Uh-OH! Wasn’t Expecting That!

Marketing communications is an artform, not a science. Therefore, you can put everything in place and still not be assured of the desired outcome!  There are times when even with careful planning and preparation, a new, disruptive element flies into the mix, spoiling the effort.  There are times when we wish the situation had ended up as a reliable marketing initiative, but instead ended differently.

In working with an ENR top 300 design firm, I collaborated for weeks with the Marketing Director for the design and preparation of a particular, key marketing moment.  Everything was carefully planned.  The same afternoon after the incident, I heard back from the Marketing Director what really happened! 

Strategy:  Marketing over Lunch

Goal:  To establish a professionally friendly connection in order to begin a relationship between the two firms.

Setting:  A professional luncheon meeting, round tables of ten.

Preparation:  Planning for various ways to ask the “right “questions to start the conversation, tips to encourage discussion on pertinent topics, ways to move the conversation from personal chat to opportunities for finding out what work is upcoming, how to subtly drop-in impressive tidbits about our firm, ways to spark interest in knowing about our firm.

Implementation:  Knowing that the contact person from the targeted firm was at the same luncheon event, the well-prepared marketing director worked the room, found him at the networking hour, and engaged in usual casual chit chat.  They decided to sit together for the lunch.  Step one, complete.  Step two, the conversation over lunch, was lively and enthusiastic.  The marketing director asked and listened, the prospect talked.  And talked.  And talked.   It was a very pleasant , friendly lunch.  At the conclusion he said, “Nice meeting you.  Goodbye.”  

Oops!  What went wrong?  A major disappointment.  The goal was not met.  The Marketing Director came away with nothing but a pleasant chat hour.  Nothing to move the connection forward, nothing to build on.  Why?  The prospect clearly was not thinking “connection” but rather was merely filling time with a pleasant topic.  He did not even ask for the Marketing Director’s card.  And, no matter how the Marketing Director tried to direct the conversation, the prospect kept on his topic -- he spent the entire conversation bragging about his wife.

Result:  Back to square one.

What to do:  Don’t wait til you get back to the office to drop back to square one!  Of course, there is no one right way to fix this situation once you are in it.  But what is a good way to move from the non-productive talking to focused conversation?  Phrasing is key, choosing smooth wording and tying the two different topics together.  One technique might be to not-so-subtly say something concise and strong like, “Your wife sounds like an accomplished person, I’d like to make the connection with her – here is my card.  (don’t take a breath here!)  You both might be interested in that what I do is . . .  .  (don’t take a breath here, either!) How is this function handled at your firm?”