Michael Geczi

WRITING & EDITING Marketers’ solutions to hot-button issues Communications experts love doling out advice. Few, however will be honest about what makes them reach for the stress ball. Here are some stressors—and how to overcome them. By Michael Geczi Aug. 8, 2016 Very recently, I heard a group of seasoned communicators and marketers cite their biggest frustrations with the industry these days. Do any of these sound familiar? Experience versus running a test So-called experts have long been handing out advice about areas of communications for which they have no practical experience. A new twist, though, seems to have touched a nerve. After hearing the situation and the challenge/opportunity, the experienced professional tells the group seated around the table that best practices strongly suggest a certain strategy and/or tactic. She knows her recommendation is the right step. She’s used it before herself, and she’s seen how others have benefitted from the same action. WORKSHOP:​ Use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram to get huge results. It works. It’s proven. It’s the appropriate counsel she should provide. Enough said, right? Not quite. Across the table, a voice (maybe authoritative, maybe a bit nervous) says: “Well, we can run a quick test and sample 100 people and have an answer back to you by next Thursday.” A colleague (also on that side of the table) seconds the idea, the meeting concludes, and the sampling initiative essentially kicks the issue down the road. ● Best case: The issue somehow resolves itself during this period of inactivity. ● Worst case: The lack of action exacerbates the threat or causes the company to miss the opportunity. ● Probable case: The data from the sampling are not helpful and don’t provide useful additional context. Question to consider: If you need to run a survey to provide a piece of strategic advice, should you really be positioning yourself in the first place as an expert on that issue? Reality to remember: The experienced practitioner’s advice not only includes best practices, but probably also includes results from studies that have been conducted through the years. Deadlines versus quality It’s getting near crunch time, and there seems to be a growing opinion from the key decision-maker that the only way you can meet the deadline for providing your strategic recommendation is to sign off on a deliverable that might not be as good as it should be. The boss can’t deal with any more comments or recommendations. “It will be good enough,” he says. “We can always play with it later and make it better.” Wrong. “Good enough” should not be acceptable. Why do some people allow a deadline to define “good enough” rather than have a goal of developing “best possible” by that deadline? Why can’t we prioritize “best possible”? A wise colleague once commented, “The client will remember that it was bad, but if it is good, they won’t remember that it was a day late.” His advice? Speak with your boss or client, tell them you are “close but, in another 24 hours, it will be much better.” It’s honest counsel. Remember the adage “You only get one chance …”? Not only is it memorable, but it’s also true. Marketing price versus marketing need So, here’s the issue: The $27,000 car is going on sale this weekend for $24,900. Question: Is the “value message” that you have teed up going to resonate equally with: ● A person who had already planned to go car shopping this weekend? ● A person who is not in the market (for whatever reason) for a new automobile? As marketing plans are developed and then implemented, it is crucial not to lose track of your original compelling idea. If your business rationale is to sell solutions that address a need, your messaging must reflect not only that need, but also your solution. If you are basing your appeal on price, you better make sure that your targets are actually in the market for what you are selling … otherwise, you are just sending messages off into thin air. Messages not only have to reach people, but also have to reach the right people—who also might be thinking about the same issue at the time you reach them. $14 is more than $9 Sometimes, your messaging is pretty simple: ● $14 is more than $9. ● Qualified is better than unqualified. ● Local is better than not local. ● Experienced is better than inexperienced. As communicators, we love to write and develop messages that we believe underscore the differences that benefit our clients or our employer. Sometimes, those messages are just empty calories or bumper stickers that don’t do the job. Sometimes we overthink (and overwrite) and lose sight of the real message. It may be beautifully written or presented, but ask yourself: Does it do the job? Michael Geczi is the vice president of marketing and communications at Cast & Crew Entertainment Services. He’s also been an adjunct instructor at the University of Southern California’s A ​ nnenberg School for Communication and Journalism​ ​. A version of this article originally appeared on his b​ log.