Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants

Jargon Lives On

As I looked over a press release announcing a new relationship between two companies, my bull-o-meter went to red alert. The organizations “proudly” announced a “multi-phase strategic alliance to enable expanded, collaborative commerce for their customers in a seamless, integrated, and streamlined manner.”

And that means what?

For years, many people (including me) have been complaining about the use of such meaningless language in business communications. And yet it continues. In fact, we seem to be aiming to perfect the art of saying nothing in as many slick-sounding words as possible.

Whatever business communication you write, why not be specific about the real benefits to your clients or customers? If you can’t find a way to do that, just stick to the facts with a little honesty. For example, "Today, Allied Products merged with Products Unlimited. The merger will give the new company, Allied Unlimited, access to new, more profitable markets."

It's not, as they say, rocket science.

 

Laser Pointer Abuse

I’ve written before about some of my presentation pet peeves. Here comes another one.

Now I enjoy listening to good speakers, particularly those who can hold my attention, communicate their message, and throw in a little entertainment. I remember one such speaker from a meeting. He had energy, enthusiasm, and a compelling message.

He didn’t really need the seemingly endless string of PowerPoint slides he used, which all looked the same. Each slide included six or seven complete sentences—in bullet form, of course—and one small, animated graphic crammed into the lower right corner. But that’s not my complaint.

Because each slide was so packed with stuff, the speaker used his red laser pointer to highlight every sentence on every slide. Granted, he was a true marksman with that pointer and never missed his target.

But following that red dot was like watching an Olympic ping pong match. My neck was killing me trying to follow the action. It was nothing short of audience abuse.

I’m not saying there’s no role for a laser pointer in a presentation, but give it a rest. It’s possible to reduce the clutter on a slide so it doesn’t detract from the message, and then the audience can follow along without a pointer to illuminate your every thought.

The Laser Institute of America (yes, it’s a real organization) believes additional safety regulation regarding laser pointers is an important legislative priority. I hope any new law includes a provision for protecting audiences from laser pointer overload.

Workplace Monitoring

Trying to squeeze more productivity out of workers, some employers are using finger-recognition technology and other electronic tracking systems to make sure people are present and accounted for when they're supposed to be.

The theory is that if you have to put your thumb on a sensor whenever you enter or leave the office, you will use your time more efficiently. Or at least look like you are.

These new systems are a far cry from the venerable tradition of punching in and out on a time clock. For one thing, your buddy can't log you in without your digit. And managers have instant access to the data on who's where and when.

The real difference with the high-tech systems, though, is in how managers use the information. And unlike the time clock, it's not for payroll.

In some businesses, managers use such systems as a "persuasive management tool." In other words--get your lazy ass back to work or start looking for another job.

In one firm that uses this technology, an employee said that the tracking system has increased her awareness of taking breaks, and she admitted, "I do rush at lunchtime if I go out." That, of course, doesn’t guarantee that she will accomplish any more when she returns.

Some people will work hard and be productive whether some spying, mid-level manager is watching or not; others will find a way to game any system employers come up with. Using high-tech systems for security is one thing, and that has become a real issue for many organizations.

But it’s folly to suggest that biometric tracking systems will increase employee productivity. It’s more likely to spur top performers to jump ship to organizations that don’t feel the need to behave like Big Brother.

On that note, I think I'll put my feet up and take a break.

The Knowledge Trap

Jumping to conclusions about any problem can be disastrous. When confronted with a small house fire, for instance, your first instinct might be to douse it with water.

In more than a few cases, though, spraying water causes a fire to spread, resulting in even more damage.

In this month's issue of the Guerrilla Consultant, we explore why jumping to conclusions about your client's issues can also be dangerous--for the client and for you--and what you can do about it.

Read the article.

Speaker's Anxiety

It's normal, even expected, to feel anxious before speaking to a group. Maybe that's why Amazon offers almost fifty different titles on performance anxiety. Some offer tips of dubious value, like pretending your audience is naked.

I'm not sure that image would reduce anxiety as much as it might make me want to bolt right out of the room. 

You might be able, though, to overcome one common source of performance anxiety: The belief that the audience is keenly aware of your inner nervousness. Psychologists call this false belief the "illusion of transparency."

Research has shown that observers are not as aware of your anxious state as you may believe. What's troublesome is that this belief often causes unneeded stress and can lead to a poor performance.

In a 2003 article published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, researchers explored the possibility that speakers could reduce performance anxiety with a simple reminder that their inner turmoil was not written all over their faces.

The researchers gave some speakers a short reminder about the "illusion of transparency" before a speech; they gave others no reminder. Afterward, the speakers who got the reminder evaluated their performances more positively, expected their audiences to rate their presentations more highly, and judged themselves as appearing more relaxed than the speakers who didn't get the reminder.

Furthermore, when audience members evaluated the presentations, without knowing which speakers were which, they rated the reminded speakers as being more relaxed, composed, and effective than the speakers who didn't get the reminder.

Next time you head to the podium, remember the "illusion of transparency." The audience has no idea how nervous you are. Try to resist spoiling the whole thing by telling them that you are.

Don't Ask or Tell?

According to a recent study, almost half of the US companies that solicit employee feedback on surveys seem to be ignoring the results.

What’s interesting is that the study found a strong correlation between an organization’s responsiveness to employee surveys and positive employee perceptions. In companies that acted on results from employee surveys, 84 percent of employees said that the changes had a positive effect on them.

Maybe managers aren’t really ignoring the results of their surveys. But, they’re not doing a good job of communicating the actions they’re taking as a result of the feedback, which could be worse than ignoring it.

A similar study in the UK shows how employee feedback impacts change initiatives there. In the UK, only 32 percent of respondents felt that their organizations managed change effectively, compared with 63 percent in the US.

What explains the difference in results between the UK and the US? In the UK, only 43 percent got to contribute their views before changes were made to their jobs, versus 62 percent in the US.

Want to make a simple, high-impact change to your projects? Go to the people who will be most affected by an initiative and ask for their views before you launch it. And, be clear about how you eventually use that feedback. If perception is reality, why create a negative one?

The Cult of Leadership

Business historian, James Hoopes, sees real dangers in what he calls the “Cult of Moral Leadership” in America. Hoopes, who is a Distinguished Professor of History at Babson College, thinks that putting business and political leaders up on a moral pedestal intensifies the tendency of power to corrupt.

In his latest book, Hail to the CEO, Hoopes points out the risks in this trend. For the July 2008 issue of Management Consulting News, we talked to Hoopes about the dangers he sees, and asked him about his new leadership model in which leaders earn moral influence, rather than exploiting it.

Read the interview with James Hoopes.

Also in July’s issue, we provide some thoughts on finding more time for marketing, how reflecting now about the legacy you will leave can make you a better leader, why you shouldn’t waste time on poor prospects, and more.

Read the July 2008 issue of Management Consulting News.