How many emails have you had from Linked-In, today, asking you to join a group, attend a ‘seminar with the opportunity to network’ or link up with someone you’ve never heard of?

It can be a bit overkill, sometimes, all this networking malarkey.

That’s not to say it’s a bad thing – but the secret is choosing your networks carefully – and not being lured into a numbers game.

As a freelancer, networking is pretty important to me in getting new business leads.

I’ve done it all;  highly business-like networking, through organisations like Business Networking International (BNI), Women-only groups like Athena, local networking groups, on-line networking groups, going to networking events organised via Linked-In – oh yes, I’ve earned my stripes.

For six months I got up at 5am every Wednesday, trooped off to school (it felt a bit like that) and stood up to do my sixty seconds pitch.  After a while I was lucky enough to do four minutes, and then ten – but it still didn’t get me any business.

I began to be totally demoralised. “I’m a communicator”, I told myself “It’s what I do! So why does no-one seem to understand it, let alone give me any referrals?”

“You have to wait till you’ve been here a year”, I was told “Then people know you and feel confident in referring you.”

I felt like my membership fee had been cast to the four winds, “A whole year?”, I worried;  and yet I was constantly berated for not passing on referrals to the same people who had to wait a year to get to know me.  I didn’t know them from Adam, either. Funny that.

I learnt a lot from that particular experience, though:-

1. If you’re going to network effectively you need to be totally clear on what your offer is – and what it’s not – and be able to articulate it to people who don’t know your particular field, but might need your expertise

2. Rehearsing your ‘pitch’ every now and again, and trying it out on other people, keeps you fresh and on the ball whenever you meet new contacts and potential clients

3. It doesn’t always pay to join a networking group where only one person from each discipline is ‘allowed’ to join.  I’ve got some of my best leads from other marketers and marketing communications specialists, because they’re more likely to meet the people you’re targeting and might not always have the capacity to take on a job themselves. It’s good to return the favour though as, to coin a popular networking phrase, “Givers gain”.

4. If you join a group where money and targets are the central focus of the agenda then it’s likely that it’s going to be more about the money and the targets than the relationships. If that’s not for you, head for the hills.

I’m not dismissing networking as a concept. It can be very effective and I know some people (you know who you are) who are absolutely fantastic at it – but it’s only one part of the way you promote your business and can be immensely time consuming.

The best advice I’ve ever got about networking, from John Simmons, brand developer, writer, trainer and extremely well-connected man, has seen me right in many a networking situation:-

‘If you don’t feel comfortable with someone; like you couldn’t be friends with them, or have a good, old chat; the chances are you won’t be comfortable doing business with them’.

Wise words and something I’ve thought a lot about lately.

That’s why I’m off to get all my connections together for a networking ‘summit’.

After all, ‘Givers gain’.

For me it was the perfect Bank Holiday – good company, a chance to relax and a weekend delving into the life and poetry of Dylan Thomas – one of my all-time favourites.

The “bible-black” night; “A girl mad as birds”; “Time held me green and dying, and I sang in my chains like the sea.”

What a man!

Dylan Thomas knew he was going to be a poet from his very early childhood.

Language and the beauty of words were essentials that he couldn’t live without – and with a voice that sounded like rich caramel being poured over chocolate ice cream, he was soon in demand across the world to read his poetry aloud.

In the world of marketing we could do well to stop and listen to the language we use to connect with our target audiences.

With social media, email and the ubiquitous news ‘soundbite’ at the heart of our communications we seem to be losing the ability to tell a good story.

Short and to-the-point is great, but sometimes there’s more to life than what you can get into 140 characters.

Painting an exciting word-picture of what you offer; taking people back to a time when they felt really special; telling someone’s personal story, create a much more enduring image of a cause, a product or a service  in someone’s mind than the fact that someone tweeted about it.

Everyone likes a good story – especially if they can identify with it – so let’s get back to the good old corporate narrative and a bit of description now and again.

I know Dylan would drink to that.

Despite the fact that we’re bombarded with brand messages, offers and new ideas, through more and more sophisticated channels of communication, we seem to have lost the art of talking to each other.

I’m hearing the same, old things from clients and associates:-

“Internal communication isn’t very good here.”

“No-one tells us what they’re doing.”

“They think that what they do doesn’t impinge on what we’re doing.”

“I can’t do my job because they’re not giving me enough information.”

If I had a fiver for every time I’ve heard that during my career I would be relaxing in my villa in the Maldives, right now.

The fact is, you can never get internal communication 100% right.

There will always be someone who wants their information in a different way, or feels hard done by, or who gets so immersed in their work that they forget to tell anyone else about it.

So what’s the answer? Get sucked even further into your own, little silo or try a bit harder?

It’s amazing how many people don’t realise that everyone markets an organisation, not just the marketing department. They also forget that an organisation is the sum of its parts and if those parts aren’t all working together it can be a disaster.

Sometimes, it’s easier to get your head around the fact that you must share information across the business to get more people buying your product or engaging with your organisation, than it is to share information with a colleague you don’t like very much.

As my old mum says “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”

You can’t force people to communicate with you – but you can tell them why it would be really helpful if they did.

Incentivise them; talk to them not at them; let them choose the way they keep you informed – and for goodness’ sake, listen to them when they do.

Internal communication isn’t rocket science – it’s just about being open, listening and acknowledging that we’re all different.

So get up from behind your desk tomorrow, go and talk to people and ask them what they’re up to in their particular area of work – and do it regularly.

You might just find that you like it.

I couldn’t let January pass without revisiting my blog (cue suitable fanfare) and vowing to keep it coming.

Sorry for the radio silence, like most independent consultants I spent 2012 looking for work in a very crowded marketplace – as did many of my friends and associates.

I was lucky. I was accepted as an approved supplier for the National Council of Voluntary Organisations, and have landed a 12 month, part-time Strategic Marketing Manager contract with a fantastic organisation, The Goldsmiths\’ Centre , in Britton Street, Clerkenwell.  

The  charity promotes the Jewellery, silversmithing and allied trades and provides work space, educational opportunites and professional development for the wannabe and newly-qualified; and access to all-important apprenticeships for young people wanting to develop a trade.

For all you business people out there, it also has a great cafe where you can use the free wifi and  meet colleagues and clients in comfort. There’s also a great exhibitions programme for when you have time between appointments.

2012 wasn’t just a bad year for sole traders. The surge of redundancies sent many marketing and communications specialists out into the wilderness, looking for a new job – and nowadays there’s so much to think about:-

Do I jump straight back in to full time work? Do I look for interim contracts? Do I become a temp? are just some of the questions extremely experienced people are facing right now – and not just in marketing and communications.

As a marketing professional vicariously involved in my friends’ attempts to find a job, I’ve found some of their experiences a real education.

Agencies seem to be seen as  an important resource for flexible job opportunities not necessarily advertised in the media by recruiting companies and job seekers alike. 

They have a dual role to play – in marketing organisations to candidates, and candidates to organisations -  but something tells me they don’t really get the rules of marketing:-

Know your product. I’ve heard so many stories of candidates leaving an agency briefing  having to look on the net to see what the company they’re being recommended to actually does. And when it comes to feeling confident that their own experience is being understood by the agency, and adequately conveyed to the client, forget it.

Understand the need. How many times have you been put forward for a job that you’re totally unsuitable for, and wouldn’t want to do, by an agency? A clear case of being sales rather than marketing-led, methinks.

Get to know your audience. This is the big one for many of the jobseekers I know. How can someone 20 years younger than you (at least), who has never worked in your industry understand, the ins and outs of what you have to offer an organisation? Marketing and communications may be a relatively ‘young’ industry but that doesn’t mean that those who have years of experience in it are past it, or out of touch with modern methods. Let’s face it, we are an ageing population who are going to be working for a long time - and the whole point of marketing is adapting to your market.

Promote your product effectively. If you don’t really ‘get’ the person or company you’re representing, how can you know what will resonate with the ‘buyer’? A friend of mine working in finance, going for a strategic role in a small charity was incensed when the guy at the agency spent an hour telling her that her staff management experience was ‘ a bit old’ whilst totally ignoring her experience in a number of roles as Financial Director in…………………..a small charity.

I could go on – but what can we learn from all this?

Jobseekers: you’re going to have to market yourselves! Get that CV off to a fine art and anticipate all those thick questions. Do your own research on the company you’re being considered for and match your skills to the need.  It’s tough out there but you really don’t need to waste your time and energy going for unsuitable jobs to fill an agency’s quota. Cliched it may be, but it’s time to identify and sell your USPs – for all you’re worth.

Agencies: Maybe it’s time to employ consultants that reflect the demographics and experience of your potential candidates. They might cost you more but they’ll fill more vacancies. Get to know your customers and what they really need – and, most importantly, see job applicants as assets that will reflect well on your agency – not just vacancy fillers.

Employers: In the current market, with hundreds of applicants going for every job the need to use an agency as a filter is obvious – but be very clear what the filters are and what you really need.

Happy job hunting in 2013. I wish you every success.

We all loved him – he was so cool, strutting his stuff in those impossible platform shoes.

Well, that’s how we remembered him, until he was sent to prison for criminal activities involving young girls in Thailand.

And now, the words ‘Jim’ll Fix it’ will never be the same again, either. We always thought Jimmy Saville was creepy and we’ve been proved right. Is nothing sacred?

The recent coverage of the Jimmy Saville case is an important reminder for us; not just about how precious children are but also that they have the right to be safe, to have a childhood.

As communicators we have a huge responsibility to children and young people.

We’ve all read the horror stories about girls as young as 8 worrying about their body image, kids carrying knives and getting involved in gangs before they’re even teenagers, children involved in prostitution.

But is it any less horrific that we’re encouraging them to have the best trainers, the latest gadgets, the coolest clothes if they’re going to fit in?

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to interview young people who’d turned their lives around with the help of a fantastic charity, Leap Confronting Conflict, as part of a commission to write the charity’s  annual impact report.

Nearly everyone I spoke to told me how hard it was growing up when the focus was so much on money and things. For many the only way to get them was to get involved in petty crime. Leap helped them understand the importance of the real things in life like being your own person, engaging positively with others, dealing with conflict before it gets out of hand – and some of that was about challenging the messages they encounter every day in the media and the constant barrage of advertising on their Ipads, phones, TVs – you name it.

Of course children are consumers, just as much as the rest of us – and I can remember the time when a Space hopper was my sole object of desire – but aren’t they entitled to enjoy life without the pressures of wondering whether they’re cool, sexy, envied, accepted? It’s bad enough that they’ll have to think about those things when they’re older.

If you’ve forgotten the innocent pleasures and fun children can have without being forced to be a grown up visit the Modern British Childhood exhibition at the Museum of Childhood . It’ll take you back to what it’s like to be a child and remind you that you only get to do it once.

People like Jimmy Saville used the power of being in the media to take away the innocence, fun and freedom of childhood.

Let’s make sure that, albeit more subtley, we’re not doing the same.

Internet dating.

I have.

I’ve met some right ones – the guy who mistook the site for a sex chat line and couldn’t even spell the things he wanted to do; the guy who quizzed me for several emails about where I got my clothes and then decided we had nothing in common; the guys who say they’re 5ft 8 and I tower over them in flats (I’m 5ft 4); oh,  and the ones who say they’re looking for fun……aka a bit on the side or the sort of sex most men have to pay for in a seedy part of town.

I’m not being sexist – I’ve also chatted to guys who could easily have a case under the Trades Description Act - women who put up a picture of a svelte siren and end up being 20 stone in the flesh ; women who are ‘happy-go-lucky’ then bombard men with paranoid text messages at all hours of the day and night; ‘sincere’ women from other countries, who are looking for a husband (and citizenship); women who spell finance and fiancé the same way.

Get my drift?

“Life is like a box of chocolates,” as my old mate Forrest Gump said – “you never know which one you’re gonna get.”

An internet dating site is a pretty big box of chocolates – and a very good insight into good and bad marketing.

Why describe yourself as a praline when you’re really a champagne truffle?

Anonymity and the immediacy of the internet make it very tempting to ‘big up’ your offer, or slightly stretch the truth,  but unless you’re happy to spend your life chatting on line, you’re going to meet up in the end – and your sins will find you out.

Far better to spend the time spell checking your submission (many of us find poor spelling and grammar the ultimate turn off), posting the right kind of photograph (a bit of mystery goes a long way in my book – I don’t really want to see your boxer shorts before I’ve even met you) and being honest about what you really want.

As a consumer, you have to decide whether you’re reading a profile that’s ‘from the heart’ or a clever piece of copy – and ask yourself, if the person you think you’re talking to turns out to be a stone heavier, or a bit older, does it really matter to you?

It’s sad, really, that in today’s world we have to resort to marketing to find romance. Isn’t it meant to be about chemistry and emotional connection?

Whether you see internet dating as a marketing exercise or the chance to find your soulmate, the bottom line is the same as it is in any marketing campaign: –  Tell the truth or it’ll come back to bite you.

Now talking of biting – I could murder a Belgian, white chocolate nut cluster.

“How was it for you?”

“Have I been good enough to get that X-box from Santa?”

We all look for feedback, on almost everything we do – and if we don’t get any, or, worse still, get some negative comments, we can feel really devalued.

It’s a tricky thing to get right, though.

In the last couple of  weeks I’ve experienced both sides of the feedback coin:-

I met a friend in Costa Coffee, and got a free Flat White with my Costa loyalty card – don’t you just love those free coffees?

Almost before I left the coffee shop, I got an email…..

“You recently visited Costa Coffee on Tottenham Court Road” (I looked around me, shiftily, for the CCTV cameras, or the man in the trench coat).

“How was your experience?” (Well, it was great to see Pete again, thanks – oh, you mean the coffee….actually she filled it too full and I ended up with a saucer full of coffee, she did apologise, though, but there isn’t a category for that and I’m on the road so I’ll tell you later).

Did I tell them later? The moment had passed, I’m afraid.

In these unpredictable times I decided to apply for a full-time job.

Perusing the hugely detailed application information I was told very clearly that-

 ’First interviews will be on Friday 28th September” and “Second interviews will take place week commencing 1st October.”

I spent the best part of a day on the application, sent it in and kept 28th almost free in my diary.

On Thursday I had to email to ask if I had an interview or not – and then got an email saying how “on this occasion you have not been selected for interview.”

So what did I do? What every sensible marketing person does. I asked for feedback so I could improve my application technique in the future (not sure I can jump through all those hoops again though).

Have I received any? Yes I know, it’s only Monday.

The key factor in giving and getting feedback is time.

It’s a faff, isn’t it? Especially if you’re having to give bad news.

I admire Costa for getting in so quickly with their ask, but is email the best way?

A touch screen on the way out, perhaps? A round up of your recent visits on your loyalty statement with a request for ratings? Even a little text message, the next day with a very simple ‘Text rubbish, good, great or outstanding to this number”?

As for the interview connundrum, I don’t know anyone who hasn’t had the same experience – it’s all about time.

Customer feedback is as valuable as it ever was – and if, as customers, we choose not to complete feedback forms, we can’t really complain if things don’t improve.

But as marketers, we need to think carefully about avoiding feedback overkill.

Asking ourselves some simple questions will help:-

Why do we need feedback?

What areas do we want feedback on?

If we have to pare the number of feedback questions down to five, what will they be?

And if we can only ask three?

Or even just one?

How often can we realistically ask for feedback – and from whom?

If we need more detail should we consider recruiting a feedback panel with incentives (not bribes) for taking part?

What channels should we use to ensure we don’t irritate our customers – and that we get to a representative sample?

If you get it right it will work seamlessly and become part of your routine but you’ll need to review your feedback mechanisms on a regular basis.

So, how was that for you? Did you learn something? Will you take action as a result?

And by the way, where are you reading this blog? and what are you wearing?

Excuse me if I’m a bit dazed and confused this morning.

Last week I hit my head against that familiar brick wall – managing a client’s expectations about what marketing on a budget can achieve.

It’s an oft-told story; small organisation, funded by grants, fundraising and the generosity of its patrons, can’t afford to invest in full-time marketing and communications but needs and often expects………………full time marketing communications.

Well, wouldn’t you?

It’s frustrating when you’re a senior manager who wants the best for your organisation when you only  have marketing support one day a week.

You want a clear strategy with targets and performance indicators, you want everything to be integrated and on-message,  and you want LOADS of publicity.

But you end up with an endless game of catch up, a serious lack of continuity,  and suppliers and contacts who get frustrated with trying to remember that they can only brief or be briefed on a Tuesday.

The rest of the organisation has to ‘make do’ when the marketer isn’t in the office and put together their own materials, develop their own contacts and forget to tell the part time person they’ve done it.

The marketer finds it equally frustrating.

You’re only there one day a week and there are ongoing tasks to perform (especially if, like me, you’re employed as press and communications officer), calls to take and follow up from last week to be done. You find yourself doing the more important things in between because it can’t all be done in a day – and then you have to explain why you didn’t get that extra coverage or support senior managers in dealing with journalists.

Not a happy situation for anyone – but there is a solution. It just needs a bit of thought.

Use my support guidelines to choose the right support for you.

Now, I’m going off to wipe the blood from my forehead.

The Olympics and the Paralympics are done, and we’re all patting ourselves on the back about how successful they’ve been.

It will all wind up in today’s Victory Parade through Central London where 90% of Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic medal winners are expected to appear.

The weather is, appropriately, cooling down and we’re headed for the seasonal norm.

But what does normal mean for us?  And what kind of  legacy will London 2012 really leave us?

A colleague of mine attended the British Business Embassy’s Global Sports Business Summit last week, looking at the legacy of the Games and encouraging the businesses involved to make themselves visible and win post-olympic contracts.

Suddenly the use of the 2012 logo in their marketing materials, previously denied to participating businesses, was given to them as a golden opportunity – part of the Great Britain campaign, enhancing our status as  ‘the Country that hosted the best Olympic and Paralympic games ever’.

Right from the very beginning, when we made our 2012 Olympic bid, the government laid down all sorts of promises, from inspiring young people to take part in sport, to improving volunteering, increasing grass roots sports opportunities and meeting our health targets – especially those on obesity http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/DCMS_Beyond_2012_Legacy_Story.pdf .

Our targets on obesity are not looking good – and if they aren’t achieved all those pre-olympic promises will ring somewhat hollow.

Jeremy Hunt’s move from Culture to Health gives him the ideal opportunity to realise those targets underpinning our olympic legacy – time to put your money where your mouth is Jeremy.

From a marketing perspective, the ‘Legacy’ is a timely lesson on the propositions we make as businesses.

When you’re publishing your business goals - particularly if you’re offering a service, are a charity or, dare I say it a government department, or making clear pledges as part of a campaign think very carefully about whether you can deliver.

We all yawn when we have to put together ‘key performance indicators’ or impact measurements but they do serve a purpose and are the part of clear and transparent marketing.

So when you’re watching all those Olympians getting the credit they deserve today have a little think about your own legacy. Maybe it’s time to do that vision, mission and strategy review you’ve been putting off for so long and ask yourself if you can come up with the goods.

P.S.   A big thank you to everyone who supported my niece after last week’s blog. There’s still time to take her over her target at https://www.justgiving.com/catherineFord2012

What will we do without it?

We’ve all had our personal games highlights and watching the Paralympics makes me feel, well, totally inadequate.

A highlight for me was seeing Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web, taking centre stage at the Olympics Opening Ceremony, live tweeting a message reminding us how much he has changed our world.

The vast majority of us use the web every day – to chat to friends, to order food, to promote our work – and so much more.

The web has its good side, and its not so good side, but the good far outweighs the bad.

If you’re not using the web to promote your business, you’re behind the times – and if you are, but not updating your website, blogging and tweeting regularly…………………….you’re behind the times. So if you do one thing today – make sure your web presence is up to date.

One sector that has been radically transformed by the world wide web is the charity sector.

The ability to sign up for fundraising opportunities, donate and promote important causes on line has made giving something back so much easier.

I’ve been particularly struck this week by my niece’s fundraising page on Just Giving.

She’s doing a walking marathon for Cancer Research UK, to raise money for research into pancreatic cancer, the illness that deprived her of her father when she was just 13.

At the end of this month she’ll be walking, with thousands of people, while her brother struggles with Hodgkins disease.

Yes, of course I’m going to ask you to support her at https://www.justgiving.com/CatherineFord2012 but I’m also reminding you how big a part the web has played in her efforts.

She’s not a marketer. Her page is simple and probably doesn’t stand out from any other.

But the messages of support on that page, and her use of texts, facebook and email to promote her cause would make TimBL proud.

Your website and how you promote it is key to marketing your business – and if you have real life examples and testimonials to support your web propositions you’ll go far.

So have a look at your web page today – and whilst you’re at it donate to Cancer Research UK by supporting my niece – https://www.justgiving.com/CatherineFord2012

You have been told.

Thank you for supporting such a fantastic cause.