PR Divas

If it looks like a turd.

Non-paying clients are the worst!

They’re great at first. They act like a real client. They sign the contract and the provide appropriate information to commence the working relationship.

The work gets done – with client praise – and the invoice sent. But the check never arrives.

Each phone call and email to the client results in an apology or an excuse and a promise to send the check ‘this week’. Eventually, your emails and calls go unanswered.

There are ways of dealing with non-paying clients, but the best solution is to identify the turds from the very beginning.

Here’s how:  If it looks like a turd and smells like a turd… (heh)

If your prospective client is argumentative -- turd

If your prospective client is a loose cannon without boundaries -- turd

If your prospective client does not make eye contact when speaking with you -- turd

If your prospective client is cheap or wants to negotiate your price – turd

They walk among us. If your prospective client makes you uncomfortable, trust yourself. There is probably something wrong. The prospect could very well be a turd.

On Birds and the Media

This spring, wrens laid a nest on a shelf in our garage, as they do every year. But this year, my 13-year-old daughter took notice. She started trying to “bond” with the chicks, chirping to them to make them cry back, petting their heads and placing insects and bread crumbs at the nest for the parents to feed them. The parent wrens took some of the insects but largely ignored the crumbs and continued on their mission: to feed their young properly the items they chose.

I told my daughter to leave them alone – that perhaps their folks had a plan for what they needed to do, but she was undaunted until the last day when she returned from school to find the nest empty. Her progeny had flown. Another nest that was in the process of being built nearby was never completed. I suspect because they feared the human who insisted on visiting too often.

It reminded me of working with the media. Reporters, like mother wrens, generally know what they want to do with their “young,” the stories they write or produce. You can offer them topics that support your client’s needs, but plaguing them with press releases (or worse, telephone calls) will only lead them to filter you out. You risk becoming the interloper, spoiling your chance for good press and your reputation in the process.

The remedy is to become a resource rather than a nuisance. Reporters, even when they know exactly what they plan to cover, are time-stressed. Research on particular topics can eat up the precious hours between assignment and deadline. What they need is an assistant – and that’s the perfect opportunity to build strong media relationships. I’m not talking about volunteering to research statistics for industries you know nothing about, but offering expertise in topics familiar to you where you may have existing or easy-to-obtain information that could be of use.

Yes, it may take a bit more work that doesn’t pay you a damned thing in the short run. But over time, developing a relationship where a reporter trusts you can provide them with accurate information on the topics they are interested in is the best way to ensure that when your client has a newsworthy item, it will be fairly considered for favorable coverage.

Each year, my husband and I till the vegetable garden, and I hang a shallow plastic container on the back fence. Whenever we find a grub, we put it in the container for the birds. They inevitably find it and devour our little offerings. Not because we pushed it on them, but because it was what they wanted and it was free of obligation. And I enjoy providing it.

The Multigenerational Workforce: Bridging the Gap

My assistant can text message at phenomenal speed. I’ve never seen anything like it! His fingers pump out words, half words and code like nobody’s business. It’s a little intimidating. It’s also a generational means of communication of which I have little expertise.

This young newcomer and his generational ideologies are the epitome of Generation X - the fourth generation to join the American workforce. For the first time in history, our workforce encompasses four generations: the Veterans, Boomers, Gen Xers and Nexters - individuals that range from those who are old enough to have fought in World War II, to those young enough to have cut their teeth on Super Nintendo.

With these four distinct generations, we are beneficiary of a multitude of talents and experiences. We are also subject to each generations’ disparate attitudes, expectations and values.

The Veterans either experienced or were influenced by two world wars and the Great Depression. They believe in the value of work and are not concerned with finding personal meaning in what they do. They will sacrifice for the common good and are endlessly loyalty to an organization. The needs of the individual come last.

Boomers are traditionalists often motivated by position, power and prestige. They want a title and authority that will commensurate with responsibilities, as well as the perks that fit the position. They prefer to work on projects and be professionally connected to their peers. They are concerned for their future, and so prefer compensation that is long term, such as profit sharing.

Gen Xers prefer flexibility. They have other priorities they juggle, such as dependent children, aging parents, or educational endeavors.  They enjoy collaboration and teamwork and are pleased with recognition of a job well done.

Nexters or (Generation Y) also crave flexibility. They are highly resistant to what they perceive as rigid schedule. They enjoy change and challenge.  They will leave a higher paying good job for the opportunity to experience something new. This generation has experienced the most adult-supervision and so have an innate trust of older people.

As I see it, the key to bridging the gap of a multigenerational workforce is having the ability to shift approaches to accommodate different styles – which is really no different than understanding and accommodating personality differences.

As I watch my assistant text his friends and colleagues at warp speed, I revel in our differences.

Corporate Culture - Because I said so.

I was recently invited to moderate a panel on corporate culture. Prior to the event, I conducted an afternoon of research which resulted in an abundance of information. It was eye-opening. I found it interesting how many companies give lip service to the topic.

A quote that made me chuckle is as follows: “Corporate culture is like pornography; it is hard to define, but you know it when you see it."

I’ve heard corporate culture defined as “it’s just the way we do things around here”. Does that not remind you of when your parents offered up the most frustrating answer to our “But why” - “because I said so!”?

Corporate culture can really be best defined by a company’s reference to values, beliefs, and behaviors. It relates to beliefs and values on the basis of which people interpret experiences and behave, individually and in groups.

I am particularly fond of the flat lattice type of organization where there are no chains of command or pre-determined channels of communication. Instead, communication is made directly with one other and all are accountable to fellow members of the team.

It’s exactly the type of company we enjoy through BlabberMouth PR – lucky that we are.