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Getting The Most Out Of A Client Intake Call

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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.

9 Tips For A Great Video Interview

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Many of our clients who accept an invitation to appear as a guest on a podcast are shocked when they learn that the interview included a video recording that was uploaded to YouTube. Keep in mind that even if the interview is in podcast form, you should always be ready for a possible video interview. No problem as you frequently use Zoom for calls. Right?

Zoom is undoubtedly the most user-friendly video platform in the world. It enables remote interviews without requiring a complex home studio setup. But there’s a catch: you’re now in charge of your own lighting, audio, and makeup.

Do not fret. There is no need to put in hours attempting to simulate an interview created by a professional company. Get the following fundamentals down, and you’ll exude assurance, polish and warmth.

#1: Learn about the “Touch up my appearance” tool in Zoom. Your video display receives an instant soft focus, giving it a more polished image.

#2: Steer clear of virtual backgrounds. They’re enjoyable with friends and coworkers, but not suitable for interviews with the press. The ideal setting is a neat home office. However, if you don’t have a specific working area, pay attention to your surroundings. A messy bed, an open bathroom door, or a background mirror might be embarrassing. Additionally, look for a location where you can keep out kids, other people, and your pets to prevent this scenario.

#3: Do not position yourself too near the camera. This gives the potential viewer the unsettling impression that a huge face is staring back at them through their computer screen. Put yourself in a position where your head, shoulders and chest are visible to the camera.

#4: Dress in professional business attire. On video, solid blue clothing projects well; however white could make you appear washed out. Avoid wearing jewelry with loud or dangling charms or busy patterns that will draw attention away from what you are trying to express.

#5: Powder your nose and forehead to “de-shine.” Any shine gets exaggerated on video and can be distracting. If you don’t happen to have a compact of powder on hand, crank up your AC ahead of the interview.

#6: Keep looking the audience in the eye. Direct your attention to the camera on the laptop or computer screen. To make sure that your eyes are pulled to the camera, experts advise adding an arrow.

#7: It’s a good idea to write down three important points that you want to remember and set them nearby, out of sight of the camera. It is preferable to glance down at notes rather than up at the ceiling when trying to remember anything. In fact, looking up during an interview makes candidates seem dishonest. To use as “cue cards,” you may also put up your talking points against the side of your camera.

#8: Instead of using your smartphone, use a laptop or desktop PC. Your interviewer will be able to capture you in landscape mode this way.

#9: Always rehearse with a coworker to ensure that all of the above have been taken into account. Your confidence and memory of the information you wish to convey will both be greatly improved by even one practice session.

If you would like coaching on what to say and how to say it during interviews, consider taking some “Media Training.” Everyone gains significantly from it, regardless of how frequently they have been the subject of media interviews. To learn more about our media training programs, contact Amendola at info@acmarketingpr.com.

Best of luck with your next video interview!

10 Fast Visual Tips for a Fabulous Zoom Media Interview

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By Stephanie Janard and Marcia Rhodes

Congratulations! Your amazingly talented PR team just landed an interview for you on a local or national news program, to be conducted via Zoom. Since you regularly use Zoom for video calls, the interview should be a piece of cake. Right?

Well, it’s true that Zoom is arguably the world’s easiest-to-use video platform. It makes remote interviews possible without the need for an elaborate home TV studio set-up. There’s just one catch: you are now your own lighting, audio and make-up crew.

But don’t worry. Part of the appeal of Zoom media interviews is that they bring an authentic, more personal element to conversations between reporters and the people they’re interviewing. So no need to spend hours trying to exactly replicate a professionally produced interview. Just get the following basics down and you’ll project confidence, polish and warmth.  

Tip #1: Dress in professional business attire (men, you can skip the tie). Solid blue shirts and tops project well on TV while white might make you look washed out. Avoid busy patterns and dangly or noisy jewelry that will distract the viewer from what you’re actually saying.

Tip #2: Powder your nose and forehead to “de-shine.” Any shine gets exaggerated on TV. If you don’t happen to have a compact of powder on hand, crank up your AC ahead of the interview (unless it’s a loud window unit.)

Tip #3: Get to know Zoom’s “Touch up my appearance” feature. It applies an instant soft focus to your video display, which presents a more polished appearance.

Tip #4: Maintain eye contact with viewers. Look directly at the camera on your computer or laptop screen. Experts suggest putting an arrow pointing to the camera so your eyes are automatically drawn to it.

Tip #5: But it’s okay to occasionally look down at notes if needed. In fact, it’s advisable to have three key points you want to keep in mind written down and placed near you out of view of the camera. When you’re trying to remember a point, it’s better to look down at notes than up at the ceiling. Looking up during an interview actually makes people appear dishonest. You can also prop up your note to the side of your camera to use as “cue cards.”

Tip #6: Use your laptop or desktop computer, not your smartphone. This way your interviewer can record you in landscape mode.

Tip #7: Avoid sitting too close to the camera. For some reason, many people are inclined to get right up into the camera lens. For the eventual viewer this creates the disconcerting experience of a giant face peering back through their computer screen. Sit far enough away from the camera so your head, shoulders and chest are visible.

Tip #8: Put your laptop on a stack of books so that the center of the screen is eye level. This will elongate your neck and instantly hide any double chins. Add or remove books as needed for just the right height.

Tip #9: Make sure light is shining at you, not from behind. Either place a lamp by your computer or sit near a window with natural light so that light falls on your face. If a strong light is shining behind you, viewers will only see your silhouette.

Tip #10: Avoid virtual backgrounds. They’re fun with friends and coworkers, but not appropriate for media interviews. A tidy home office is an ideal background. If you don’t have a dedicated office space, however, be aware of your surroundings. A bed, an open door that leads into a bathroom or a mirror in the background could prove embarrassing. Also, try to find somewhere you can shut out children, pets, etc. so you can avoid this situation:

One last bonus tip… always do a test interview with a colleague to check for all the above. Even one practice session will considerably boost your confidence and memory of what you want to communicate.

As for what you say and how you say it during your interviews…that’s a whole different topic called “Media Training.” And everyone, no matter how often they’ve been interviewed by the media, benefit greatly from it. We offer media training right here at Amendola, so reach out to us at info@acmarketingpr.com to learn more.