Good presentations, events, and marketing yourself...a lesson of what NOT to do!

Ok...it's not often I use this blog to rant. In fact, I would say that I try to keep this forum rather calm and professional. After attending what I believed would be a joint web marketing and internet payment processing breakfast seminar for non-profit organizations (after all, my main clientele is with non-profits and associations), I have been prompted to write something on the subject of appropriately inviting large amounts of guests out for breakfast and luncheon seminars - especially if you plan on using them to market your expertise.

Earlier this month, Deloitte & Touche and Moneris held an info-seminar for non-profits, undoubtedly with the objective of marketing their expertise in web marketing and online payment processing. While I most certainly do not fault them for using this approach (in fact I fully agree with this approach in publicity and marketing), I feel compelled to share some experiences of what NOT to do when giving a presentation, especially if you are tying the presentation to an event designed to market your services and build awareness. Regrettably, the representatives of Moneris did not follow this advice:

1. For God sakes people....if you're going to write every single note you have on your PowerPoint slides, PLEASE just spare me the presentation and mail me the notes! Most people who would be qualified to attend your sales presentation are busy people and literate. We don't need you to read out everything we can clearly see!

2. Don't speak in a monotone voice.

3. If you are going to call me and my colleagues in to present your case as to why you think your widget is the best thing since sliced bread, at least add a slice of education into the presentation. Leave me feeling that my time was well spent. Simply pitching over and over just leaves you talking over the heads of your audience.

4. Don't talk about features only. If you've spent all your time telling me what colours "doo-hicky" A come in versus "doo-hicky" B, where am I left to understand how your product or service actually fills a need I have?

5. COME PREPARED!!!! Nothing kills your brand and credibility faster if at the end of your presentation, the presenter cannot answer any of the audience's questions. While I could not bear another moment of the presentation, members of my staff reported that Moneris' sales rep constantly had to refer to a colleague for questions from the audience....hardly something to inspire confidence!

Now, don't get me wrong. I am a firm believer in using breakfasts or luncheons to show off a company's expertise and prove the credibility of your claims. However, when you don't take the trouble to present your case in a rehearsed, engaged or interesting format; you blow away any credibility or linkage that could have existed. So, if there is anything to be learned from this experience is that all the best marketing and public relations tactics in the world will backfire if care and attention to delivery and brand experience are not considered.

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Mark Buzan is Principal and Chief Magnifier in Action Strategies, a full service Strategic Communications, Public Relations and Public Affairs Consultancy. Make sure to contact him for advice on reaching audiences you may or may not have yet considered in your marketing communications and PR campaigns. Drop him a line if you are looking for help in developing a public relations campaign. You can view his website at www.actionstrategies.ca.

Are PR efforts to Ethnic Communities worth it?

It seems the answer would be YES if you talk to Fred Sherman of Nexus Africa! In late November, I interviewed Fred, the host of Ottawa's newest radio show for the African-Canadian community. In his opinion, marketing and communicating to ethnic communities is becoming more important than ever. Tune into my podcast interview with him on the Magnifier.

If you do a preliminary search on the internet for the subject of "Public Relations to Ethnic Communities", there's a multitude of subjects that come up. In the United States, some press release distribution services now specialize in reaching them. BlackPR is one interesting example. Their's is a service that broadcasts your news release out to the African-America community throughout the United States. With what I believe is an estimated population of 8 million alone, reaching out with a specific and targeted message to this community is potentially powerful.

Toronto is now a city where 50% of the population was born in a country other than Canada. According to New California Media, 13 percent of the U.S. population now turns primarily to ethnic media. If you only pitch publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and Time, you will leave out a huge chunk of your potential audience. More than ever, a complete media strategy requires reaching out to ethnic publications.

Many of Canada's political parties recognize this as well and will even appoint specialized PR professionals to reach out specifically to multi-cultural communities as well.

In a media relations campaign I did for the Canadian Ski Council, we took a very targeted approach in reaching out to ethnic media. Recognizing that many immigrant kids were not taking up winter sports like skiing and snowboarding, the Canadian Ski Council invited a group of underprivileged Toronto area kids out to the slopes for a school field trip. Focusing on Toronto's diverse media outlets, Action Strategies placed particular attention towards attracting those ethnic radio stations with an interest in sports with interesting results.

So in brief, to answer the question earlier of "whether PR efforts to Ethnic Communities matters", the answer is indeed YES!
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Mark Buzan is Principal and Chief Magnifier in Action Strategies, a full service Strategic Communications, Public Relations and Public Affairs Consultancy. Make sure to contact him for advice on reaching audiences you may or may not have yet considered in your marketing communications and PR campaigns. Drop him a line if you are looking for help in developing a public relations campaign. You can view his website at www.actionstrategies.ca.

Networking, keeping in touch & investing in friendships

In my recent newsletter for Public relations the Magnifier, I made mention of my October podcast on Networking and PR. In this episode, I drove home the importance of viewing networking as more than just an exercise in collecting business cards. Public Relations and the business of nurturing relationships is crucial in building good rapport.

For government relations, the case is no different. I had the fortune of reconnecting with two old friends and colleagues this past Saturday and a Conservative Party function here in Ottawa. Both an old friend of mine, Pierre Poilievre and my former employer Jason Kenney, MP were present at the Nepean Carleton Conservative Association's annual breakfast. While it usually doesn't take much to convince me to get out for bacon and eggs, there was at least one important fact I was reminded of.

Sometimes in the hullabaloo of our everyday lives we forget the importance of just showing our faces to those with influence. More importantly, expressing one's support for an MP or candidate is an important gesture of paying it forward. Whatever your political affiliation, I recommend reconnecting or connecting with your local and regional political associations. A contact made today could help tomorrow.
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Mark Buzan is the owner of Action Strategies, a public affairs & government relations consultancy. He brings a number of years of understanding of working with various government agencies and policy makers. You can subscribe now to his monthly public affairs newsletter by visiting the newsletter section of his website.