Are we providing value?

Kerri Guyton

There is so much that we can do for our clients. We provide a variety of services from strategic communication counsel and planning, media relations and crisis management to social media strategy and implementation, content creation and advertising/marketing counsel. And, which services we provide depends on the specific needs of the client. However, when we are contracted under a limited retainer, we must focus on the services that provide the most value. That value not only varies by client, but it can sometimes be challenging to figure out, and every once in a while, impossible to provide.

What Clients Want vs. What They Value

We’ve learned that sometimes what clients want and what they value are two different things. Some clients think they want us to take on their social media efforts when in the big scheme of things, social media doesn’t have an impact on the company’s sales or growth goals. It’s just something they feel like they “have to do,” so it actually provides little value to them. Our time could be better spent creating a strategic communication plan focused on increasing awareness of the company in targeted markets or with specific audiences.

We mostly learn about what the client values by listening and asking the right questions. A seemingly random comment in casual conversation can sometimes be the golden nugget that tells us more about the client’s vision than anything he or she actually says in a business meeting. Once we identify those “nuggets,” we can focus our efforts on producing results in those specific areas. That’s when we provide real value.

The Time Crunch

No matter how much you try to cram into a day, you will never have more than 24 hours. Similarly, in the world of retainer contracts, there is only so much we can accomplish within the agreed upon hours. And while Obsidian is known for sometimes giving more in order to get the job done in the best way possible, our team rosters are booked in a way that doesn’t allow for overage as a norm. Otherwise, other clients suffer and our team doesn’t sleep. So, we have to be focused on the best use of our time within each client retainer.

There may be 30 hours of work per month that can be done to meet the overall goals of the retainer, but if we are contracted for 10 hours, then we must focus on the most impactful one-third of that list each month. Like the new GEICO commercials say, “It’s what you do.”

When the Value Just Doesn’t Add Up

Sometimes, the value that the client is looking for just can’t be provided from our list of services. Often, this is the case for a client looking for an immediate uptick in sales or one who is itching to be in the news without a timely, newsworthy story to tell. We often say that PR is a marathon, not a sprint. So, if a business is failing due to rapidly declining sales and hires us as a “last-ditch effort” to turn sales around over 30 days, that owner most likely will not see value in our efforts. Increased awareness or a change in perceptions about a brand or its product can’t necessarily be done in the first month of the retainer.  And, we know that changing perceptions about something – such as a product that used to be hot and for some reason or another is now not - takes time. So, given the appropriate amount of time to research perception, identify target audiences and craft impactful strategies and tactics, PR can certainly help “turn a company around” – it just most likely won’t happen in 30 days. 

It can be so easy to get caught up in executing all of the things that need to be done on any one account because we know that all of it will make a difference to the client – especially when many of our tactics are things that weren’t being done at all before they hired us. However, we must question whether what we are doing is really providing the greatest value for our clients. If it’s not, then we may not even get the chance to see the fruits of our labor. When budgets get cut, those line items that don’t provide tangible value are the first to go. We always want to make sure that PR is something a company can’t let go of and is valued just as much as a great attorney or accountant.

Public Relations is like…

Daniel Wade

We begin today’s discussion with a well-known brand. Ladies, help me out here. When considering a luxury brand such as Tiffany’s, what comes to mind?

Forget diamonds – have you seen their new leather collection? 

If we must speak about diamonds, did you know you could get an 18-carat white gold brooch with “Love” written in diamonds? All for today's low price of $40,000!

Remember your “normal” watch? How about a Tiffany’s cocktail watch in 18-carat white gold lined with diamonds for a cool $75,000? Good news: it’s water-resistant up to 30 meters. 

Have you ever worn something from Tiffany’s? Dare I say owned? What do you think about Tiffany’s? More importantly, why do you feel the way you do about this established brand? 

Now, let’s move to your business’ brand. Real estate is close to home for me, so I’ll use this as an example. There’s a difference in a real estate agent and a REALTOR^®. But, as a REALTOR^®, how do you communicate this difference? What’s the advantage? There has to be something more than the trademarked symbol. For those in this industry, this is their brand…just like Tiffany’s.

Here’s where public relations comes in. [What – you didn’t expect this?] Public relations is like the elevator button. When you want to go upstairs, you go to the elevator and push the button, and when it dings, you turn and walk in it. Very Pavlov. Follow me? REALTORS^® want to brand themselves so that when someone wants to buy or sell a home, they turn to a REALTOR^® and not just any old real estate agent. Make sense? More specifically (and here’s where we get competitive), when someone wants to buy or sell a home, they call your agency or better yet…you! Public relations works to accomplish this. 

Public relations is simply who’s talking about what you are doing. I’ve used the real estate industry as my primary example here, but this concept travels. Ideally, you want people to say: “I need to _____, so I’d better call ________.” Insert your law firm, photography studio or pre-manufactured metal building company, and you get the idea.

How can you begin to do this?

• Observation No. 1: Listen. 
• Do you read The Commercial Appeal, Memphis Business Journal or Memphis Daily News on a regular basis? Your clients are hearing things about your business and industry, and you need to be able to talk about that and provide perspective. 
• Observation No. 2: Find appropriate ways/areas to communicate your messages.
• Community Involvement – What a great arena in which to communicate in a grassroots manner about what it is you want to get across.
• Make it personal and credible – Advertising is not the way to do this. The praise of another takes on new meaning and legitimacy when it’s unpaid. 

You, and your employees alike, serve as ambassadors for your business and industry, whether you like it or not. Who’s talking about what you are doing? And what are they saying? 

Ding! Your elevator just arrived…