Enemies of promise (things to make a communicator's blood boil)

Some are subtle. Let's take a look at a few of these objectionable reasons not to communicate. Spotting these nasties helps to anticipate them with strong, quick counters, and could even change things for the better. Searching for some is like looking for a hidden dreaded disease lurking about in the body; if undetected, they will claim their victim silently, destroying what's healthy.

So what really makes a communicator's blood boil?

It's not in the budget: Pleading poverty is an instinctive response of management, particularly in tight times. Yet, quite often, things will get a lot tougher if companies don't communicate to their customers, employees and other key stakeholders. This excuse wears very thin when you see how management doles out cash to some of their pet projects.

No one will find out: How low can management go? This recipe for disaster will keep you, as the communications professional, up to your ears in work, but will not offer much in the way of job satisfaction. The media will eventually find out and you will go into reactive public relations mode. Especially devious management will even avoid telling their communications people. The remedy: pay attention and strongly resist.

Which half of our advertising is working? This one is followed by the tired remark that someone, who they can't remember, big in advertising though, (if you know who really said this, please send an e-mail) once said, "I know that half my advertising is working, I just don't know which half!" We all know what's coming next - why spend any money on corporate or product advertising anyway if advertising is such a dark art. Look a bit closer and you'll see that there's another more subtle suggestion at work: communications is such an unscientific part of business that no one really knows what's working or not. Stop this one in its tracks by suggesting that all advertising should be turned off immediately and let's just wait and see the results. Of course, we'd like to say that but the real answer is that commercial messages do have their place and purpose in an integrated communications campaign.

Look at what our competitors are doing: Your competitors' communications campaign - great ads, TV coverage, new website look - are the envy of your client's top management and employees. Well, what do you say? You proposed similar ideas months ago and received little enthusiasm - all the familiar excuses. Casually remind them of your brilliant proposal, say the competitors have too much money and that you can design a more effective campaign. Then get cracking and produce the goods.

"I refuse to talk to that journalist": Granted the journalist has written critical, hard looking stories about your client's company in the past but for management to refuse to deal with certain more vigorous journalists is tantamount to selective censorship. You too would like to shun this "dangerous, loose cannon" journalist but your professionalism always gets the better of you. Occasionally you just have to deal with a particular poisonous species of reporter and will have to release information very formally - but do it you must. One approach is to warn your top manager of the perils of silence and that these accusations unchallenged will become public record for posterity.

"Of course we communicate with our employees": This is the rather lame response from managers who clearly don't. Employees are pleading for greater openness and transparency but managers - yes, today even in so-called enlightened organizations - have devices in their ears to screen out this "noise". Short of starting a riot of dissention among employees, the way to deal with this problem is to formalize communication (checks and balances - how tedious), make communication part of the performance management system and train. These solutions will not work in the long run as the company culture will have to change.

"How are you adding value?" Another question to really make your blood boil but, let's face it, it's a good question. You've sweated puss for your client or company often with little or no appreciation, and they have the gall to question the value of your work. Look, things change, expectations rise, new challenges emerge. Perhaps it's time to take a hard look at what you are really doing for your client or company. Just make sure they know what you've been doing to date - all that extra effort you've been putting in seems wasted unless it's recognized or rewarded (financially). Hold a meeting to determine their new needs (which you should have anticipated anyway if you have been paying attention), and make new recommendations and swing into action and implementation.

These were just some of the more obvious reasons to make your blood temperature cook. The main point in all the suggestions is to anticipate them like any professional salesperson would be able to know what objections potential customers will raise and how to effectively counter each one.

Please e-mail me with any obstacles you find particularly distasteful or irritating - I'd really like to know your experience.

Until next time, remember bumps are bound to appear in the communications road - just be sure to spot the problems before you smack them head on. If you unfortunately do and have to wade in the brown stuff, make sure you have gumboots up to your ears and have donned a proper flack jacket. Oh yes, remember to wear a hard hat.