Posts

Getting The Most Out Of A Client Intake Call

/0 Comments/in /by

Healthcare marketing and public relations agencies work closely with clients on crafting effective messages designed to gain the attention of (and prompt action from) their potential customers, investors, media outlets, awards organizations, conference organizers, and other target audiences.

Clients and agencies routinely rely on email and collaborative platforms such as Slack and Teams to communicate about messaging ideas and strategies. Still, there’s no substitute for live, verbal  conversations. And while meeting in person is always best, the pandemic made Zoom calls a simple and convenient way of life in the professional world. Other than not knowing how tall everyone is on Zoom, it’s just like being in a room together!

When it comes to creating strategic, high-value content assets for clients – such as “thought leadership” bylines, case studies, and white papers – it is essential that agencies and clients arrange what we refer to as an “intake call” to discuss the asset’s target audience, goals of the content, main message, and major takeaways.

Intake calls are both a resource and an opportunity; thus, failure to take full advantage of these sessions can undermine the client’s goals and the ability of the agency to create compelling content. Unfortunately, far too many intake calls are unproductive and fail to provide the agency’s account directors and writers with enough direction to ensure quality content assets. Inevitably, the writing suffers, leading to more time wasted on editing and rewriting that could have been avoided.

Among the many reasons why intake calls go off the rails:

There’s no predetermined topic. I’ve been on my share of calls where the topic of the content asset had not yet been specified. As a result, much time is consumed just kicking around ideas. Once an idea is chosen, the call participants then have to hammer out a message and supporting themes. Without preparation, this process can be highly inefficient, which means the agency team may not get all the information they need from the call within the allotted time.

The “subject matter expert” (SME) is unprepared. Client SMEs are very knowledgeable about their areas of expertise. They’re also quite busy, particularly if the SME is a CEO. Thus, even if a topic has been preselected or an outline produced as a guide for the call discussion, the SME may not have had time to do any prep work. This also can lead to an inefficient and unsuccessful intake call.

The SME lives in the weeds. Some client SMEs can clearly and fluently communicate their company’s technology, market strategy, and product use cases. Other SMEs are CTOs. Just kidding! Seriously, though, SMEs who immerse themselves in technological details can struggle to concisely explain to a non-tech audience how their companies’ platform or tools can help customers.

Too many people on the call. Though this doesn’t happen much with start-ups, I’ve written custom content for large technology vendors as a freelancer and have been on calls with eight, 10, or more client-side participants. I’m not naming names, but one company rhymes with Oracle. These “cast of thousands” mega-calls can be incredibly frustrating and unproductive.

Intake call best practices

So what can marketing/PR agency pros do to ensure they and their clients get the most value they can out of intake calls?

Prepare a list of questions to guide the discussion. Giving the conversation a framework and some direction can make an intake call more efficient and productive. What’s the technology or healthcare challenge? What’s at stake for patients, clinicians, payers, etc.? What are the possible solutions? 

Get down to business. I like to chat, and I like learning about people I’m working with. (Is that so wrong?) But when you only have 30 minutes to capture a client’s thoughts about a complex healthcare challenge, it’s best to smoothly move past initial pleasantries and get the show on the road.

Make the client verbalize the value of the asset. Even if you know the topic of the content asset, even if you have a tentative title, and even if you have bunch of on-point questions, it’s always a good idea to ask the client to explain 1) the target audience 2) what the goal of the asset is, and 3) how they would describe the asset to a colleague (“This byline is about…”). The more clarity an agency’s writer and account director have, the more likely they will produce an asset that meets or exceeds the client’s expectations.

Conclusion

Both healthcare technology startups and their marketing/PR agencies are far too busy to waste time on unproductive content asset intake calls. While it’s hard to control how ready clients are for intake calls, agency account and content directors can optimize the value of these Zoom meetings by being prepared, guiding client participants through the conversation, and seeking clear language about the topic and goals of a content asset.

An Open Letter To All Public Speakers And Soon-To-Be Speakers

/0 Comments/in /by

On behalf of conference program managers and producers everywhere, I’d like to share some insights for all public speakers and soon-to-be speakers. Conference season is coming. Submissions are being examined. LinkedIn pages are refreshing at a furious rate. And you might soon get that email that says, “You’ve been chosen to speak at XYZ Forum in Las Vegas! Congratulations! You’re going to crush it on stage.”

As the person who once-upon-a time chose, managed, and served as your shepherd to that fateful 30-minutes on stage, here are some helpful tips to make you and your session shine.

  1. Your presentation. I know you’ve got bigger fish to fry. Your presentation probably isn’t THE most important thing in life right now, but you know what? It will be for those 30 minutes you’re on stage. Pay attention to the deadline the conference gives you and get it to them on time. And give them the final version. There’s nothing worse than running into a room late waving a thumb drive to switch out your presentation because you had a eureka moment at 2:36 am to change “that” for “which” on slide 17. You know what? No one cares. And if it’s a number or data issue, make the correction on stage. Late presentations also increase the chances for errors so get that thing in and let it go. For some tips on making your presentation turbocharged, check out this post from my colleague Marcia Rhodes.
  1. Check the agenda. Programming an event is a lot like herding toddlers after packets of Fun Dip. There are a lot of moving parts. Things happen. I’ve had speakers cancel for plane delays, traffic, food poisoning, kids falling ill, and babies being born. COVID has introduced even more issues – for instance, a keynote speaker who was denied entry 20 minutes before go-time. It happens and things change so bookmark that agenda page and hit refresh. At least have a look at the agenda before you close your eyes the night before and dream of thundering applause and lines of people congratulating you as you come off stage.
  1. Know where you’re going. Have you been to Las Vegas? The Orange County Convention Center? Those places are immense. HIMSS alone has about 25,000 people and more signs than people. If possible, check where your room is the night before and if you can’t, check over your morning coffee while updating your presentation – which you won’t be doing. See? Caught you. Find your room and make sure you’re registered for the event and your badge is proudly hanging. I’ve had speakers running down the hall while the rest of their panel were taking the stage and, while they are drenched in sweat and trying to catch their breath, we’re trying to fish a microphone down their suit coat. Being late puts you in a bad mood and the AV person is none too happy either – trust me. Come early. Get a coffee or whatever you need and relax.
  1. Introduce yourself to the AV team. They’re there all day, couldn’t care less about the conference, the topic, or your presentation – but they’re making it happen, so introduce yourself. Ask them if everything is running on time (people tend to wax poetic on stage) and ask them where to wait when you’re getting close to your go-time. Be respectful. They might not care about your AI solution, but they do care about getting your mic on and making you sound good. If you’re anxious about your video on slide 24, you can certainly ask to review your deck but remember they’re managing 3-4 screens, have a pile of laptops to coordinate and more. If they are overwhelmed or dealing with someone who brought in a late presentation, it’s best to just trust the system.
  1. Go-time. When you’re finally on stage don’t use the podium. Walk. Pace. Stalk that stage like Mick Jagger, less hips, please. These conference rooms are big, cavernous and frankly can suck the life out of you. You have 20 to 30 minutes to shine. Make eye contact throughout the room. Talk to the audience. Use stories. Anecdotes. Show pictures of your kids. Throw a joke in if that’s your thing. Make it relatable. Show, don’t tell. I had a CISO from a major healthcare org explain to a group his sleepless nights when he realized his career had evolved from keeping credit cards secure to keeping people alive. It hit home. We had a vendor at an event illustrate his story about patient experience by sharing from pictures of a serious car accident he was in – and the room was silent throughout his whole presentation. Not a single piece of text appeared and it might have been the best presentation I saw in almost 10 years.
  1. Be cool. This last piece of advice is my favorite. Be cool. Just. Be. Cool. I might have suggested you act like Mick on stage, but off stage you’re just another speaker in a room full of them. Treat the conference staff well, your fellow speakers well, and the organizing team well. After the applause dies down, thank the emcee as you leave the stage and get yourself to the AV team to let them remove your mic and your job is done. Conferences are a lot of work – look around at some point next time you’re at one and think about all those moving parts. Sure, it’s not brain surgery, but it’s a lot of work and you’re one piece of the puzzle. Be an easy piece. The easier you are, the more you connect with people, the greater chance you’ll have of being invited back. I had speakers I’d email before I even put an agenda together because they were smart, easy, dependable and dynamic. Be that.

There is more but your Golden Rule is No. 6.

Public speaking is a lot. It’s not for everyone but remember, all those people in the audience, whether it’s 150 or 7,000, are there to hear what you have to say so you’ve already been accepted. They want you. The hard part is done. The mic is on, the PowerPoint is perfect and you’re going to crush it. Just get up on stage and take a deep breath. Everyone is rooting for you!

Need some inspiration? Here is a public speaker I thought was a particularly good presenter.

The Lifelong Learner In All Of Us

/0 Comments/in /by

While searching for a high-school graduation gift this summer, I came across a book called, “Learn Like a Pro, Science-based tools to become better at anything.” Primarily a guidebook for students about how to learn, study and prepare for tests, it also has application for all who desire maximizing their learning abilities regardless of age.

The authors, Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe, are university professors who share their failures along the way and how they transformed themselves into skilled learners.

As a PR professional for an award-winning PR and marketing agency, I wanted to give this book a “test drive” to see if it could help me in my own work, as well as provide colleagues with best practices.

One of the methods they recommend is the Pomodoro Technique, where an individual sets aside e-mail, mobile phones and other distractions for 25 minutes of uninterrupted study or work. The technique avails itself of the focused mode of learning, where the brain tackles an assignment or problem intently. After the focused period, the doer takes a five-minute break so that the diffuse mode of learning can continue working in the background while the person listens to music, takes a walk, gets a snack, etc. The idea is to rinse and repeat. The diffuse mode, incidentally, is the part of the brain that spurs creativity.

Focused and diffuse modes of learning help build connections between neurons, the brain’s building blocks. The links between neurons are synapses. The stronger the neural connections, the stronger knowledge, understanding and insights take root in long-term memory.

Exercise also plays a part in these neural connections because it produces a substance called brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF, a type of fertilizer for the brain.

The Pomodoro Technique may even mitigate procrastination by giving the user a set amount of time to focus intently on a task with a built-in reward at the end of the period. For those struggling with a particular task, like an essay or math problem, stepping away to do something else allows the diffuse mode to continue pondering the issue at hand. Often, new ideas emerge in our brains when we return to that task.

In a new business presentation, for example, the authors might recommend that team members review materials for one hour a day, every other day, in the week before presenting. The breaks allow the diffuse mode to do its thing. As that presentation day approaches, reviewing materials and rehearsing the presentation grow in frequency.

For the chapters on self-discipline and motivation, who better to reference than Theodore Roosevelt to make their points. In 1912, the former President sustained a bullet wound by a would-be assassin in Milwaukee. The shot missed Roosevelt’s vital organs, and while still bleeding, he continued speaking for over 90 minutes! Roosevelt, from a young age, pushed himself to read, study and exercise at a breath-taking pace. He is said to have read one book a day during his eight years in the White House.

Their point is that not everyone has self-discipline or that type of sheer will. But there are ways to improve one’s chances of success at assignments and getting things done.

The way to do it is by limiting the distractions and temptations that require such self-discipline in the first place.  Again, removing mobile phones during focused work, limiting the distractions on one’s desk and workspace are great starts.

To be deep learners, the authors have several recommendations while reading books and other materials: The first is to skim a book chapter or white paper for section headings, executive summaries, graphics and bold-faced copy to get a feel for the material. Later, with focused reading, it’s important to turn your gaze away every few pages to engage in a method called recall (or retrieval), which entails summarizing, in one’s own words, what has been learned. Studies suggest this method of reading breeds greater retention than reading materials repeatedly, where the strong neural connections often don’t form because one hasn’t really absorbed the material.

To aid in this process, the authors recommend taking notes on the right 2/3 of a notebook, leaving the left 1/3 to summarize key words and thoughts later in the day. This helps in the recall/retrieval process.

Another area impacting effective learning and time management is the writing and editing process. The authors assert not to confuse the two. When one is writing, one ought to pour one’s heart into writing without worrying about everything being perfect. It’s essential to get thoughts on paper and digital screen. The editing process takes place later and is more effective as its own discipline.

Setting process, milestone and long-term goals also go a long way to sowing a path to success. To establish goals and fulfill them, one must develop good habits and weed out the bad ones. This exercise can be accomplished by finding the triggers to bad habits and resetting them so that there are positive cues and then rewards at the end of the tunnel.

That’s all for now. My Pomodoro session has now concluded, and it’s time for a break.

How To Plan Communications For Your Next Crisis

/0 Comments/in /by

A recent cyberattack on a fuel pipeline has hospital and health system officials rethinking what they need to do better to protect their own networks from breaches and the huge consequences that can result.

For communications professionals at such institutions, rehearsing such crisis scenarios and what should follow can be the difference between saving a reputation or seeing it destroyed.

The ability to respond promptly to disasters or damaging reports can build confidence in constituents that the organization is on top of the crisis and is a leader in its sector. 

One thing to consider is that crisis plans should make very clear who is responsible for what. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind:

Prepare in advance with inputs from the organization’s functional areas. The time to plan for a crisis is long before it hits. A well- thought-out crisis plan is designed to help an organization communicate internally and externally with clear, succinct, and timely direction.

The goal is to minimize confusion and maintain confidence amidst whatever crisis may occur. Opinions vary and emotions are strong when the stakes are high, the book Crucial Conversations tells us. The time for addressing conflicting perspectives is in the preparation phase of a crisis plan, not during the crisis itself.  While there will undoubtedly be differences of opinion in one’s approach depending on the circumstances, a detailed plan rehearsed with key players and influencers can minimize disruption when things get tense. Still, even if things get heated, the book’s authors tell us to leverage the power of dialogue with absolute candor and deep respect for others’ viewpoints to realize the desired goals.

Identify stakeholders. Designing an effective crisis management plan also requires an understanding of stakeholders and their roles. Stakeholders are all those who have an interest in the outcome. For a health system, the list is generally long and can include patients, governments, administrators, board members, and clinicians. Each might need slightly different things during a crisis, which is why each stakeholder should be considered a separate audience.

Identify a communications chain of command. Crisis plans should – in advance – identify all of those who will be involved with managing a crisis, what areas they are responsible for and who is ultimately responsible for making decisions. Then, all of those involved should receive the training they need to be effective in their roles. For example, specialists from all functional areas of the organization should be available to lend their expertise should the need arise, and executive spokespeople should receive media training.

Create real-world tools that can be modified later. One of the most valuable things to have in a crisis is a head start. Messaging, scripts, and spokespeople should be prepared in advance. The communications team or the company’s PR firm can later assist in adapting standard scripts to specific situations based on the event and fallout.

Ensure that crisis management messaging addresses various aspects of the crisis. When communicating bad news or another type of crisis, it is imperative that the organization’s spokespersons do the following:

Elaborate with the “what” – explain what happened with concise language, together with the organization’s position on the issue

Educate with the “how” – explain how audiences should respond to the situation and how the organization is responding

Engage with the “why” – explain the impact the situation has on operations so that impacts are not blown out of proportion

By giving thoughtful consideration to the development of a crisis management plan, organizations are more likely to be able to recover from bad news. In some cases, they might even exit the crisis with stronger brand relationships.