends at JLC Group...Hey-put that bottle of rye down! :)
The Marketing Impact of Managing Layoffs
In this new era of economic reflection, its fair to say that 6 out of 10 companies have already started, or are in the process of evaluating and/or implementing a downsizing initiative.
Having held senior positions at three global companies, and being recruited by two dozen+ small, medium and large companies, all facing "gale force headwinds", its safe to say that a very small percentage of HR managers have any extensive practical experience, truly appreciate, and/or have any training in the area of wide-scale downsizings and managing the post mortem process.
Yes, we're referring to grief counseling, as those that are left behind are the ones that have to be attended to.
What does this have to do with marketing? Just about everything.
As the attrition rate escalates, remaining employee morale is a priority that too many people discount (marketing execs, sales execs, etc), and truth be told, the team managers that are responsible for taking proactive steps to ensure ongoing productivity are often ill-equipped, or too distracted wondering about their own future.
The internal communication process is the foundation for any/all outbound initiatives. Low employee morale leads to reduced productivity, lower quality of goods/services, and ultimately to lower sales/revenue. And no amount of advertising can fix that problem. That's when the brand starts to disintegrate.
Screw up the layoff process, and you'll easily poison the well for those that remain. Its that simple.
The country's biggest banks and financial service firms are already implementing unheralded, enterprise wide layoffs. As are every company serving the auto industry, the lodging industry, etc etc.
Sure, the big ones have legions of HR execs to help "manage" the process, and to otherwise implement programs that ensure remaining employees stay loyal, stay focused and stay productive.
Aside from a lack of perceived objectivity, one could argue whether any of these companies and their respective HR people truly understand what needs to be done; which is why outside crisis management and objective corporate grief counselors need to be brought in.
Real experts, not "internal HR managers", but objective, outside professionals that really know what they're doing, and have broad experience dealing with these situations.
If your company is downsizing and recognizes how important it is to 'invest' precious dollars in your remaining human talent--I'd heartily recommend that you contact the people at LeadershipIQ. It just so happens that the firm's CEO Mark Murphy, who just finished a gig teaching the teachers at Harvard University is an expert on the topic..just look at his resume, or search him on Google : MARK MURPHY LEADERSHIP IQ
Don't look at how much money you don't have, just call him.
Having held senior positions at three global companies, and being recruited by two dozen+ small, medium and large companies, all facing "gale force headwinds", its safe to say that a very small percentage of HR managers have any extensive practical experience, truly appreciate, and/or have any training in the area of wide-scale downsizings and managing the post mortem process.
Yes, we're referring to grief counseling, as those that are left behind are the ones that have to be attended to.
What does this have to do with marketing? Just about everything.
As the attrition rate escalates, remaining employee morale is a priority that too many people discount (marketing execs, sales execs, etc), and truth be told, the team managers that are responsible for taking proactive steps to ensure ongoing productivity are often ill-equipped, or too distracted wondering about their own future.
The internal communication process is the foundation for any/all outbound initiatives. Low employee morale leads to reduced productivity, lower quality of goods/services, and ultimately to lower sales/revenue. And no amount of advertising can fix that problem. That's when the brand starts to disintegrate.
Screw up the layoff process, and you'll easily poison the well for those that remain. Its that simple.
The country's biggest banks and financial service firms are already implementing unheralded, enterprise wide layoffs. As are every company serving the auto industry, the lodging industry, etc etc.
Sure, the big ones have legions of HR execs to help "manage" the process, and to otherwise implement programs that ensure remaining employees stay loyal, stay focused and stay productive.
Aside from a lack of perceived objectivity, one could argue whether any of these companies and their respective HR people truly understand what needs to be done; which is why outside crisis management and objective corporate grief counselors need to be brought in.
Real experts, not "internal HR managers", but objective, outside professionals that really know what they're doing, and have broad experience dealing with these situations.
If your company is downsizing and recognizes how important it is to 'invest' precious dollars in your remaining human talent--I'd heartily recommend that you contact the people at LeadershipIQ. It just so happens that the firm's CEO Mark Murphy, who just finished a gig teaching the teachers at Harvard University is an expert on the topic..just look at his resume, or search him on Google : MARK MURPHY LEADERSHIP IQ
Don't look at how much money you don't have, just call him.
Commenting about Competitors: Marketing Basics
Courtesy of our friends at MarketingProfs.com:
"...In a post at Gapingvoid, Hugh MacLeod tells the story of a superstar blogger who publicly congratulated a corporate competitor for joining the blogosphere. In her "welcome to the neighborhood" post, she also complimented one of her competitor's products, "which truth be told," says MacLeod, "is … really good … for that industry."
A senior executive at her own company quickly excoriated the superstar in an internal email that bemoaned the press she gave to a competitive product. "What the poor suit doesn't realize, of course, is that on a basic, primal level, how you talk about your competition actually says a lot more about you, than talking about yourself ever will," says MacLeod.
He argues that a willingness to acknowledge the quality in a competitor's product or service underscores the confidence you have in your own. Great artists, he notes, often champion protégés and colleagues; hacks, meanwhile, run around denouncing established artists as overrated or untalented. "Animals can smell fear," says MacLeod, "or the lack thereof." And when the superstar explained this rationale to the executive, he eventually came around to her perspective.
We see plenty of Marketing Inspiration in MacLeod's philosophy: "[W]hat's true at cocktail parties is also true in marketing," he says. "If you want to be boring, talk about yourself. If you want to be interesting, talk about something other than yourself."
"...In a post at Gapingvoid, Hugh MacLeod tells the story of a superstar blogger who publicly congratulated a corporate competitor for joining the blogosphere. In her "welcome to the neighborhood" post, she also complimented one of her competitor's products, "which truth be told," says MacLeod, "is … really good … for that industry."
A senior executive at her own company quickly excoriated the superstar in an internal email that bemoaned the press she gave to a competitive product. "What the poor suit doesn't realize, of course, is that on a basic, primal level, how you talk about your competition actually says a lot more about you, than talking about yourself ever will," says MacLeod.
He argues that a willingness to acknowledge the quality in a competitor's product or service underscores the confidence you have in your own. Great artists, he notes, often champion protégés and colleagues; hacks, meanwhile, run around denouncing established artists as overrated or untalented. "Animals can smell fear," says MacLeod, "or the lack thereof." And when the superstar explained this rationale to the executive, he eventually came around to her perspective.
We see plenty of Marketing Inspiration in MacLeod's philosophy: "[W]hat's true at cocktail parties is also true in marketing," he says. "If you want to be boring, talk about yourself. If you want to be interesting, talk about something other than yourself."
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Marketing Communications and The News Media: Former TV News Anchor Launches Consulting Firm
Here's an interesting idea: Create a consulting firm and assemble a global team of news media reporters/jouranalists, talking heads, and other media professionals that can be tapped into by corporate clients seeking their collective opinions on the potential impact of a pending corporate news announcement.
Given that many, if not most of the news media members are spin masters, it makes perfect sense that they'd be called upon to opine on how their peers would present the upcoming news story.
Created by former MSNBC Anchor Dan Abrams, the business model for the firm is equally compelling; they'll bill out an hourly basis (and presumably they'll also offer extended retainer agreements so that a corporate client can present an unlimited number of queries).
Given that many, if not most of the news media members are spin masters, it makes perfect sense that they'd be called upon to opine on how their peers would present the upcoming news story.
Created by former MSNBC Anchor Dan Abrams, the business model for the firm is equally compelling; they'll bill out an hourly basis (and presumably they'll also offer extended retainer agreements so that a corporate client can present an unlimited number of queries).
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Do You Want to Know What the Most Successful Advertising Strategy Is?
Can asking a question in an ad increase sales?
Yes.
Do you want to know the secret to constructing a well-built, hard-working, money-sucking question?
Rule #1 Never give the reader time to think about the answer. Just point him to where he/she can find the answer CLICK HERE NOW ITS FREE
And kudos to Barry A. Densa and the gang at MarketingProfs.com
Yes.
Do you want to know the secret to constructing a well-built, hard-working, money-sucking question?
Rule #1 Never give the reader time to think about the answer. Just point him to where he/she can find the answer CLICK HERE NOW ITS FREE
And kudos to Barry A. Densa and the gang at MarketingProfs.com
Social Media in Times of Economic Reflection: If you don't use it, you could lose it (potential sales)
Below excerpt from an Oct 13 WSJ online article with tips on how to market in ever-more challenging times.
Personally speaking, the first sentence i.e. "hottest trend on the web is social media" is an observation that's been made thousands of times over the past several years...but the fact of the matter is that social networking has always been the most impactful form of advertising/marketing. Six degrees of separation goes a long way...
Perfect example: A marketing staffer at Hachette Publication was assigned the task to surf social networking sites, starting with LinkedIn, as part of a campaign to promote a new novel from David Baldacci. She necessarily searched profiles of members that included "favorite authors", and it so happens that my LinkedIn profile included several of my favs, including David Baldacci.
Since my phone and email address are displayed on my profile, this lovely gal phoned me up, introduced herself, and solicited my mailing address so that she could send a FREE copy of Baldacci's latest book. A week later, a lovely package arrived from Hachette, well before the book becomes available in book stores.
Its a good one too!(a continuation of the Camel Club/Oliver Stone series). Hachette is out the cost of a hardcover book, plus postage.
In return, they've earned my continued loyalty to the author, my new-found appreciation for Hachette, and unbeknown to the marketing department, this posting in the blogosphere--which will presumably be read by the many hundreds of fans that tune in to my latest musings, and since many of them are like-minded, at least several will be inspired to buy Baldacci's book at Barnes and Noble.. Long live Social Media
TAP INTO SOCIAL MEDIA
The hottest trend on the Web is social media -- services that allow people to connect with friends, family and colleagues, as well as interact with people around common interests. Social sites could prove crucial to marketers around holiday time, since shoppers often turn to people they know for help with making gift decisions.
"People trust people like themselves more than they trust experts," says Greg Verdino, chief strategy officer at Crayon LLC, a social-media marketing consultancy based in Westport, Conn. "It would be advantageous to have these folks telling your story."
Among the most important social sites for small companies are those where consumers post reviews of local businesses, such as Citysearch and Yelp. Matt McGee, director of strategic search at KeyRelevance, a search-marketing agency based in Dallas, recommends that businesses find ways to address poor reviews as well as encourage their loyal customers to write positive reviews. Companies might do this when they send emails to customers to confirm completed orders or in follow-up notes a few weeks later.
A strong presence on review sites "encourages other shoppers to become customers, it's good word-of-mouth marketing and can have long-term impact in the search engines, which often award better rankings to well-reviewed businesses," Mr. McGee says.
Personally speaking, the first sentence i.e. "hottest trend on the web is social media" is an observation that's been made thousands of times over the past several years...but the fact of the matter is that social networking has always been the most impactful form of advertising/marketing. Six degrees of separation goes a long way...
Perfect example: A marketing staffer at Hachette Publication was assigned the task to surf social networking sites, starting with LinkedIn, as part of a campaign to promote a new novel from David Baldacci. She necessarily searched profiles of members that included "favorite authors", and it so happens that my LinkedIn profile included several of my favs, including David Baldacci.
Since my phone and email address are displayed on my profile, this lovely gal phoned me up, introduced herself, and solicited my mailing address so that she could send a FREE copy of Baldacci's latest book. A week later, a lovely package arrived from Hachette, well before the book becomes available in book stores.
Its a good one too!(a continuation of the Camel Club/Oliver Stone series). Hachette is out the cost of a hardcover book, plus postage.
In return, they've earned my continued loyalty to the author, my new-found appreciation for Hachette, and unbeknown to the marketing department, this posting in the blogosphere--which will presumably be read by the many hundreds of fans that tune in to my latest musings, and since many of them are like-minded, at least several will be inspired to buy Baldacci's book at Barnes and Noble.. Long live Social Media
TAP INTO SOCIAL MEDIA
The hottest trend on the Web is social media -- services that allow people to connect with friends, family and colleagues, as well as interact with people around common interests. Social sites could prove crucial to marketers around holiday time, since shoppers often turn to people they know for help with making gift decisions.
"People trust people like themselves more than they trust experts," says Greg Verdino, chief strategy officer at Crayon LLC, a social-media marketing consultancy based in Westport, Conn. "It would be advantageous to have these folks telling your story."
Among the most important social sites for small companies are those where consumers post reviews of local businesses, such as Citysearch and Yelp. Matt McGee, director of strategic search at KeyRelevance, a search-marketing agency based in Dallas, recommends that businesses find ways to address poor reviews as well as encourage their loyal customers to write positive reviews. Companies might do this when they send emails to customers to confirm completed orders or in follow-up notes a few weeks later.
A strong presence on review sites "encourages other shoppers to become customers, it's good word-of-mouth marketing and can have long-term impact in the search engines, which often award better rankings to well-reviewed businesses," Mr. McGee says.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Jerry Yang Set to Step Down as Yahoo CEO ; SEC puts Cuban into the Penalty Box
Although there's no need to link the media stories blanketing the two headline stories, rule of thumb suggests that its good protocol insofar as ensuring that this blog's comments get noticed.
1. In all due respect, and without intending to be rude or discourteous, Jerry Yang was pulling on his wang when he thought that his return to the CEO office would help resuscitate Yahoo!'s business model. Even Carl Icahn figured out that Yang didn't have the gravitas that was needed in the current environment.
His notice of resignation should be seen as a bright spot to anyone that is actually in the position to take over the company. Given the current financing challenges, this will be remembered as one of the great "take unders" of the new economy.
2. Mark Cuban is one of the brashest, most opinionated remnants of the Internet Bubble Age. He's also one of the smartest, savviest entrepreneurs of this generation, as well as the prior generation--and perhaps the next generation. Unlike many that minted millions building net-cenric platforms and cashing out with big bucks, Cuban has a well-documented track record for plowing his money back into well thought out businesses.
OK. He's brash, and he's been tagged with more fines by the NBA than a combination of outspoken coaches and push the envelope players. He calls them as he sees them.
Our opinion is that the SEC's charges, alleging purported five year old insider trades made by Cuban five years are not only trumped, but begets a more important question: "What is the SEC doing investing its time and valuable resources in pusuing outdated actions against a basketball team owner, when they would seemingly have more important things to pursue?
OK. He's a deep pocket. And, he might be in a position to write a check for a few tens of millions that can otherwise help Uncle Sam pay for the hundreds of billions that Sam and Henry have allocated to bailing out banks and Wall Sreet firms.
But why aren't those SEC guys spending their time going after the hundreds of millions of dollars that bigger targets walked away with????
Enough said.
1. In all due respect, and without intending to be rude or discourteous, Jerry Yang was pulling on his wang when he thought that his return to the CEO office would help resuscitate Yahoo!'s business model. Even Carl Icahn figured out that Yang didn't have the gravitas that was needed in the current environment.
His notice of resignation should be seen as a bright spot to anyone that is actually in the position to take over the company. Given the current financing challenges, this will be remembered as one of the great "take unders" of the new economy.
2. Mark Cuban is one of the brashest, most opinionated remnants of the Internet Bubble Age. He's also one of the smartest, savviest entrepreneurs of this generation, as well as the prior generation--and perhaps the next generation. Unlike many that minted millions building net-cenric platforms and cashing out with big bucks, Cuban has a well-documented track record for plowing his money back into well thought out businesses.
OK. He's brash, and he's been tagged with more fines by the NBA than a combination of outspoken coaches and push the envelope players. He calls them as he sees them.
Our opinion is that the SEC's charges, alleging purported five year old insider trades made by Cuban five years are not only trumped, but begets a more important question: "What is the SEC doing investing its time and valuable resources in pusuing outdated actions against a basketball team owner, when they would seemingly have more important things to pursue?
OK. He's a deep pocket. And, he might be in a position to write a check for a few tens of millions that can otherwise help Uncle Sam pay for the hundreds of billions that Sam and Henry have allocated to bailing out banks and Wall Sreet firms.
But why aren't those SEC guys spending their time going after the hundreds of millions of dollars that bigger targets walked away with????
Enough said.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Google Says: Video Chat is Next
We pat ourselves on the back for prescient pontificating--if you look back several weeks ago, we shouted out that interactive, live video broadcast applications, including pay-per-view platforms will be the next 'big thing' for those in the talking head industry.
Lo and behold, Google's top guns just announced they too share the wisdom, and that Goog will be launching a platform allowing people to video chat between themselves. Although AOL and MSN have supported this application for a long time (just plug in a web cam and a microphone, and you're there), its nice to see that Goog's senior product management team "gets it". (That said, we had shouted out to Goog 4 years ago that adwords needs to support demographic zoning and targeting of ads, it took them another 2 1/2 years to introduce it..)
Here's a quote:
"..people love being able to watch something exactly as it happened," wrote Google product manager Serge Lachapelle.
"And as webcams have become popular, more and more of us are realizing that video is the next best thing to an in-person conversation."
Lo and behold, Google's top guns just announced they too share the wisdom, and that Goog will be launching a platform allowing people to video chat between themselves. Although AOL and MSN have supported this application for a long time (just plug in a web cam and a microphone, and you're there), its nice to see that Goog's senior product management team "gets it". (That said, we had shouted out to Goog 4 years ago that adwords needs to support demographic zoning and targeting of ads, it took them another 2 1/2 years to introduce it..)
Here's a quote:
"..people love being able to watch something exactly as it happened," wrote Google product manager Serge Lachapelle.
"And as webcams have become popular, more and more of us are realizing that video is the next best thing to an in-person conversation."
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Marketing Communications: Hiring Manager's Role in the new age of Economic Reflection
We typically comment on the importance of branding vis a vie consistently integrating marketing communication strategies so as to extend across the entire enterprise-including IR and PR initiatives. In this new era of economic reflection, where the importance of preserving brand integrity must necessarily include the role of HR managers, and their respective campaigns.
We all know that tens of thousands of workers, including white collar, are being displaced, creating anxiety and frustration for everyone involved. Notwithstanding the fact that there's a lot more firing than hiring taking place, companies are hiring new employees, either to replace those that have retired (or let go because of performance issues), and/or those that are expanding specific departments. According to claims made by TheLadders.com, a website that advertises 100k+ jobs, HR managers and headhunters are purportedly trying to fill thousands of white collar jobs, even in this climate.
If you are hiring, you'd want to make sure that your HR staff, and the respective hiring manager is particularly sensitive to the import of how they communicate with candidates, in particular, the follow up process.
Here's an example of a company that apparently overlooked this basic element, at least according to the senior executive that shared his experience with us:
Company A, a financial industry company that publishes research and ratings, advertised a senior executive business development opening via an industry social networking site. Stan Smith (a pseudonym for the purpose of this posting), employed at another firm, noticed the opportunity on the business networking site. Believing this would be an opportune time to investigate a new opportunity, Stan submitted his CV to the HR director that had posted the opening. Within two days, Company A's HR director phoned Stan and invited him to interview for the job.
After traveling 2 hours to meet with both the HR Manager and the actual hiring exec, Stan was given the impression that his background was uniquely suited, and based on references provided, further enhanced by the fact that he and the hiring exec shared mutual acquaintances within the Industry, the hiring exec indicated that he was indeed an impressive candidate. The hiring exec informed Stan that while they were on a fast track to hire someone, they'd contact Stan within the week to update him on the status of the search. In accordance with professional protocol, Stan followed up his meeting(s) two days later with separate thank you notes to both of the execs he met with.
After another week had passed, and Stan had not received an acknowledgment to either of his notes, he did what any sales professional should be expected to do--he phoned the hiring exec to follow up, and after being directed to the hiring managers voice mail, he left a polite message to ensure that his original email had in fact been received. A subliminal yet not so subliminal strategy, but one that most professionals would agree is deserving of a response, especially when the candidate had taken the time to meet with the hiring manager at the managers request.
He also phoned the HR manager, and upon receiving that individuals voice message system, he left a similar message i.e. making sure that his follow up note had been received.
After ten days had transpired, Stan had still not received any acknowledgment from either of the people that he had met with. Lets easily guess that Stan was actually not the candidate of choice, and that Company A had since decided to hire someone else.
That said, Stan, while accepting that he apparently wasn't the top candidate, was less than accepting of the fact that Company A, which prides itself on the integrity of its products/services, had seemingly 'dissed' him by failing to provide a professional follow-up, advising him they had selected another candidate, and to thank him for taking the time to meet.
That's a big oversight on the part of Company A., however many candidates they might have interviewed, especially when considering the senior level job. Stan, having many associates within the Industry, and more than a few of which that are customers of Company A, is an influencer, even if he is also looking for a job. Influencers, especially those with large networks within an otherwise small industry, can influence the perception of the brand amongst peers, as well as those involved in purchasing and partnership opportunities. A
And, as the saying goes, what goes around comes around. A saying that HR managers and hiring execs will be well advised to reflect upon.
We all know that tens of thousands of workers, including white collar, are being displaced, creating anxiety and frustration for everyone involved. Notwithstanding the fact that there's a lot more firing than hiring taking place, companies are hiring new employees, either to replace those that have retired (or let go because of performance issues), and/or those that are expanding specific departments. According to claims made by TheLadders.com, a website that advertises 100k+ jobs, HR managers and headhunters are purportedly trying to fill thousands of white collar jobs, even in this climate.
If you are hiring, you'd want to make sure that your HR staff, and the respective hiring manager is particularly sensitive to the import of how they communicate with candidates, in particular, the follow up process.
Here's an example of a company that apparently overlooked this basic element, at least according to the senior executive that shared his experience with us:
Company A, a financial industry company that publishes research and ratings, advertised a senior executive business development opening via an industry social networking site. Stan Smith (a pseudonym for the purpose of this posting), employed at another firm, noticed the opportunity on the business networking site. Believing this would be an opportune time to investigate a new opportunity, Stan submitted his CV to the HR director that had posted the opening. Within two days, Company A's HR director phoned Stan and invited him to interview for the job.
After traveling 2 hours to meet with both the HR Manager and the actual hiring exec, Stan was given the impression that his background was uniquely suited, and based on references provided, further enhanced by the fact that he and the hiring exec shared mutual acquaintances within the Industry, the hiring exec indicated that he was indeed an impressive candidate. The hiring exec informed Stan that while they were on a fast track to hire someone, they'd contact Stan within the week to update him on the status of the search. In accordance with professional protocol, Stan followed up his meeting(s) two days later with separate thank you notes to both of the execs he met with.
After another week had passed, and Stan had not received an acknowledgment to either of his notes, he did what any sales professional should be expected to do--he phoned the hiring exec to follow up, and after being directed to the hiring managers voice mail, he left a polite message to ensure that his original email had in fact been received. A subliminal yet not so subliminal strategy, but one that most professionals would agree is deserving of a response, especially when the candidate had taken the time to meet with the hiring manager at the managers request.
He also phoned the HR manager, and upon receiving that individuals voice message system, he left a similar message i.e. making sure that his follow up note had been received.
After ten days had transpired, Stan had still not received any acknowledgment from either of the people that he had met with. Lets easily guess that Stan was actually not the candidate of choice, and that Company A had since decided to hire someone else.
That said, Stan, while accepting that he apparently wasn't the top candidate, was less than accepting of the fact that Company A, which prides itself on the integrity of its products/services, had seemingly 'dissed' him by failing to provide a professional follow-up, advising him they had selected another candidate, and to thank him for taking the time to meet.
That's a big oversight on the part of Company A., however many candidates they might have interviewed, especially when considering the senior level job. Stan, having many associates within the Industry, and more than a few of which that are customers of Company A, is an influencer, even if he is also looking for a job. Influencers, especially those with large networks within an otherwise small industry, can influence the perception of the brand amongst peers, as well as those involved in purchasing and partnership opportunities. A
And, as the saying goes, what goes around comes around. A saying that HR managers and hiring execs will be well advised to reflect upon.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Marketing Yourself & How To Get Arrested
For those searching for marketing strategies in challenging times, we tripped over an insightful paperback written by Michael Wallach, a long-time Hollywood talent agent whose book "How To Get Arrested" is actually great and uniquely relevant for anyone that could use a reminder about the basics of marketing.
Yes-its geared towards aspiring actors, but as the prologue underscores, the insight and observations cover topics and tactics that transcend across all boundaries.
Easy reading, very pragmatic, and the type of book that deserves a mention by Oprah!
Yes-its geared towards aspiring actors, but as the prologue underscores, the insight and observations cover topics and tactics that transcend across all boundaries.
Easy reading, very pragmatic, and the type of book that deserves a mention by Oprah!
Friday, November 07, 2008
Company Blogs Learn to Shoot First
This Wednesday's NY Times Business section included an insightful story profiling corporations that do get it, don't get it, or get it wrong when it comes to embracing the power of blogs.
Just more than a year ago, in the Sept 17, 2007 posting on this very blog, we advocated that blogs are/should be/will be an integral part of a corporation's IR, PR, and HR strategies. Lo and behold, we were ahead of our time; and this week's NY Times article focused on how important it is for companies to proactively put their arms around blogs, especially in connection with workforce downsizing. Its all about perception management...and before a disgruntled employee fires salvos at a company on the internet--it doesn't take a rock scientist (not the ones that built quantitative trading models) to understand the importance of being in front of a problem with a well-thought out messaging strategy to cushion the blows of the headwinds that are knocking employees down on their backsides.
Just more than a year ago, in the Sept 17, 2007 posting on this very blog, we advocated that blogs are/should be/will be an integral part of a corporation's IR, PR, and HR strategies. Lo and behold, we were ahead of our time; and this week's NY Times article focused on how important it is for companies to proactively put their arms around blogs, especially in connection with workforce downsizing. Its all about perception management...and before a disgruntled employee fires salvos at a company on the internet--it doesn't take a rock scientist (not the ones that built quantitative trading models) to understand the importance of being in front of a problem with a well-thought out messaging strategy to cushion the blows of the headwinds that are knocking employees down on their backsides.
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