CLARITY
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
PO Box 522 Bethel, VT 05032 (802) 234-6785
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Keep talking; it’s like money in the bank If you don’t manage your image and reputation like you manage your finances and inventory, it can damage your company just as surely as running out of money or trade goods would. For some folks, it’s as easy as doing your job better than anyone else. There’s a firewood provider in my town who has to turn away logging jobs because business is always booming. Why? His reputation is stellar. He’s fast, he’s good, he’s dead honest, and everyone says so. But for most folks, it’s not that easy, or that type of approach doesn’t fit their business. Let’s take a look at two hypothetical inns in the Upper Valley. We’ll call them Jane’s B&B and John’s B&B. They cater to basically the same type of clientele, they’re located in the same town, and they even get their food and other services from some of the same suppliers. Jane has decided to make an investment in her inn’s image and reputation, and so, in addition to advertising, she offers an internship program with local schools to help get young folks interested in Vermont’s hospitality business. She gives talks at local and regional organizations, including universities and colleges, about the unique challenges in the industry and how she addresses them. She requests customers’ e-mail addresses and sends them a bi-monthly newsletter to keep them up to date on improvements and changes since their last visit. The inn sponsors a local youth soccer team, and Jane sends press releases to local and regional publications about all of these activities, as well as whenever she offers a new hospitality service, hires a new chef, achieves a coveted certification or rating, or when she decides to expand. Business is great. John’s B&B is successful too. He advertises in the publications that reach his targeted demographics; the ads are well-produced, and convey the excellent quality of the place, its wonderful cuisine, and its recreational opportunities. Business is going well, and he plows his profits into ensuring that the place is top-notch in terms of amenities, infrastructure and staff. And then, six other Upper Valley inns are hit with food poisoning due to an unfortunate oversight at a popular food supplier. A local newspaper is localizing the story, so John and Jane have been contacted to provide commentary, even though their inns weren’t hit with the illness. Let’s look at Jane’s and John’s situations. John has an unblemished record of quality and satisfied customers to lean on, and he can tell the reporter he is working with his own suppliers to ensure continued quality and safety so that this never happens to his inn. This is a great opportunity, and he gets some positive coverage for his inn. Jane, on the other hand, knows the reporter who is working on the story because she has talked with her dozens of times regarding press releases and has seen her covering Jane’s local lectures. Journalists rely on credible sources in order to do their jobs well, so Jane already has an advantage in this situation when it comes to getting her quotes into the paper. Therefore, readers also have a positive association with Jane’s inn. The power of reputation is in her favor. Similarly, Jane’s ongoing contact with guests provides her with the means and the opportunity to jamal.kheiry@clarity-stratcomms.com
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CLARITY STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
contact them about this incident before they read about it in any news coverage. It’s an opportunity for her to detail the specific steps she takes to prevent this type of incident from taking place at her inn, and to renew her commitment to flawless service. And what about her reputation in the community? She uses it as an instructive tool to the interns from the local school, who see it as an exciting episode in their education and tell their parents about what a tight ship Jane runs. And it can’t possibly hurt that dozens of kids around town wear their Jane’s B&B soccer jerseys on a regular basis, right? These factors make it possible for Jane to continue attracting the best and brightest talent to staff her prestigious business. John got some positive exposure, but it’s just a drop in the bucket compared to Jane’s. Over time, Jane’s superior reputation will cut into his market share and recruiting power. The critical point here is that communicating with your organization’s stakeholders on a regular basis is like making deposits in a bank; in this case, it’s a bank of good-will with customers, clients, employees, neighbors, government regulators, or anyone else who could have an effect on your success. If you have a good story to tell and you present it to these folks routinely, and in a way that is meaningful to them, it’s like money in the bank. Hopefully you’ll never have to draw down the balance. But even if nothing ever happens to threaten your image, you’ll still reap dividends from keeping your stakeholders informed: loyal customers and clients, a community that wants your business to succeed, employees who are proud to come to work each day, and more. The key to successful business communication is in good planning. Next month’s column will focus on how to plan for your own public relations strategy. Jamal Kheiry is a public relations professional based in Bethel. He can be reached at jamal.kheiry@clarity-stratcomms.com
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