Never Burn A Bridge

A very cool newbiz prospect entered our pipeline this week. A name-brand consumer tech company has extended an invite to their RFP. We've made some great headway in our Lifestyle Technologies Group, with clients such as Shimano, Oakley, Ugobe, etc., and it would be sweet to add this company to the roster, too.

But what is interesting about this prospect is how it came to us.

The PR manager at the client company was a former interview candidate at SHIFT. Interestingly, this person did not get the gig with us (can't remember why - for all I know, we did make an offer) ... But, apparently they were so impressed by the folks they met that when this person landed "the big job" at the consumer tech company, they remembered the interview fondly and subsequently extended the invite to pitch their business.

Never, ever burn a bridge. Be nice to e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y.

A Blog Is Not A Newsletter

One thing that often strikes me as we begin a dialogue with clients about "this blogging stuff" is how often the client assumes that one post per month oughta' do the trick. This is particularly true if the blog is slated to become a CEO-level responsibility. "He's a very busy man, after all. He can't be expected to post more often than that."

Here's my retort:

"How is a monthly blog post any different from a newsletter?"

So many clients still see blogs as a one-to-many communication vs. a participatory dialogue.

The blog is not about making the CEO a star (though it can help in that effort); it's about ensuring that the client execs are engaged in their industry; communicating to-and-fro with customers, prospects, employees, media, friends & enemies.

"Daily posting might be a pipe dream," I say, "But monthly posting is a fool's errand."

When you holler across a canyon, you can't come back a month later and still expect to hear an echo.