|
Peddling
Bear Repellant
in the Bull Market Return to Views
Directory Page
(Appeared originally in Words of Mouth, January 1999)
While Wall Street
matadors and Main Street novilleros dance in the path of the miraculous Bull, I
am enjoying the stampede of work (ole!) with one eye peeled for the lurking Bear.
Not to turn a capote into a wet blanket, but from sixteen years in this
business I know that one of these days the Bull will either 1) collapse or 2) hear a
distant call, leap the bullring wall, and gallop off to less arduous tasks than dragging
the economy uphill. So I am busily distributing Bear repellant — gentle
reminders that the communications strategies bringing us all showers of roses in the plaza
de toros today can bring us equal glory in Bear country tomorrow.
During an upswing, everyone professes the value of
communication. Businesses invest in glittering suits sequined with advertising and
image-building, in-house networking, management conferences, trade show exhibits, training
— all to boost profits and pry open new markets. Government agencies and
associations don their own trajes de luces: consumer awareness campaigns, museum
exhibits, industry education, and lobbying. But the day the Dow gets gored, these
glories will be back in their cedar chests — mere frills, their daring deeds
forgotten.
Communications budgets are a red flag to downsizers
and bean counters, who rarely find hard numbers to justify big-ticket communications
options. (“Replacing the planned video wall presentation at the annual
conference with a speech by our CEO and revising the training manual instead of producing
the CD-ROM training course will result in a cost savings of...”) But times
are changing. The combination of:
- new management paradigms
based on empowerment and shared quality management responsibilities,
- better understanding of
what motivates managers and employees and satisfies customers, and
- more precise tracking and
evaluation of training, marketing and public relations efforts
is making the benefits of well-designed
communications more measurable both for boosting profit peaks and leveling out troughs.
Communications as Bear Repellant has a future.
And so, I offer my Bear Repellant Formula, a homemade brew concocted from
watching organizations, big and small, successfully ward off the mangy carnivore. It
consists of:
3 Parts
Courage. Be bold and stand your ground.
Promote a highly visible, two-fisted image to help your organization keep a grip on its
piece of the market and regain more quickly any business you lose. Even people who
never did business with you before will take notice.
2 Parts
Leadership. Nothing inspires confidence like a
strong, steady, self-assured voice that is saying something useful. Demonstrate the
biggest bear gun in the forest and the know-how to use it, and top employees and
profitable customers will line up behind you rather than desert you.
2 Parts Creativity.
Startling noises and bright lights keep the Bear at bay. Concentrate your
advertising budget into one or two dazzling, tightly focused core messages and sound them
repeatedly. You will find yourself less vulnerable than those who cower silently in
the underbrush or who glimmer and squeak instead of flash and roar.
2 Parts Understanding. The Bear can smell fear.
Noise and lights may distract it for awhile, but unless you address the fears of your
employees and customers, the magic will soon fade. Listen. Respond. Open
several channels (briefing videos, intranet newsletters, web sites, marketing mailings,
quarterly meetings) to keep everyone as fully and honestly informed as possible about the
state of your business and what you are doing about it.
2 Parts Teamwork. It takes
a village to trap a bear. Gather ideas from everyone, pool all available talent,
recruit experienced professionals to work with your team. Far better to spend time
and money once to build a reliable Bear trap than several times on a series of jury-rigged
failures.
3 Parts Patience. Expect
reluctance from those you invite to join your Bear hunt. In the shadow of the Bear,
people are wary of new ideas and initiatives. Craft your strategy carefully and
present it consistently and professionally, and your employees and customers will
eventually come aboard.
I recommend mixing up a trial batch of Bear
Repellant now, before you need it. I also recommend tucking away some of
today’s profits to fund extra batches during Bear season. Because, except in
Portugal and France, even the longest, most exciting and glorious corrida de toros
eventually ends with the demise of the bull.
Back to top
of page Return to Views
Directory Page
|